Amitha Wedisinghe

Amitha Wedisinghe (22 March 1942 – 19 February 2025), was a Sri Lankan singer and a music teacher.^[1] Her most popular songs are Senkadagalapura Dalada Budures, Adara Charika, Anothaththa Wila and Ran Dorin Enna Adaren.^[2][3]

Amitha Wedisinghe was born on 22 March^[4] 1942 in Kirulapana, Colombo, Sri Lanka^[5] as the third of the family with four siblings. Her father Harry Wedisinghe, worked at the Government Seal Office and her mother Arlina Cooray was a housewife.^[2] She completed education from Sri Saddharmodaya Maha Vidyalaya, Kirulapana and Anula Vidyalaya, Nugegoda.^[6] She had one elder brother, an elder sister and a younger sister.^[7]

Musicians Dayarathna Ranatunga and Ananda Samarakoon were relatives from her mother's side.^[6] A personnel on the radio, D.M. Kolambage was also a close relative.^[7][2]

Wedisinghe was married to Victor Dalugama, who was a musician. The couple has two sons and one daughter.^[7][2][8]

During school times, she acted and sang in the stage dramas Ramayana, Sakunthala, Sirisangabo, directed by her school's dance teacher Premakumara Epitawala.^[6] She also performed at the Sarabhumi Ballet concert conducted by Epitawala.^[2] Meanwhile, she studied music as a subject under the music scholar W. F. Wimalasiri and obtained an excellent pass in the Gandharva examination.^[7]

While performing in Ballet concert, her singing ability was identified by singer Rohitha Wijesuriya, who introduced Wedisinghe to maestro W. D. Amaradeva.^[6] Under his guidance, she made debut film background singing in the chorus singing of the song "Buddha Diva Karayano" for the 1962 blockbuster Ranmuthu Duwa.^[2] The other artists involved in the chorus singing are Narada Disasekara, Nanda Malini, Rohitha Wijesuriya and Nanda Jayatunga.^[7]

Ananda Samarakoon's brother Bertie Samarakoon regularly took her to the Ceylon Radio and involved her in various programs.^[6] Her maiden singing in radio came through the "Adhunika Peya" program in 1954.^[2] Meanwhile, she joined "Lama Pitiya" produced by Sarath Wimalaweera and performed under the guidance of Karunaratne Abeysekera, Alfred Perera and Madawala Rathnayake.^[7]

After completing education, she graduated with a diploma in singing and playing instruments from the Government Faculty of Fine Arts (currently called University of the Visual and Performing Arts).^[6] In 1968, she graduated with a master's degree from Bhatkhande University, Lucknow, India.^[2] While in India, she got the opportunity to present a half-hour music program in Indian radio, featuring only Sinhala songs with P. W. Jayaratne.^[7] While studying in India, she returned to Sri Lanka and continued to work as an A-grade singer in SLBC. Her first radio song is Chandrā Bimba Māyāvayi Nuwan Purālā, which is written by Wimal Abeysundara and music composed by P. Dunstan de Silva.^[7]

During this period, she released three cassettes: "Supipena Malakin", "Mal Wæssak" and "Buddha Divā Karayāṇō". Later she released her first CD, "Anothattha Vila Gee" Collection.^[2] The cassette "Buddha Divā Karayāṇō" contained Buddhist songs, where the first tape was presented to the Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Thero.^[7]

After returned to Sri Lanka, she started to work for 20 years as a music teacher in several schools island wide such as: Weeraketiya College, Asoka Vidyalaya Colombo 10, Bulathsinhala Pimbura College, Panadura Pinwanna College, Panadura Royal College and her alma mater Sri Saddharmodaya College, Kirulapana.^[9] Later she became the Director of Education of Music Division for Kalutara Education Zone.^[7][2]

Apart from that, she also performed two solo concerts titled "Amitha Gee" and a singe concert titled "Anothaththa Vila" in 2015.^[10] As a background singer, she worked in the films: Abuddasa Kālē, Ranmuthu Duwa, Bāndurā Mal, Bakmaha Dīgē, Adarayayi Karuṇāvayi, Doctor Susanthā, Hariyanakoṭa Ohoma Thamayi, and Adaṭa Væḍiya Heṭa Hondayi.^[2]

In 2022, Wedisinghe was honored with an award for the outstanding contribution to the Sinhala cinema and song at the Silver Screen Awards.^[11]

She has released 2 cassette albums.^[12]

Wedisinghe died on 20 February 2025 at the age of 82. Her remains were kept at Jayaratne Restpect, Colombo 8 for public rites from 8:30am 24th February to 3:30pm 25th February.^[15] The cremation took place at Kanatte Cemetery on 25 February 2025 at 5pm.^[16]

• Adara Chārikā Jeevana Chārikā (with A.L.B. Kandepola)
• Adarayayi Karuṇāvayi
• Anōthathavila Nelum Neḷālā (with W. D. Amaradeva)
• Bædda Purā Sudu Redda Vageyi Ada (with Piyasiri Wijeratne)^[17]
• Diya Goda Semathena^[18]
• Eka Mohotak Oba Sevaṇē (with Mervin Perera)
• Galana Doḷē Peṇa Bubuḷayi Adarē
• Hiru Kumaruni
• Kanda Uḍin Handapāyana Leelā
• Kanden Kandaṭa Landen Landaṭa
• Maṭa Kumaṭa Da Sabanda
• Mē Udāra Lankā Bhūmiyayi
• Nisala Nisasala Ambiliyō
• Oba Anjalikaraṇīyayi
• Onna Babō Aethinniyā
• Pinna Malpīpi
• Pōyadāṭa Pāyana Sanda Kumak Væni
• Randorin Enna Adarē
• Ransanda Manḍalak Sē
• Senkaḍagalapura Saḷadā Buduræs
• Sugatha Thathāgatha Himiyani
• Thārakāvalin Liyū Namudu Ambarē
• Vilaka Nelum Mal (with Tudor Jayashantha)

• IMDb
• Amitha Wedisinghe songs
• ඉන්ද්‍රාණි ලංකාදීප ගුවන් විදුලි රංජනී