Dharmaratne Brothers

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Dharmaratne Brothers - Wikipedia

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Dharmaratne Brothers
Origin	College Street Kotahena, Sri Lanka
Genres	Sri Lankan music
Years active	1967–present
Labels	Phillips Sooriya

Members	Melroy Dharmaratne Maxwell Dharmaratne Christie Dharmaratne

Past members	Ronald Dharmaratne

Dharmaratne Brothers was an influential Sri Lankan music group, composed of the brothers Christie, Maxwell, Melroy and Ronald Dharmaratne. They were the first all family Sinhala pop group, and racked up several hits in the late '60s and early '70s.

Early years

The brothers first began singing together at family gatherings. By 1967, they had decided to pursue a musical career. They sang on stage for the first time at "Asiri Kusum," a fund raiser for St. Bridget's Convent. They shared the bill with other harmony vocal groups like La Ceylonians, Moonstones, La Lavinians, Los Flamingos, Humming Birds, La Bambas, Los Muchachos and Trio Los Serenaders.^[1] In July, the following year, the group recorded some songs written by Melroy on the Phillips Label (after being discovered by Patrick Corea), that included "Vessa Wahinawa," "Punchi Hurathala," and "Kandukare." These proved to be successes, each selling over 3,000 copies.^[2]

Success

The Dharmaratne Brothers next recorded for the Sooriya label, and had hits with "Varsity Kello", "Suhada Pathum", "Sahodarayo Hathardena" and "Kellani me Ahapalla."^[3] Around this time, in the early '70s, their niece Shiromie Fernando also entered the music field, and had hits of her own.^[4]

With the popularity of the group, Melroy got the chance to write songs for other popular musicians of the time. He was particularly happy to work with his idol H. R. Jothipala. For Jothipala, Melroy composed "Oba Nidanna," "Mal Ethano," "Gangawai-Mahamuhudai," and "Malin Peeregiya" among others.^[5]

Dissolution and comeback

Over the years the group slowly drifted apart; Christie accepted a job in the Middle East in 1978 causing the group to go on hiatus, and Ronald died in 1987 in a bus accident.^[6] In recent years, the three remaining group members have reconvened and regained some of their early popularity. In addition to music, Melroy has done directing work for films and stage dramas, written television and film script writing and has worked as a freelance journalist for several publications including Lake House. He has also authored several novels.^[7]

Notes

^ Perera, Mahes. "Back with their halcyon hits" Archived 2005-05-06 at the Wayback Machine. Sunday Observer. Retrieved November 19, 2006.
^ Gamage, Anjana. "Dharmaratne Bros. to bring back lilting melodies of the past" Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine. Daily News. Retrieved November 19, 2006.
^ Gamage, Anjana. "Dharmaratne Bros. to bring back lilting melodies of the past" Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine. Daily News. Retrieved November 19, 2006.
^ Perera, Mahes. "Back with their halcyon hits" Archived 2005-05-06 at the Wayback Machine. Sunday Observer. Retrieved November 19, 2006.
^ Gamage, Anjana. "Dharmaratne Bros. to bring back lilting melodies of the past" Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine. Daily News. Retrieved November 19, 2006.
^ Perera, Mahes. "Back with their halcyon hits" Archived 2005-05-06 at the Wayback Machine. Sunday Observer. Retrieved November 19, 2006.
^ Daily Mirror. "Milroy's 35 years of Songs" Archived 2005-02-16 at the Wayback Machine. Daily Mirror. Retrieved November 19, 2006.

External links

v t e Sinhala music
Sinhala language Music of Sri Lanka
Male singers	Abeywardena Balasuriya Ajith Bandara Allen Ratnayake Amarasiri Peiris Annesley Malewana Anton Jones C. T. Fernando Chandra Kumara Kandanarachchi Chandrasena Hettiarachchi Chitral Somapala Clarence Wijewardena Cliff Foenander Dasun Madushan Dayan Witharana Dayarathna Ranatunga Deepal Silva Desmond de Silva Dhanapala Udawaththa Dharmaratne Brothers Dinesh Kanagaratnam Edward Jayakody Freddie Silva Gamini Susiriwardana Gratien Ananda Gunadasa Kapuge H. R. Jothipala Henry Caldera Indrachapa Liyanage Ivor Dennis J. A. Milton Perera J. P. Chandrababu Jagath Wickramasinghe Jaya Sri Kamal Addararachchi Karunarathna Divulgane Kasun Kalhara Keerthi Pasquel Lahiru Perera Lakshman Wijesekara Lionel Ranwala M. S. Fernando Madhumadhawa Aravinda Mervin Perera Milton Mallawarachchi Mohideen Baig Morris Wijesinghe Nadeeka Guruge Nalin Jayawardena Namal Udugama Narada Disasekara Nihal Nelson Nihal Samarasinghe Nuwan Gunawardana P. L. A. Somapala Paul Fernando Pradeep Rangana Prince Udaya Priyantha Priya Suriyasena Punsiri Soysa R. A. Chandrasena R. Muttusamy Rookantha Gunathilake Rukshan Perera Sadiris Master Saman Lenin Sanath Nandasiri Sathish Perera Senaka Batagoda Shelton Perera Shihan Mihiranga Bennet Shirley Waijayantha Sisira Senaratne Somasiri Medagedara Suneera Sumanga Sunil Edirisinghe Sunil Perera Sunil Santha T. M. Jayaratne Tharanga Goonetilleke Upali Kannangara Victor Rathnayake Vijaya Kumaranatunga W. D. Amaradeva W. D. Ariyasinghe
Female singers	Amara Ranatunga Angeline Gunathilake Chandralekha Perera Chandrika Siriwardena Charitha Priyadarshani Deepika Priyadarshani G. S. B. Rani Indrani Perera Indrani Wijebandara Latha Walpola Leela Asoka Madhavee Wathsala Malani Bulathsinhala Mariazelle Goonetilleke Mercy Edirisinghe Mignonne Fernando Nanda Malini Neela Wickramasinghe Nirosha Virajini Nuwandhika Senarathne Pradeepa Dharmadasa Priyani Jayasinghe Rukmani Devi Saheli Rochana Gamage Sashika Nisansala Sujatha Aththanayaka Umaria Sinhawansa Uresha Ravihari Wasantha Sandanayake
Music directors	Allen Ratnayake W. D. Amaradeva Ananda Samarakoon Bibiladeniye Mahanama R. A. Chandrasena Clarence Wijewardena Dilup Gabadamudalige Dinesh Subasinghe Gunadasa Kapuge H. M. Jayawardena Kasun Kalhara Lakshman Joseph de Saram Lionel Algama Lionel Ranwala Marcelline Jayakody Mohammed Gauss Nanda Malini Patrick Denipitiya P. L. A. Somapala Premasiri Khemadasa R. Muttusamy Rohana Weerasinghe Rookantha Gunathilake Sarath Dassanayake Shelton Perera Shihan Mihiranga Bennet Somapala Rathnayake Stanley Peiris Sunil Santha Thilan Wijesinghe Victor Rathnayake W.B. Makuloluwa
Lyricists	Ajantha Ranasinghe Arisen Ahubudu Bandara Wijethunga Carlo Fonseka Cliff Foenander D. T. Fernando Dharmasiri Gamage Herbert M. Seneviratne Karunaratne Abeysekera Kumaratunga Munidasa Lucien Bulathsinhala Madawala S. Rathnayake Mahagama Sekara Marcelline Jayakody Nalin Jayawardena Premakeerthi de Alwis Saman Chandranath Weerasinghe Senaka Batagoda Sydney Chandrasekara Vicumpriya Perera Wasantha Dukgannarala W.B. Makuloluwa

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Sri Lankan musical groups

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