SRI LANKAN CREATIVITY. 1st SESSION OVER. WHAT’S NEW: CHINTHY of KRONIK ENTERTAINMENT and KRISHAN were BAPTIZED AS POETS

Vihanga [who contributes to the Poetry section here] and Sulla of black metal fame opened a tripartite dialogue on ”Sri Lankan creativity” on Saturday the 19th @ Kamani’s.

The focus on Saturday’s session was “Redefining poetry in our current context”. The dialogue, in fact, became a monologue as both parties waved a “high five” for the definition of poetry and verseification to be broadened. According to Vihanga, poetry, in the current context, should consider all the rock bands, metal outfits, rappers and hip hop etc. Sulla added how metal bands and rockers have opened up the world to a “new expression” and a “new voice”.

Poetry, it was agreed, had to be “saved” and re-defined in relation to a far more complex “sense” of Sense — in that respect, a wider under-conceived creative / artistic / cultural realm — than the conventional 2D / 3D framework we have derived via the mainstream.   

 

Vihanga and Sulla. In their conception Eminem is Byron and John Lennon is Blake.

There were many parallels drawn between canonical poets and some of the figures that were suggested to be “poets”, in the proposed sense of it. Byron and Eminem, Blake and John Lennon were coupled as being “resonant” of one another.

In a lighter vein it was suggested that Lewis Carrol [known for his prose than poetry] and Michael Jackson, too had things in common = a concern for children.

The need to revise definition of a “Lankan poetry”, which was pronounced to be “dead and 6 feet under” was brought out. According to Vihanga, the likes of Chinthy, Krishan and co would pass off as a “new poetic clan” within Sri Lankan creativity. Sulla drew on metal bands and the growing “cultism” and the “alternative ‘out-classed, out-law’ verdict” it casts on social, political and even personal tensions of the day.

Session 2 will be in a fortnight, focussing on what ails Lankan writing as a genre.

WIMAL AND LAL — WHAT’S THAT GOTTA DO WITH IT?

Our interpretations may fit the politics within which we operate; but, the Wimal Weerawansa ejection (or, as Wimal himself put it, the pending verdict against him) from the JVP was, for me, a modern day tragedy of the classical definition. The great man (within his political context, of course), the persuer of the grand design, the aspiring role model of a generation and a half, the charismatic speech, the ideological thrust —- all come undone and unnerved by that eternal Ying Yang of life. The changing course of time.

The JVP has always been a hardcore neo-Marxist outfit. It has always been a party that seemed not to mingle in personal tiffs with their business. The impersonal mask was not limited to its bureaucratic riff-raff, but was to be seen in every single statement they made on air. The JVP identity, their entire product was based on that “do or die” and “we’re doing it right” slogan and their mass appeal was mainly due to their cry that they were “a third wave”: a different candidate with a definite agenda.

However, the Weerawansa debacle has left the ostrich butts-up, as cracks and loop holes that were hitherto craftily negotiated appear in the crimson facade. Even the leadership is shattered and deeply unnerved at press conferences, when responding  to the issue. The smooth eloquance of the whipping Somawansa Amarasinghe and the Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s are, for once, found faltering and words not coming easy.

Statements such as, “no comment”, “It is still under the scrutiny of x,y or z” have never been the placard the JVP played with. But with apparent internal breakups most speakers tend to hide behind the thin filament of such statements, playing for time and improvement.

And amidst all, more and more chaos seem to ooze out the wound: the talk of Weerawansa initiating an alternative “Patriotic Front”, the rumour that upto 12 JVP frontliners are going to breakaway with this new front, the vehicles of the dissenting JVP MP’s going missing……… and as Rihanna sings it “Please Don’t Stop the Music”.

Amidst all the chaos, there are signs of ambitious comrades such as KD Lal Kantha making things very clear — that he is very much in line to become the next “big one” the party might see. It is more than fact that Weerawansa was a household name and a personality either loved or hated with relish. He was a personality that held both his political loyals and enemies at awe. And at the axing of Weerawansa can Lal Kantha really emerge as a champion?

In a party such as the JVP, it is not the policy to have “jumping Jacks”. None of the MP’s, including Weerawansa, have been seen as ambitious or as projecting the self before the party. But, to me, Lal Kantha is forcing himself up the ladder and has, thusfar, projected himself as the “articulate pillar” on which the party can rest o in this time of uncertainty. Note that none of the other JVP frontliners have been definite or judgmental in the pending situation except for Lal Kantha. Apart from the Leader, it is Lal Kantha who appears as Wimal Weerawansa’s chief accuser.

As Weerawansa said in parliament, “History will decide who the true betrayers are”. In the same note, History will also give us a clear indication as to why the people who play their respective roles in the present mess chose, in fact, to play those roles the way they play them now. All we will have to do — and all one can do — is to wait.

 

SLEEP WIMAL, HEAR NOT THAT KNELL

Sleep Wimal, hear not that knell

That summons thee to heaven or to hell.

 

You were never my comrade,

Not in my wildest dream,

But, if I were not by your side now,

What would it mean:

 

The bell that you carried these

Toiled loyal years

Rings wild and hoarse

In your tested ears?

 

And tomorrow, when we wake,

Where shall we be:

Carousing, kissing,

Or hanging from a tree?

 

Vihanga Perera.

Extremely saddened by Wimal’s address to the parliament on 8.4.2008

AN ALL POETS’ GRATIAEN FINAL — THE FINAL FIVE IS OUT. WHO WILL RHYME TILL THE END??? GRATIAEN PRIZE 2008.

The shortlist for the Gratiaen Prize 2008 was announced on the 7th of April at the British Council Colombo. This year’s shortlist is total Ars Poetica — as, out of 56 entrants, 05 entries of poetry made it to the final showdown scheduled for the 26th of April.

The shortlisted were:

• Ramya Jirasinghe
• Chamali Kariyawasam
• Malinda Seneviratne
• Sumathy Sivamohan
• Vivimarie Vanderpooten

Out of the readings given on the occasion, the writer was captured by the engaging quality, the creative depth and the “freshness” in Sumathy’s writing. Malinda Seneviratne’s lines, too, carried the passion and the power which has been noted and acclaimed throughout his life’s work.

Vivimarie, who was the Head judge for the award last year, read from her Nothing Prepares You. This volume is supposed to be one of the “possessions” the renowned translator Indran Amirthanayagam took home back to Canada, following his visit to the elite Galle Literary Festival last January. http://indranamirthanayagam.blogspot.com/2008/01/decree-nisi-poem-by-vivimarie.html

This year’s panel consisted of Sinharaj Thammita Delgoda the historian, Maithree Wickramasinghe, the Linguist and Rama Mani, who is “out of the country” at the moment.

To learn more of Dr. Mani’s “absence”, follow http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2008/2/24584_space.html.

The shortlist will be deleted at the crowning of a winner (or, perhaps in accordence with a developping fad, maybe even two) on the 26th. And who would that be? I personally feel Sumathy and Malinda have a “creative edge” over the rest. But, with the Gratiaen prize, one would never know till the last card is cast and till the last speech is made.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Malinda Seneviratne — passion and poetry meeteth and greeteth

Sumathy Sivamohan — cuts like glass.

Vivimarie Vanderpooten

ARTS TAKES DEM HEARTS AWAY — DRAMSOC 2008 DIES WITH JULIET’S LAST SIGH

Saturday the 5th of April. EOE Pereira Memorial Hall, Faculty of Engineering, University of Peradeniya. Ten minutes past nine in the evening. The talk of the moment — “the devil”.

It indeed was the devil of creativity as DRAMSOC 2008 ended with a thunderous applause not only for the prize-winners, but also to the fantastic fusioning of sheer raw artistic talent at the EOE. For starters, the contest this year was a marathon, with 6 plays running for the plum (and the Senior Treasurer of the DRAMSOC mentioned that a couple of plays had to be turned down, as well, to convenience the schedule). The Faculty of Arts alone had 3 productions and the Faculties of Medicine, Science and Engineering were very much in for the kill with their productions reving.

The winning performance this year was by Arts, with an adaptation of Old Bill’s Romeo and Juliet, as Juliet and Romeo (one gets a queer feeling that the baptist here had, at some point of his/her career, taken a lil stroll by the Dept of English, Ground Floor, main Arts Building). Anyways. The adaptation was, incidentally, a trilingual experimentation, an effort to internalize the fatal love affair of that “enemy blood united in love” to the Lankan sensibility. Though the trilingual cameo sounded a bit contrived at times, the experimentation deserves our applause.

The EOE ”back seats”, consisting mainly of Engineering and (to a lesser degree) Science jocks, were making mayhem right throughout, showing that they were more fit for construction sites than theatres. And it was little wonder that Juliet and Romeo started out with a whole lot of “attempted distractions”. But, the play spoke for itself — and as the play progressed, the crowd was too absorbed and engaged in it all to be uncouth. Let’s say that the audience had no choice: they were sucked in by the quality of what they were seeing on the floor. Incidentally, as the finale approached the entire Hall was perpetuated by the silence — of death. Romeo’s. And Juliet’s. (And the audience’s, if i may add).

Hashintha Jayasinghe lead the J&R cast as a memorable Juliet while Rashmi Fernando played Romeo with understanding and depth. A special award was in line for Angela Perinpanayagam for her busy-body-loving-heart character: Juliet’s nurse.

The winners — “Juliet and Romeo”: an adaptation from Shakespeare.

I was equally captured by the Science Faculty’s subversive take on the Tudor History in their spectacular production (The Black Adder). A plotline that reflected on “what really happened to Richard III” the play was a pleasing capsule of wit, humour, and action. Edward of York, played by the versatile Randika Gajanayake won him top honours for his capital effort. What was most provocative in the play was, maybe, the “performance element” of it: it was highly theatrical and was meant for a “jolly good time”; each line of it.

This year’s DRAMSOC stole the limelight for the increasing number of original scripts. While J&R was an adaptation by Hashintha Jayasinghe and co, the Arts Fac First Year batch, too, staged a self-composed “World Wide Proposals”. Another eyecatcher this year was the performance of the Arts Faculty “SULI” group: a non-aligned creative group who write and produce in Sinhala. The SULI staged an English adaptation of one of their Sinhala productions from last year, titled “Aadaraye Suli”.

In a drama contest dominated by the silver-spooned English speakers and others of an inevitable campus elite group, it was damn brilliant of Lakshan and Ashoka (the two actors involved in the SULI production) to come out with their performance of a dialogue much remniscent of Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” (of course, this was contextually different). Neither Lakshan nor Ashoka use English in their daily discourse/s and had never performed in English to any form of gathering ever before. Well done, Lakshan and Ashoka!!!

To cut the crap and to bring the cows home, the main trophies went as follows:

Best Actor of a female role: Hashintha Jayasinghe (Arts)

Best Actor of a male role: Randika Gajanayake (Science)

Best Direction: Juliet and Romeo: Hashintha Jayasinghe (Arts)

Best Play: Juliet and Romeo (Arts)

 

PS — PAGE STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION. PROBABLE UPDATES TO FOLLOW

FLEETING DESIRE

One moment in time

For this passion’s no crime

To feel you against my dying breath

And dance with you to the beat of death

Holding, caressing, gripping and in kiss

Missing what we may record, remember or miss.

Burning smooth skin, spinning welded in all

And in your passionate hold let me shrink to be small

 Vihanga Perera

Pic : Angelina Jolie and Matt Damon in The Good Shepherd. Major movie. Worth watching.

PREMONISION

Much the wiser and no hidden fears

Abandoned by all hearty cheers

Is this me in 30 years……?

MONK ROCKS THE BUS

This, to me, was the worst cultural farce of recent times. Happened on Thursday the 26^th, in a bus bound from Kandy to Mahakanda. Time was around 8.40-8.45, just after the morning rush hour. It all began when, at Getambe, near the Teaching Hospital, a young monk got in to the bus. And, indeed, no matter how crowded the bus was and with his instincts assisting, he had to get in and make it right to the front in search of the “honorary seat”, which – by unwritten consent (?) – was reserved for the (Buddhist) clergy.

However, the front seat, today, had its own idiosyncrasy: it was not the ordinary single seat, but two seats facing each other (like in trains). And God bless the monk, there were three women and a guy occupying them. However, the monk strode right upto this arrangement and, at his approach, all the three women vacated their seats without a syllable of hesitancy. Well, so far so good – for this was cultural, pious and respectful and all that jazz. Only the guy – a Final Year Sociology Major from Peradeniya – was left, whom the monk joins as “seating partner”. The monk sat in one of the seats facing the guy. 

The monk in question.

 

The monk and empty seat

 

The bus was quite crowded by this point, but the other two empty positions remained vacant – cos the front end of the bus was occupied by women and women only. So, as the women stood budging each other for space, the bus rolled on with a monk sitting facing a Soc Major and two empty seats.

The next halt, a woman carrying a toddler gets in – and, here, neither man nor woman seems interested in the newcomer nor her bundle of boy. As she wriggles around in search of some space, some young guy finally parts with his. A halt later, a woman heavy with child gets in (However, she has to make it standing till the bus gets to the A.T Halt on the Campus).

But, all this time, the two seats in  question – one beside and one facing the monk –  remain unnoticed. I felt it very unfortunate and irksome that the “venerable” monk-comes-first ethic had to be so rudely implimented, for it always fails to complement my conscience. It is true that these little privileges have become benchmarks of the so-called Sinhala social ethos – but, all the same, they involuntarily breed pathos, as we just saw.

The crowd hovering around the empty seat.

My personal view is that there shouldn’t be this front-seat-for-the-monk ethic in buses. Nor should one canvas for any unnecessary priviliges for the clergy at the expense of the ordinary masses. If at all, the monk should be able to sit himself wherever and – then – what’s the problem in him sitting with women or vice versa? The bus / train, is a public space and people shouldn’t invite the ethical biases / prejudices of religious contexts into the bus – cos, when one does that, it inconveniences a hundred others.

 

No – Surely, I’m not as shallow as to suggest that these are issues that can be solved with armchair Liberal thinking (as I do). But, this is just one experience which I witnessed, where

 

1. Three women lost their seats to facilitate a kid monk

2. The same enthusiasm was of want when the mothr carrying the child got in

3. The pregnant woman was hardly noticed; where she passed on almost as an “absence”.

 

And this story has no moral. Cos, it is IMMORAL. 

Buddha is supposed to have preached a dhamma that resides in one’s heart – the temple, then, in reality is one’s practice and principle. If one is to make three women vacate their seats, or to deprive a pregnant woman of taking one, there is something very wrong with that venerability. The temple – may it rest in one’s deeds. Not in one’s bus.   

SHIHAN KOLLA FLOPS WITH 2nd DREAM

Shihan Mihiranga released his 2^nd solo effort, “Dreamz 2” at the Water’s Edge a few weeks back. The writer, who is head over heels with Shihan as a performer, however, found his 2^nd album to be quite a disappointment. The promise, the talent that was crying to mature in his debut solo seemed to have deserted the heart-throb in his follow up to 2006’s “Dreamz of Shihan” (his debut). In fact, by the time one got through the 2^nd album one was left asking: was it worth it? Was it worth the hype, then?

The striking difference between Shihan’s maiden effort and “Dreamz 2” is the absence of Shihan Mihiranga in the latter. Listening to the songs unfold one heard more of the Marians and Rookantha than Shihan. Shihan’s trademark guitars are substituted by mastered guitar-sounds and the sound engineering has made it sure that Shihan’s rendering voice should be given second-fiddle status to an all-devouring set of instruments headbanging like hell. Shihan Mihiranga’s most powerful asset, in my view, is his voice. His is an ideal voice to accompany the guitar (specially on acoustic). In that respect, I feel, “Dreamz 2” was a big gamble that didn’t pay off too well. Shihan’s strengths and weaknesses have been inaccurately measured and a wild assessment has been made of the project’s acoustic proportion.

Standing out the rest is the 2^nd track “Mihiraaviye”, which, by my assessment, is a 5 star hit. Its inevitable echo of the ‘70s and the smooth, simple lyrics really sink in artlessly into the easy-listening cart. This is one of the few songs that are not overdone nor where the singer’s talent is not unnecessarily taxed. In other words, this is a song that is within Shihan’s limits and ability. In addition, there are 4-5 other songs that appeal interest. But, surely, the album is not as stirring as his debut; nor as HIT as evoked by the hyper.    

JHU PICKET BEFORE KINGSWOOD

Kingswood back in the news — this time, a JHU monk finds fault.

Last Saturday (15th Mar) a politically significant JHU MP-monk and another regional political figure of the JHU crashbanged their way into the Kingswood College premises and dispersed an ongoing religious meeting at the College Main Hall.

The alleged MP-monk (who became famous for his alleged heart-attack on the day of the budget vote last December) was furious and his anger was articulated in his choice of words directed at the Principal of the school. Apparently, the school had let the college Hall for a prayer meeting that consisted, among others, members of the Christian ”Jehovah’s Witnesses” sect.

Indeed, the “Jehovah’s Witnesses” have their own religious belief and their faith is manifested in ways which might look irrational to more orthodox religions. But, this doesn’t give anyone the licence to treat this group with insolence or with a different measure. However, the claim the said JHU agents made was that the metting was housing Tamils who had the potential of also being “terrorists”. Now, this was a strong claim made — for, was this to be true, then Kingswood College and its administration becomes involved in hosting “terrorists” within its premises.

We are not sure as to how the college proposes to tackle this issue — legally and politically. But, it is alleged that the monk-MP had disperesed the meeting, taken down the names of all that were at the said meeting and had also shouted at the school Principal in abusive and revealing language.

The following Monday, the JHU had organized a picket in front of Kingswood, throwing the 12.30 traffic into a huge jam, that the Police had to re-direct the noon traffic through the New Road at the Heerassagala Junction. It is said that the school’s monk, Ven. Kinigama Somawansa (fondly known to the boys as Gal Thattaya) had also stepped out to join the protesters.  

The JHU has always been articulate in its anti-LTTE voice (pic c/o The Nation) 

Anyways, the College administration is reported to have been furious over this picket that throws the school’s reputation into the bargain. But, we’re not sure how they mean to react against this. The situation becomes even more volatile as the present government is known for its strong Sinhala-Buddhist ego. And this is not the first time Kingswood has its name drawn with that of controversy.

However, the point we stress on is the unashamed behaviour of the Buddhist fundamentalist group, the JHU. In a society where the Democratic codes are determined by numbers and heads, these hooligan MP-monks can barge into the meetings and assemblies of any other “minority” group and let all Hell lose. Even if their suspicion of a terrorist was credible, their course of action should have been otherwise. They could have informed the Police or the relevant authorities, than to take the law into their hands.