Sooriya records
Sooriya Records is a Sri Lankan record label founded by Gerald and Dulcie Wickremesooriya in 1968.
Sooriya records
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Sooriya Records is a Sri Lankan record label founded by Gerald and Dulcie Wickremesooriya in 1968.
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wikidata · Q23808311 · wikipedia · Sooriya Records
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Founded — 1968 • Founder — Gerald Wickremesooriya • Parent — Wickremesooriya & Co. Colombo (Private) Ltd. • Distributor — The Children's Bookshop • Genre — Various (Sinhala pop, Western pop, Tamil pop, Baila, Light Classical, Traditional Folk, Traditional Drums, Theatre music etc.) • Country — Sri Lanka • Url — www.sooriya.lk
History
History
The Children’s Bookshop, started in 1959 located near the Fort Clock Tower at No. 20, Queens Street, originated as a store for children's books and later on extended to selling children's records. Gerald Wickremesooriya eventually began importing EP discs of famous singers and bands like Jim Reeves, Beatles which then led to producing records on own under the record label: "Sooriya".
Sooriya Show
Sooriya Show
Sooriya went on with a weekly radio programme "The Sooriya Show" as well as with the always "Sold Out" Sooriya live concerts. Sooriya CHB LP 1 featuring "The Sooriya Show" was the first Sinhala LP released in Sri Lanka.
Special contributions
Special contributions
As much as Sooriya was Gerald and Dulcie Wickremesooriya, Vijaya Corea was an integral part of building Sooriya and Sinhala pop music. "Without Vijaya, there wouldn’t be Sooriya" is often said by Gerald Wickremesooriya. Mervyn Rodrigo, the recording engineer at Sarasavi Studio Kelaniya where most recordings were done and A.M. Harischandra who designed the sleeves of most records and cassettes were also important figures of this era.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Sri Lanka
Country
Sooriya records is associated with Sri Lanka.
Country
Artists & releases
"The Moonstones" were the first band to record on the newly established Sooriya label in 1968 with the EP "More Hits by The Moonstones" bearing the catalogue number CHB001. Similarly, Dharmaratne Brothers hit the popular "Varsity Kollo", and Mendis Foursome along with Maxwell Mendis hit "Swarna Hamuwuwe". Veteran Saxophonist Stanley Peiris first recorded his music on Sooriya which became the first instrumental record of Sinhala Pop in Sri Lanka. Gerald Wickremesooriya's residence at 5, Sea Avenue in Colombo was the location for weekly auditions where talents were discovered. Golden Chimes, Super Golden Chimes, The Three Sisters, Stanley Peiris and The Fortunes, M.S Fernando, Paul Fernanado, Shiromi Fernando, Samanalayo, La Bambas, Los Flamencos, Desmond De Silva, Dalrene Arnolda, Noeline Honter, Claude and the Sensations, Winslow Six, A.E. Manoharan, Priya Suriyasena, Eranga and Priyanga, Spitfires, Milton Mallawarachchi, and many more owe their stardom and fame in pop music to Sooriya. Sooriya produced many hits like "Dilhani", "Gonwassa", "Ramani", "Muhudu Ralla", "Kalu Kella Mamai", "Maala", "Paan Mama", "Kimada Naave", "Cock-a-Doodle-Doo", "Durakathanaya", "Call Me Fisherman", "City of Colombo", "Sakala Bujang", "Konda Namagena", "Roshi", "Bohoma Bayauna", "Kandasuriduni", "Podi Nona", and Victor Ratnayake's "SA". The Children's Bookshop was one of the most popular hangouts in Colombo Fort especially during the lunch hours where evergreen artists like Wally Bastian and Clarence Wijewardena often visited.
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Sooriya Records”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q23808311: Sooriya records
General reference · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Sameer, Fazli. Colombo Fort.
- 2.Weerasuriya, Sanath. Three decades of Golden Chimes. The Sunday Times. 30 April 2000.
- 3.Gamage, Anjana. Dharmaratne Bros. to bring back lilting melodies of the past. Daily News. 25 August 2005.
- 4.Gunewardene, Prasad. Melroy in Music.
- 5.Weerakkody, Kalinga. A tribute to Maxwell Mendis. The Island. 9 September 2001.
- 6.Gunewardene, Prasad. King of ‘Saxophone Twins’.
- 7.Kannangara, Nirmala. The Golden Chimes. still swinging. The Sunday Leader. 20 August 2006.
- 8.Radiodiffusion International Annexe. Radiodiffusion.
- 9.Gunewardene, Prasad. Shiromi says Goodbye for the one she loved very much in life. The Island. 12 October 2003.
- 10.‘La bambas' old hits get fresh look in 2011. The Sunday Times. 20 February 2011.
- 11.Life and times of Dalreen. Sunday Observer. 20 June 2004.
- 12.G, Jude. City Of Colombo. Youtube.
- 13.Sri Lankan Pop Music Maestro A.E. Manoharan. Tamil Week. 7 April 2006.
- 14.S, Upendra. Sooriya. Rate your music.
- 15.Sooriya. Discogs.
- 16.Sooriya Records. Collectors Fenzy.
- 17.Weerakkody, Kalinga. Popular vocalist Vernon Perera. The Island. 20 October 2000.
- 18.Sooriya Show on May 4. Sunday Observer. 27 April 2003.
- 19.'Sooriya Show' - A sell out. The Sunday Times. 3 May 2011.
- 20.‘Sooriya Show’: The glamour of Sinhala pop. The Sunday Times. 23 November 2003.
- 21.History of Music Recording in Sri Lanka. 148.
- 22.Wickremesooriya, Gerald. Tribute to Vijaya Corea. Youtube.
- 23.Songs And Rhythms Of Sri Lanka. Discogs.
- 24.Baila Session In Sri Lanka. Discogs.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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