Sri Lankan Music on the Millennium Stage! A Review by Malinee Jayasinghe-Peris (Associate Professor of Music, The George Washington University, Washington D.C.) Pradeep Ratnayake and the Pradeepanjalee Ensemble gave their debut performance on the Millennium Stage of the Kennedy Center on Monday November 7th 2005, under the auspices of the Embassy of Sri Lanka. Assisting Pradeep were Wijeratne Ranatunga –Tabla and Udakki, Karunaratne Bandara on the Kandyan Drum, Tammatamma and Ghatam, Lakshman Joseph de Saram on the Violin, and Alston Joachim on the Bass Guitar. It was an exciting concert which showed off not only the virtuosity of the performers, but their innovative ideas on music. Two of the compositions – Kuweni and Spring - featured the Sitar and the Violin with percussion accompaniment. Pradeep, trained as a classical sitarist in the Indian tradition was teamed with Lakshman Joseph de Saram, an excellent violinist trained from childhood in the classical Western school of violin playing. The compositions, in the form of ballads – or ‘Songs without Words’- were descriptive and melodic as they unfolded their stories with intricate webs of sound. It was a fusion of Western classical and Indian classical music - a very interesting combination. It is beautiful to hear music that attempts to bridge gaps in the musical culture and break down traditions set up in days long past - traditions which compartmentalized music into Eastern and Western – traditions that are no longer valid in today’s global picture. Lakshman’s violin, ranging from the darker passion of the lower strings to the passage work in the higher register, matched the almost harp-like playing on the sitar. Together, they told a powerful story in Kuweni, and a happier one in Spring. These are two virtuoso performers and their skills complemented each other as they wove the story line so beautifully. The percussion instruments were the foundation which held the many melodic themes together. ‘Roots’ portrayed the images of Sri Lanka using the Sitar, Drums, Tabla and Guitar. Having grown up in a Sri Lankan village myself, I found the composition strangely moving and nostalgic. The Ukussa Vannama is particularly interesting as this is a popular dance theme in Sri Lanka. Pradeep and his ensemble made a forceful composition out of this theme, full of the vitality and speed of the soaring hawk - now high up in the sky - then, low as it woops down to earth to capture its prey. It is a new way to listen to an old favourite and one that I appreciated. Both in this and the composition titled ‘Wind’, the descriptive power voked by the Sitar and the Drums was compelling and carried the enthusiastic audience along for the ride. I must mention the awesome playing of Wijeratne Ranatunga on the Tabla and Udakki, and of Karunaratne Bandara on the Kandyan Drums, Tammatamma and Ghatam. The rhythmic counterpoint provided by these two players had a life of its own - a subject and countersubject that continued under the solo Sitar to hold a secondary line with lace-like intricacy. It was a joy to watch their fingers in action. Alston Joachim’s excellent Bass Guitar was the foundation on which some of these compositions were built. From time to time Joachim displayed his virtuosity and improvisational skills with great aplomb, and then subsided into his important role of forming the deep bass line of the ensemble. An enthusiastic audience applauded this very successful and enjoyable concert. Yet, the concert was something more. It showed the potential for development in the style of music that Pradeep Ratnayake is trying to achieve - music that has no bounds of country or culture – music which is truly an international language. I congratulate him and wish him the very best in this endeavour.
** "Pradeepanjalee” rocks Los Angeles. a concert of international class in content and execution Sri Lanka Foundation's global launch of Pradeepanjalee at the famous Walt Disney Concert Hall on Saturday July 22nd reached new heights. In the private estimation of the Concert Hall staff, Prdaeepanjalee was rated number one in its two and half years' history. Pandit Ravi Shankar performed at the same venue in April this year. Pradeep and his troupe consisting of Lakshman de Saram, Wijeratne Ranatunga, Karunaratne Bandara and Alston Joachim fused with jazz giants like Eric Marienthal at the sax, Freddie Ravel at the piano and Hussein Jiffry at the bass guitar, produced one of the most memorable evening for the entertainment of the audience which not only contained culture crazy Sri Lankans, but a sizable number of Indian and American fine arts lovers never seen before at Sri Lankan cultural events. Pradeep's blending with the western jazz was so mesmerizing; the audience was breathless after each and every item, culminating in a standing ovation at the conclusion of the concert. A soothing rendition of "jaya mangala gatha" on the strings Pradeep's sitar as an invocation item, a least possible number of interferences, flawless flow of the program, an unprecedented number of turn out exceeding eleven hundred, admiration of a well disciplined audience, the faceless emcee's introduction- these contributed towards the grand success which it was. There were many winners, according one Indian spectator-Pradeep and his troupe, the jazz team, Sri Lanka Foundation, Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Sri Lankan community in Southern California and last but not the least, the image of Sri Lanka. However, there was one loser in this midst: those who did not attend the concert. In short, he summarized, Sri Lanka Foundation going global is no exaggeration! Palitha Palitha Pelpola Executive Director Sri Lanka Foundation 213-483-0126 Phone 213-413-1233 Fax ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pradeepanjalee It would hardly be an exaggeration to qualify the recent musical event performed by an ensemble of talented and famed Sri Lankan and American artists as one of the most unique and gratifying events in the Sri Lankan community in Los Angeles. Pradeep Ratnayake and his troupe presented an amalgam of Indian classical music with Sri Lankan folk tunes fused with Jazz music with artists Eric Marienthal on sax, Freddie Ravel on piano and Hussain Jiffry on bass. Nothing like a musical evening to purge away the hours of fatigue and monotonous routine of the week I thought, as I made my way through the awe inspiring architectural structures of the Disney Concert Hall. What awaited the audience that evening was more than just music. It was an experience of what music could become in the hands of the artist doted with exquisite talent, indefinable creativity and spontaneity. It was an experiment of music beyond culture and barriers, a place in time where East meets West. Today of all times, the Sri Lankan cultural sphere in Los Angeles seems to be one of the most active ever, displaying an array of entertainment to suit each others’ tastes. As a matter of fact, one barely has a chance to get over last week’s play before setting off in a hurry to catch the next Baila musical concert. The majority of the musical events I have had the pleasure of assisting so far seemed solely destined to satisfy an audience seeking an evening of entertainment based on amplified sounds, monotonously uncomplicated rhythm, with a preference for accelerated and dance appropriate beats. Thus, “Pradeepanjalee” was to me a long awaited breath of fresh air bringing droplets of novelty to the arid musical taste of our Sri Lankan community. The most striking feature of this evening’s concert was beyond doubt the ingenious performance of Sitarist Pradeep Ratnayake. Magical combinations of sounds seemed to emanate from the instrument as the artist’s fingers slid to and fro along the stings. The strokes were bold and passionate yet soft and romantic, in tune to the mood of the Rag he chose to demonstrate. The accompanying Tabla and from time to time, a touch of the ethnic Sri Lankan percussions, added a curiously new dimension to his music. Some of Pradeep’s compositions performed this evening were a tribute to the simple and un-spoilt beauty of Sri Lankan folk music, elements of which were subtly woven through the sophisticated musical patterns of Indian Classical Music. It is unusual and novel to hear the fusion of the Sinhala Vannam played on a sitar with such eloquence to the rhythm of the customary “Geta Bera”. Fusion of music occurred on various levels and at different times throughout this concert. When Indian music met with Jazz music, the outcome could not have been more explosively harmonious. The audience swung to and fro on their seats keeping beat to the invigorating and enticing tunes of the Saxophone, Piano and Violin. They applauded as the Sitar made its way into this land of music yet unaccustomed to it, improvising through new notes and resonance. What will remain with me from this evening is not so much a melody as the mood it created, not so much the experience as the purifying and wholesome effect it had on me. Thus, my heartfelt gratitude to the Sri Lanka Foundation for it’s effort in bringing music to the lives of the many Sri Lankans in California and providing a creative backdrop for promising Sri Lankan artists. Kisagothami Sarachchandra Los Angeles USA ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quotations You have heard glorious music. As you can see Pradeep is a person of enormous talent and I am sure one day would be the Ravi Shankar of Sri Lanka . . . . Pradeepanjalee means the offering of your own self. Pradeep is offering his entire self – and not just his music to the audience. And it is when that happens that the vibrating string of the sitar, the soul of the raga and the soul of the musician are one. Then your soul – your mind is coloured by vibrant and incandescent colour. And that is the essence of the music. Nirupam Sen From the speech delivered by His Excellency, the High Commissioner of India, at Pradeepanjalee VII. He is now the Indian Ambassador to the United Nations. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was the 50th anniversary of the Central Bank in 2000, and we dared the young musician, Pradeep, to compose a fitting memorial to the bank in music, as Guiseppe Verdi did to immortalize the opening of the Suez Canal by his opera, "Aida". Pradeep took up the challenge and what he produced - Indrakeelaya - is a magnificent tone poem, which is yet reverberating in our ears. Delving deep into our cultural roots and the heroic poems of other cultures, Pradeep's composition on the theme of a phoenix rising out of the ashes, was a tribute to the bankers who survived a devastating attack on the premises a few years before. Pradeep's Indrakeelaya (the unshakable) is widely acknowledged as a classic. A.S. Jayawardena Former Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka The jhor was played fantastically fast and equaled the very best that one had heard from the Indian masters.(May 17 2004 Daily News) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ravi Shankar, when he was not much older than Pradeep now, played bhairavi to great effect, in the same hall some 42 years ago, as Pradeep played yaman. I will remember both with equal pleasure. Dr. G. Uswatte-arachchi - United Nations Committee for Development Policy, New York (Daily News, November 10, 2004) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Young, but with an unerring sense of musical judgment arising undeniably from his technical virtuosity, Pradeep seems, as a performer, mature beyond his years…. “. . . Pradeep is no conventional musician. He brings to his performance the compulsive energy and a trans-like quality which we associate with jazz players. . . . What makes the jazz performer and his mixed progeny, the rock star, so exciting is that both enjoy playing and make the audience share in their ecstasy. Pradeep plays with controlled ecstasy. His is not a drugged trance, but he works his sitar with passionate involvement, which communicates with the listener, and unlike in the chamber quality of Indian music, this elicits a collective response.” Tissa Abeysekera Novelist and Film Director (Sunday Times, November 23, 2003) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pradeep Ratnayake is quiet and self effacing in every day life, so it comes as something of a shock to witness the tranformation from man to musician when he appears on stage.Once seated, he swiftly unleashes his incredible talent and technical mastery. . . . So at one with his sitar, when Pradeep’s music flows from his fingertips, it inescapably draws in the audience to his world of Indian classical music. Dinali Fernando (Daily News, January 22, 2004) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The sitar in the hands of Pradeep leapt out of its classical mould and took us through haunting, lyrical, exhilarating perceptions that lingered with us long after we had left the auditorium. Anthea Senaratne (Daily News, February 9, 2004) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Pradeep’s creation Pradeepanjali is the kind of musical programme which can be enjoyed over and over again. One does not get tired of listening or watching Pradeep perform. In his hands, the sitar becomes something so close to us.” D.C. Ranatunge (Sunday Times, February 1st 2004.) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- He crossed cultural boundaries – confident effortless travel across styles, idioms, forms and traditions. . . . The music center did indeed hold. Things did not fall apart. Duets or dialogues gave full run to the talents of individual players, yet well within a remarkable unity maintained in the whole. . . . Each kept its unique individuality but all worked together with Pradeep’s sitar supremely holding court. Nihal Rodrigo. (The Island,16 November 1997 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- He is obviously a man who is comfortable in many musical homes and cultures, but we can be sure that from somewhere in those secret spaces where the saptha svara (notes of the scale) resides, Pradeep will always gather the music signature that is ‘ours’, as appropriate to audience and occasion. Malinda Seneviratne Sunday Island January 18, 2004 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have never fancied myself a prophet. However having listened with my own ears and seen with my own eyes, the ground breaking debut of Pradeep Ratnayake. . . I will hazard a prophecy or two. This prodigy of the sitar, whom Ravi Shankar thought worth while to watch performing when Pradeep was a mere child, is destined to superstarhood in the world of the sitar, in the 21st century.Pradeep Ratnayake’s debut demonstrated not only the enchanting beauty of the sound of music, but also its secret power. [Pradeep’s sitar] can transmute base metal into gold. Carlo Fonseka Professor of Medicine Daily News, January 12, 1998 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In Geneva, he took on the formidable task of winning over an international audience – and succeeded marvelously. Thalif Deen (Daily News November 30 1998) (From a review by Thalif Deen, following Pradeep Ratnayake’s first international public performance at the ILO Auditorium in Geneva, where he was given a standing ovation.) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pradeep Ratnayake is that rare phenomenon in any country – the supreme virtuoso performer of his chosen instrument – the sitar – as well as a young composer, opening up new worlds of sound by the fusion of Eastern and Western music. The rigid classical training in Indian classical music has never inhibited him – on the other hand it has provided him with the discipline which transforms his own original compositions into genuinely felt and structured master-works – avoiding the rissonances of most “avant-guarde’ experimental work. Perhaps given the necessary encouragement, he could be for asia a worthy counterpart of Berlo, Stockhausen and John cage. Dr. Lester James Pieris Internationally acclaimed Sri Lankan film director ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pradeep is indeed a world class artiste firmly rooted in tradition, making it possible to reach out and incorporate other disciplines, creating new dimensions. Niloufer Pieris Ballet Dancer The Sunday Times, December 5th 2004 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pradeep is being compared to Ravi Shanker, not by ordinary folks but by celebrated critics of arts and music. Pradeep’s talents are incomparable to say the least and we are indeed privileged to have him in our midst. Dr. Walter Jayasinghe Founder/President Sri Lanka Foundation, Los Angeles (at Globe Theatre, Universal Studios, Los Angeles California, USA, November 2005) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I was recently amazed to hear a sitar recital of a child. I thought that the instrument he played was smaller than the boy himself. Yet he performed like one with years of experience behind him. He played his sitar with a great confidence. The child’s name is Pradeep Ratnayake. (Translated) Dr. Ediriweera Sarachchandra Professor Emeritus ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mr. Ratnayake’s performance at a U.S. government sponsored concert in Colombo enchanted a packed house and displayed his virtuoso talents on the sitar. I was also delighted by his ability to fuse Eastern music and rhythms harmoniously with Western jazz rhythms and tempos. I hope he gets the chance to perform in the United States because I am sure Americans will enjoy his music as much as we did. Jeffrey Lunstead U.S. Ambassador ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was a real pleasure working with Mr Ratnayake and hearing him perform on stage. His marvelous virtuosity on the sitar, combined with his wonderful openness to blend his music with Western harmonies and beats, made for a serene evening. I wish him the best in his proposed tour of the United States. Philip Frayne** Chairman of the US- Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission and the Director of the American Centre ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The US-SLFC sponsored a concert of fusion music in November 2004 in the presence of the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Jeffrey Lunstead and Debbie Lunstead. The concert, which was performed by Pradeep Ratnayake (one of Sri Lanka’s most acclaimed sitarists) and Friends, brought together a fascinating repertoire of compositions that included reworkings of Sri Lankan folk melodies, classical Indian Ragas and the music of John Coltrane and george Gershwin, arranged for the fusion of both Eastern and Western musical instruments. Pradeepanjalee VIII was as extremely well received as all of Pradeep Ratnayake’s previous concerts. Ratnayake is in a class by himself. Tissa Jayatilaka Executive Director United States-Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission

Sri Lankan Music on the Millennium Stage!

A Review by Malinee Jayasinghe-Peris
(Associate Professor of Music, The George Washington University, Washington D.C.)

Pradeep Ratnayake and the Pradeepanjalee Ensemble gave their debut performance on the Millennium Stage of the Kennedy Center on Monday November 7th 2005, under the auspices of the Embassy of Sri Lanka. Assisting Pradeep were Wijeratne Ranatunga –Tabla and Udakki, Karunaratne Bandara on the Kandyan Drum, Tammatamma and Ghatam, Lakshman Joseph de Saram on the Violin, and Alston Joachim on the Bass Guitar.

It was an exciting concert which showed off not only the virtuosity of the performers, but their innovative ideas on music. Two of the compositions – Kuweni and Spring - featured the Sitar and the Violin with percussion accompaniment. Pradeep, trained as a classical sitarist in the Indian tradition was teamed with Lakshman Joseph de Saram, an excellent violinist trained from childhood in the classical Western school of violin playing. The compositions, in the form of ballads – or ‘Songs without Words’- were descriptive and melodic as they unfolded their stories with intricate webs of sound. It was a fusion of Western classical and Indian classical music - a very interesting combination. It is beautiful to hear music that attempts to bridge gaps in the musical culture and break down traditions set up in days long past - traditions which compartmentalized music into Eastern and Western – traditions that are no longer valid in today’s global picture.
Lakshman’s violin, ranging from the darker passion of the lower strings to the passage work in the higher register, matched the almost harp-like playing on the sitar. Together, they told a powerful story in Kuweni, and a happier one in Spring. These are two virtuoso performers and their skills complemented each other as they wove the story line so
beautifully. The percussion instruments were the foundation which held the many melodic themes together.

‘Roots’ portrayed the images of Sri Lanka using the Sitar, Drums, Tabla and Guitar. Having grown up in a Sri Lankan village myself, I found the composition strangely moving and nostalgic.

The Ukussa Vannama is particularly interesting as this is a popular dance theme in Sri Lanka. Pradeep and his ensemble made a forceful composition out of this theme, full of the vitality and speed of the soaring hawk - now high up in the sky - then, low as it woops down to earth to capture its prey. It is a new way to listen to an old favourite and one that I appreciated. Both in this and the composition titled ‘Wind’, the descriptive power voked by the Sitar and the Drums was compelling and carried the enthusiastic audience along for the ride.

I must mention the awesome playing of Wijeratne Ranatunga on the Tabla and Udakki, and of Karunaratne Bandara on the Kandyan Drums, Tammatamma and Ghatam. The rhythmic counterpoint provided by these two players had a life of its own - a subject and countersubject that continued under the solo Sitar to hold a secondary line with lace-like intricacy. It was a joy to watch their fingers in action. Alston Joachim’s excellent
Bass Guitar was the foundation on which some of these compositions were built. From time to time Joachim displayed his virtuosity and improvisational skills with great aplomb, and then subsided into his important role of forming the deep bass line of the ensemble.

An enthusiastic audience applauded this very successful and enjoyable concert. Yet, the concert was something more. It showed the potential for development in the style of music that Pradeep Ratnayake is trying to achieve - music that has no bounds of country or culture – music which is truly an international language. I congratulate him and wish
him the very best in this endeavour.

****

"Pradeepanjalee” rocks Los Angeles.
a concert of international class in content and execution

Sri Lanka Foundation's global launch of Pradeepanjalee at the famous Walt Disney Concert Hall on Saturday July 22nd reached new heights. In the private estimation of the Concert Hall staff, Prdaeepanjalee was rated number one in its two and half years' history. Pandit Ravi Shankar performed at the same venue in April this year. Pradeep and his troupe consisting of Lakshman de Saram, Wijeratne Ranatunga, Karunaratne Bandara and Alston Joachim fused with jazz giants like Eric Marienthal at the sax, Freddie Ravel at the piano and Hussein Jiffry at the bass guitar, produced
one of the most memorable evening for the entertainment of the audience which not only contained culture crazy Sri Lankans, but a sizable number of Indian and American fine arts lovers never seen before at Sri Lankan cultural events.

Pradeep's blending with the western jazz was so mesmerizing; the audience was breathless after each and every item, culminating in a standing ovation at the conclusion of the concert. A soothing rendition of "jaya mangala gatha" on the strings Pradeep's sitar as an invocation item, a least possible number of interferences, flawless flow of the program, an unprecedented number of turn out exceeding eleven hundred, admiration of a well disciplined audience, the faceless emcee's introduction- these contributed towards the grand success which it was. There were many winners, according one Indian spectator-Pradeep and his troupe, the jazz team, Sri Lanka Foundation, Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Sri Lankan community in Southern California and last but not the least, the image of Sri Lanka. However, there was one loser in this midst: those who did not attend the concert. In short, he summarized, Sri Lanka Foundation going global is no exaggeration!

Palitha

Palitha Pelpola
Executive Director
Sri Lanka Foundation
213-483-0126 Phone
213-413-1233 Fax

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pradeepanjalee

It would hardly be an exaggeration to qualify the recent musical event performed by an ensemble of talented and famed Sri Lankan and American artists as one of the most unique and gratifying events in the Sri Lankan community in Los Angeles. Pradeep Ratnayake and his troupe presented an amalgam of Indian classical music with Sri Lankan folk tunes fused with Jazz music with artists Eric Marienthal on sax, Freddie Ravel on piano and Hussain Jiffry on bass.

Nothing like a musical evening to purge away the hours of fatigue and monotonous routine of the week I thought, as I made my way through the awe inspiring architectural structures of the Disney Concert Hall. What awaited the audience that evening was more than just music. It was an experience of what music could become in the hands of the artist doted with exquisite talent, indefinable creativity and spontaneity. It was an experiment of music beyond culture and barriers, a place in time where East meets West.

Today of all times, the Sri Lankan cultural sphere in Los Angeles seems to be one of the most active ever, displaying an array of entertainment to suit each others’ tastes. As a matter of fact, one barely has a chance to get over last week’s play before setting off in a hurry to catch the next Baila musical concert. The majority of the musical events I have had the pleasure of assisting so far seemed solely destined to satisfy an audience seeking an evening of entertainment based on amplified sounds, monotonously uncomplicated rhythm, with a preference for accelerated and dance appropriate beats. Thus, “Pradeepanjalee” was to me a long awaited breath of fresh air bringing droplets of novelty to the arid musical taste of our Sri Lankan community.

The most striking feature of this evening’s concert was beyond doubt the ingenious performance of Sitarist Pradeep Ratnayake. Magical combinations of sounds seemed to emanate from the instrument as the artist’s fingers slid to and fro along the stings. The strokes were bold and passionate yet soft and romantic, in tune to the mood of the Rag he chose to demonstrate. The accompanying Tabla and from time to time, a touch of the ethnic Sri Lankan percussions, added a curiously new dimension to his music. Some of Pradeep’s compositions performed this evening were a tribute to the simple and un-spoilt beauty of Sri Lankan folk music, elements of which were subtly woven through the sophisticated musical patterns of Indian Classical Music. It is unusual and novel to hear the fusion of the Sinhala Vannam played on a sitar with such eloquence to the rhythm of the customary “Geta Bera”.

Fusion of music occurred on various levels and at different times throughout this concert. When Indian music met with Jazz music, the outcome could not have been more explosively harmonious. The audience swung to and fro on their seats keeping beat to the invigorating and enticing tunes of the Saxophone, Piano and Violin. They applauded as the Sitar made its way into this land of music yet unaccustomed to it, improvising through new notes and resonance.

What will remain with me from this evening is not so much a melody as the mood it created, not so much the experience as the purifying and wholesome effect it had on me.
Thus, my heartfelt gratitude to the Sri Lanka Foundation for it’s effort in bringing music to the lives of the many Sri Lankans in California and providing a creative backdrop for promising Sri Lankan artists.

Kisagothami Sarachchandra
Los Angeles
USA

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quotations

You have heard glorious music. As you can see Pradeep is a person of enormous talent and I am sure one day would be the Ravi Shankar of Sri Lanka . . . .

Pradeepanjalee means the offering of your own self. Pradeep is offering his entire self – and not just his music to the audience. And it is when that happens that the vibrating string of the sitar, the soul of the raga and the soul of the musician are one. Then your soul – your mind is coloured by vibrant and incandescent colour. And that is the essence of the music.

Nirupam Sen
From the speech delivered by His Excellency, the High Commissioner of India, at Pradeepanjalee VII. He is now the Indian Ambassador to the United Nations.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was the 50th anniversary of the Central Bank in 2000, and we dared the young musician, Pradeep, to compose a fitting memorial to the bank in music, as Guiseppe Verdi did to immortalize the opening of the Suez Canal by his opera, "Aida". Pradeep took up the challenge and what he produced - Indrakeelaya - is a magnificent tone poem, which is yet reverberating in our ears. Delving deep into our cultural roots and the heroic poems of other cultures, Pradeep's composition on the theme of a phoenix rising out of the ashes, was a tribute to the bankers who survived a devastating attack on the premises a few years before. Pradeep's Indrakeelaya (the unshakable) is widely acknowledged as a classic.

A.S. Jayawardena
Former Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka

The jhor was played fantastically fast and equaled the very best that one had heard from the Indian masters.(May 17 2004
Daily News)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ravi Shankar, when he was not much older than Pradeep now, played bhairavi to great effect, in the same hall some 42 years ago, as Pradeep played yaman. I will remember both with equal pleasure.

Dr. G. Uswatte-arachchi - United Nations Committee for Development Policy, New York
(Daily News, November 10, 2004)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Young, but with an unerring sense of musical judgment arising undeniably from his technical virtuosity, Pradeep seems, as a performer, mature beyond his years….

“. . . Pradeep is no conventional musician. He brings to his performance the compulsive energy and a trans-like quality which we associate with jazz players. . . . What makes the jazz performer and his mixed progeny, the rock star, so exciting is that both enjoy playing and make the audience share in their ecstasy. Pradeep plays with controlled ecstasy. His is not a drugged trance, but he works his sitar with passionate involvement, which communicates with the listener, and unlike in the chamber quality of Indian music, this elicits a collective response.”

Tissa Abeysekera
Novelist and Film Director
(Sunday Times, November 23, 2003)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pradeep Ratnayake is quiet and self effacing in every day life, so it comes as something of a shock to witness the tranformation from man to musician when he appears on stage.Once seated, he swiftly unleashes his incredible talent and technical mastery. . . .

So at one with his sitar, when Pradeep’s music flows from his fingertips, it inescapably draws in the audience to his world of Indian classical music.

Dinali Fernando

(Daily News, January 22, 2004)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sitar in the hands of Pradeep leapt out of its classical mould and took us through haunting, lyrical, exhilarating perceptions that lingered with us long after we had left the auditorium.

Anthea Senaratne

(Daily News, February 9, 2004)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Pradeep’s creation Pradeepanjali is the kind of musical programme which can be enjoyed over and over again. One does not get tired of listening or watching Pradeep perform. In his hands, the sitar becomes something so close to us.”

D.C. Ranatunge

(Sunday Times, February 1st 2004.)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He crossed cultural boundaries – confident effortless travel across styles, idioms, forms and traditions. . . . The music center did indeed hold. Things did not fall apart. Duets or dialogues gave full run to the talents of individual players, yet well within a remarkable unity maintained in the whole. . . . Each kept its unique individuality but all worked together with Pradeep’s sitar supremely holding court.
Nihal Rodrigo.
(The Island,16 November 1997

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He is obviously a man who is comfortable in many musical homes and cultures, but we can be sure that from somewhere in those secret spaces where the saptha svara (notes of the scale) resides, Pradeep will always gather the music signature that is ‘ours’, as appropriate to audience and occasion.

Malinda Seneviratne

Sunday Island
January 18, 2004

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have never fancied myself a prophet. However having listened with my own ears and seen with my own eyes, the ground breaking debut of Pradeep Ratnayake. . . I will hazard a prophecy or two. This prodigy of the sitar, whom Ravi Shankar thought worth while to watch performing when Pradeep was a mere child, is destined to superstarhood in the world of the sitar, in the 21st century.Pradeep Ratnayake’s debut demonstrated not only the enchanting beauty of the sound of music, but also its secret power.

[Pradeep’s sitar] can transmute base metal into gold.
Carlo Fonseka
Professor of Medicine

Daily News, January 12, 1998

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In Geneva, he took on the formidable task of winning over an international audience – and succeeded marvelously.

Thalif Deen

(Daily News November 30 1998)
(From a review by Thalif Deen, following Pradeep Ratnayake’s first international public performance at the ILO Auditorium in Geneva, where he was given a standing ovation.)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pradeep Ratnayake is that rare phenomenon in any country – the supreme virtuoso performer of his chosen instrument – the sitar – as well as a young composer, opening up new worlds of sound by the fusion of Eastern and Western music.
The rigid classical training in Indian classical music has never inhibited him – on the other hand it has provided him with the discipline which transforms his own original compositions into genuinely felt and structured master-works – avoiding the rissonances of most “avant-guarde’ experimental work.
Perhaps given the necessary encouragement, he could be for asia a worthy counterpart of Berlo, Stockhausen and John cage.

Dr. Lester James Pieris
Internationally acclaimed Sri Lankan film director

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pradeep is indeed a world class artiste firmly rooted in tradition, making it possible to reach out and incorporate other disciplines, creating new dimensions.

Niloufer Pieris

Ballet Dancer
The Sunday Times, December 5th 2004

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pradeep is being compared to Ravi Shanker, not by ordinary folks but by celebrated critics of arts and music. Pradeep’s talents are incomparable to say the least and we are indeed privileged to have him in our midst.

Dr. Walter Jayasinghe
Founder/President
Sri Lanka Foundation, Los Angeles
(at Globe Theatre, Universal Studios, Los Angeles California, USA, November 2005)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was recently amazed to hear a sitar recital of a child. I thought that the instrument he played was smaller than the boy himself. Yet he performed like one with years of experience behind him. He played his sitar with a great confidence. The child’s name is Pradeep Ratnayake.

(Translated)
Dr. Ediriweera Sarachchandra
Professor Emeritus

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Mr. Ratnayake’s performance at a U.S. government sponsored concert in Colombo enchanted a packed house and displayed his virtuoso talents on the sitar. I was also delighted by his ability to fuse Eastern music and rhythms harmoniously with Western jazz rhythms and tempos. I hope he gets the chance to perform in the United States because I am sure Americans will enjoy his music as much as we did.

Jeffrey Lunstead
U.S. Ambassador

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It was a real pleasure working with Mr Ratnayake and hearing him perform on stage. His marvelous virtuosity on the sitar, combined with his wonderful openness to blend his music with Western harmonies and beats, made for a serene evening. I wish him the best in his proposed tour of the United States.

Philip Frayne
Chairman of the US- Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission and
the Director of the American Centre

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The US-SLFC sponsored a concert of fusion music in November 2004 in the presence of the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Jeffrey Lunstead and Debbie Lunstead. The concert, which was performed by Pradeep Ratnayake (one of Sri Lanka’s most acclaimed sitarists) and Friends, brought together a fascinating repertoire of compositions that included reworkings of Sri Lankan folk melodies, classical Indian Ragas and the music of John Coltrane and george Gershwin, arranged for the fusion of both Eastern and Western musical instruments.
Pradeepanjalee VIII was as extremely well received as all of Pradeep Ratnayake’s previous concerts. Ratnayake is in a class by himself.

Tissa Jayatilaka

Executive Director
United States-Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission

Pradeepanjalee

Dinali Fernando

Anthea Senaratne

D.C. Ranatunge

(Sunday Times, February 1st 2004.)

Malinda Seneviratne

Sunday Island January 18, 2004

Daily News, January 12, 1998

Thalif Deen

Niloufer Pieris

Tissa Jayatilaka

Sunday Island
January 18, 2004