Nanda Malini

• Name — Nanda Malini • Native Name — නන්දා මාලනී • Birth Name — Mirihana Arachchige Nanda Malini Perera • Born — 23 August 1943 • Birthplace — Kotahena, British Ceylon • Died — 20 August 2026 • Place of death — Nawala, Sri Lanka • Education — * Heywood Institute of Art • Bhatkhande Music Institute (1963) • Sri Gunananda Vidyalaya • Father — Mirihana Arachchige Vincent Perera • Mother — Liyanage Emily Perera • Spouse — Suneth Gokula (Former) • Children — 2 • Awards — Doctor of Philosophy (Fine Arts) Honoris Causa (University of the Visual & Performing Arts – 2017) • Occupation — Singer

Nanda Malini was born in Lewwanduwa in Aluthgama, Ceylon on 23 August 1943, as the fourth child to a rural family of nine. Her father, Vincent Perera, was a skilful tailor and ready-made coat maker. Her mother, Liyanage Emily Perera, was a housewife. She had four sisters and four brothers. She moved to Kotahena in Colombo as an adolescent and was admitted to Sri Gunananda Vidyalaya, where she came under the tutelage of T. N. Margaret Perera. She was married to Suneth Gokula, and the couple had two daughters – Varuni Saroja and Ama Sarada. The elder daughter Varuni is married to Chaminda, son of popular lyricist Dharmasiri Gamage. The younger daughter Ama is married to Sanjeewa.

In 1956, she contested the 'Padya Gayana' competition held at Borella YMBA, in which she won a gold medal. After winning the poetry contest, Radio Ceylon W. D. Amaradeva invited Nanda to take part in a song. She sang the song Budu Sadu written by Asoka Colombage and set to music by D. D. Danny on Karunaratne Abeysekera's popular programme known as Lama Mandapaya on Radio. In 1963, Amaradeva selected Malini for background singing for the film Ranmuthu Duwa, the first Sinhala colour film. In that film, she sang the song Galana Gagaki Jeewithe with Narada Disasekara which was the first song written by Chandraratne Manawasinghe for cinema. The film won all the Sarasavi awards for music that year, where Malini won the award for Best Female Singer, her first major award. Later, she sang in many films and won 11 Sarasavi awards, 8 Presidential awards and was adjudged the most popular female vocalist from 1995–98. Malini continued her training after achieving fame, learning under B. Victor Perera. She studied for a year at the Heywood Institute of Art and moved on to Bhatkhande Music Institute in Lucknow, India in 1963. She would later return to the University to obtain a Visharada degree in 1984 with a First Division Distinction. Upon her return to Sri Lanka, Malini appeared on W.D. Amaradeva's programme "Madhuvanthi" singing the songs Sannaliyane and Ran Dahadiya Bindu Bindu. Malini had a string of successful releases. Her lyrics depict realistic life situations, love, relationships, and emotions. The songs Pipunu Male Ruwa, Sudu Hamine, and Kada Mandiye attest to her effort to expose the hearts of women. Some of Nanda's popular songs, such as Manda Nawa Karanawa, show a humorous and sensitive account of a young woman's experience of loneliness. In 1971, Malini collaborated with Amaradewa in the "Srawana Aradhana concert". In 1973, she started her first solo concert series, and after having 530 shows the series ended on 22 May 1979. In August 1981 she started another concert series "Sathyaye Geethaya". She played 500 shows and ended in August 1984. She conducted her next solo musical concert series "Pavana" in June 1987 which ran for 18 months with 205 shows. Her songs in "Pavana" were banned in SLBC and SLRC where the concert was also banned. After 22 years her newest solo musical concert titled "Shwetha Rathriya" was held with the collaboration of Sirasa FM in 2010. In 1984, she established a music academy Nanda Malini Ashram. She produced 25 cassettes such as Malata Renu, Saadu Naada and Sari Podiththak. On 8 September 2007, she launched her CD Etha Kandu Yaye comprising a collection of 16 award-winning songs. The launching ceremony was held at the BMICH Open Air Theatre at 7.30 p.m. In 1993, she composed a CD "Kunkuma Pottu" which has songs sung in Tamil. Another of her CD's titled "Andaharaya" is made up of music composed of computer software. In 2017, the honorary degree 'Darshana Shuri', Doctor of Philosophy of Fine Arts, was conferred on her by the University of Visual and Performing Arts. It was the first time that a female artiste was recognized by a university in Sri Lanka.

• Italic Title — no • Name — Saadu Naada • Type — soundtrack • Artist — Nanda Malini • Released — 2017 • Genre — Classical, blues, folk • Length — 36:10 • "Budu Saadu" • "Buddhanubhawena" • "Budu Karunaa" • "Aku Daa" • "Danno Budunge" • "Lokananda Thilona" • "Seela Samadhi" • "Muni Nandana Siripaada"

• Italic Title — no • Name — Sari Podiththak • Type — soundtrack • Artist — Nanda Malini • Released — 2017 • Genre — Classical, blues, folk • Length — 49:31 • "Ruk Aththana Mala Mudune" • "Surangeeta Duka Hithuna" • "Wasanawa Aege Nethai" • "Miriwadi Sangalak" • "Sari Podiththak" • "Sakura Mal Pipila" • "Sudu Haamine" • "Ran Giri Giri Gigiri" • "Chandra Mandulu Yata" • "Mal Kiyanne Kaata Kaata" • "Mihimandale Anduru Kuse" • "Deega Nogiya Punchi Nanda" • "Mage Sina Oba Araganna" • "Mal Mal Heenaya" • "Wessa Walaahaka" • "Buddhaanubhaawena"

Source:

• Italic Title — no • Name — Sansara Sagare • Type — soundtrack • Artist — Nanda Malini • Released — 1985 • Genre — Classical, folk • Label — Tharanga • "Peedena Goyame" (Lyrics by Sunil Ariyaratne; music by Stanley Peries) • "Sanda Mala" (Lyrics by Kularatne Ariyawansa; music by Rohana Weerasinghe) • "Sansara Sagare" (Lyrics by Sunil Ariyaratne; music by Sarath Dassanayake) • "Ma Pidu" (Lyrics by Kularatne Ariyawansa; music by Stanley Peries) • "Kothanada Oba" (Lyrics by Sunil Ariyaratne; music by Stanley Peries) • "Wata Kotu" (Lyrics by Tilak Kuruwita Bandara; music by Rohana Weerasinghe) • "Nil Latha Pura" (Lyrics by Kularatne Ariyawansa; music by Sarath Dassanayake) • "Punchi Punchi" (Lyrics by Kularatne Ariyawansa; music by Stanley Peries) • "Lowe Sonduru" (Lyrics by Kularatne Ariyawansa; music by Rohana Weerasinghe) • "Wasanawan" (Lyrics by Kularatne Ariyawansa; music by Rohana Weerasinghe) • "Dura Atha" (Lyrics by Camilus Perera; music by Sarath Dassanayake) • "Yowun Wasanthe" (Lyrics by Sunil Ariyaratne; music by Sarath Dasanayake)

Nanda Malini is recorded with the occupation composer. Recorded as a citizen of Sri Lanka.

Malini won numerous awards in Sri Lanka including National Awards, popular awards and awards in film and television backgrounds singing.

• Dhashan Soori – University of Visual Arts of Sri Lanka