Lionel Ranwala…Folk Drama And Song Maestro

Lionel Ranwala (27 November 1939 – 13 November 2002) was a prominent Sri Lankan Folk musician.He took Sri Lankan folk tunes and melodies to popular Sri Lankan music, preserving their originality.Ranwala was also a versatile actor and dramatist. One of his most memorable roles was in the first Sinhala opera ‘Depano’ directed by Makuloluwa. He travelled all over the island collecting folk songs for posterity.A staunch defender of indigenous music, he released several cassettes containing experimental folk music, notably ‘Ahase Innavalu’ in 1999. He formed the ‘Thaalama Foundation’ for preserving folk music. “Gama Ahulaggang”, “May Awurudu kale” and “Wannam Sawudam” are some of his most famous songs.