Paths Links People

Paths Links People

Foot Prints

Thonigala Inscriptions are of the 2nd Century BC and carved on Rock. information courtesy;Internet

Thonigala Inscriptions are of the 2nd Century BC and carved on Rock. information courtesy;Internet
Tonigala. (a.) Parumaka Abaya puta parumaka Tisaha wapi acagirika Tisa pawatahi agata anagata catudisa sagasa dine. Dewana pi maharaja Gamini Abaye niyate acanagaraka ca [tawi] rikiya nagaraka ca. Parumaka Abaya puta parumaka Tisa niyata pite raj aha agata anagata catudisa sagasa

History; Path to future

History; Path to future
Reading Future through History, Nagala mountain and the Stupa of the Nagala Kanda Rajamaha Viharaya, Nikaweva, Polpithigama, Kurunegala District.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

A new opera to the world from China – ‘KUNQU ‘SABARAGAMUWA’ TRADITIONAL OPERA’



And this is to be created by the magician dancers of our soil ( Mr.Channa Wijayawardena – Mr.Chandana Wickramasinghe) 

 Arts create the world; it brings the world before you.  Traditional forms of arts are not ‘the fashion of the ‘OLD GENERATION’ it is the ‘moving ahead’ ‘strategies’ for the ‘youngsters’ of the today’s generation.

If the ‘young’ does not understand or if they are not interested in learning the ‘traditions’ or the traditional forms of arts ‘what can we do? ‘ Do you think that ‘awareness’ on this particular subject ‘a solution’?

I watched recently on ‘CCTV’ – ‘Culture Express’. ( July 07, 2012)I watched the clips that they have made interviewing the ‘young Chinese’.  I was not surprised to hear some of the answers of the respondents/viewers.

Their views on ‘The Traditional Chinese Opera’ are interesting and specifically their ideas on this particular form of art ‘KUNQU’ OPERA’ lead my thoughts towards a different direction. 

It is the ‘grate Chinese wall’ that we aware of most. And may be the Chinese are aware of our traditional forms of arts thanks to the ‘paramparika (the teachers who still engaged in protecting the traditional forms of our art and crafts over generations and generations) guruwaru ( teachers of different forms of arts of our country)’ ‘ Suramba’ Guranunnanse (teacher = gurunnanse this is a honorary word that we the Sinhalese use to respect the teachers who engaged in protecting and performing the traditional dancing items in the past) is one of them ( gurunnanse is sort of a head master – I hope my teachers would agree to my explanation about ‘gurunnnase’)

And mostly we do not see the ‘paramparika narthana (dancing) guruwaru ( teachers) performing on famous stages of the world ( except few- we have a world full of traditional dancers who are doing their role not on popular screens like television or cinema or on popular open stages etc but they are helping and sharpening the movements of their golayo ( the students)  

Thanks to few modern yet the teachers who love the traditional forms of arts of the soil of our motherland, the creators like ‘ Chandana and channa’  the world understands our true spirit of some of the traditional forms of dancing.

CONGRATULATIONS to you Sir! Channna Wijayawardena for winning a worldly valuable ‘award’ for the performances of your young team from the world of admirers and fans/artists. (Your very recent achievement)

We know China but I know a little about such forms of art like Qunqu opera.
Art and culture is a key and a bridge sometimes to promote or improve the relationships we have between the two countries I thought. art is never a barrier or a wall to promote such things between countries.  this is a popular saying but I like to remind the world that we are very rich in different forms of traditional forms of arts and crafts so come and visit our country at least once. 

And this can be a bridge that link two countries of the world together and also this will prove ‘art is a bridge to wonder of Asia’

Contact Ministry of Economic development / Department of Tourism Authority (SLTDA)for more information.

 So very few youngsters think that according to CCTV -  China the viewers or the watchers of the traditional forms of arts is mostly done by the old generation 40 -50 if I am not mistaken the figure I saw on the screen is not incorrect.

Yes that can be very true ‘ they ( the older generation) have the responsibility’ to carry forward  these forms of traditional arts and keep them in a safe place for the youngsters to watch later when ever they want to study/refer ‘secondary data’ or ‘literature reviews’ before writing their ‘PhD - dissertation on ‘Traditional forms of arts of the South Asian/ Asian part of the world’. May be Mr. Tissa Nagoda Withana could help the other older generation like us teaching  ‘his method of protecting old Sinhalese films’ and now happy to see Mr. Haren (?) Nagodawithana is involved in the same effort apart from the ‘National Film Corporation of Sri Lanka’. 

I loved ‘David Caradine’ mainly because of his performance in ‘Kung Fu’ tele series. That was a brilliantly done tele - series which was produced based on the knowledge of traditional ‘Kung fu’. If I am correct the actor lived more than 80 years (looked so young in his performances)

 We know Jackie Chang and Jet Lee not because of Traditional Opera or Jackie Chang’s performance with Mallika Sherawat (Indian actress who went to Hollywood and walked along the red carpet) because of their ‘actions/performances in action films’

Lucy Liu, Michelie YEOH I have seen them performing in big Screen. 

Unfortunately we are not aware of the traditional dancers of ‘QUNQU opera’
Samabaragamuwa is a huge heritage of our soil. The people and the performers/dancers of this part our motherland understand the rhythmic patterns of the traditional forms of dancing. ‘Sabaragamuwa’ 

Our cultures can do wonders using the two different forms of arts blending with the knowledge of our dancers/teachers’ using the techniques and rhythms of two beautiful form of art.

What do you Say? Chandana Sir and Channa Sir?

Ni shuo pu tong hua hai shi guang dong hua? (Do you Speak mandarin?) 

Then things will be so easier I guess.



  





    






  


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