Festival - 'Sri Lanka Close to Nature'

Second annual Sri Lanka Festival in Tokyo attracts thousands of Japanese

The second annual Sri Lanka Festival which was held in the Yoyogi Park in Tokyo on October 15 and 16, 2005 attracted thousands of Japanese, non-Japanese and Sri Lankans living in and around Tokyo, and in other regions of Japan. Nearly hundred thousand people visited the festival through the two-day weekend.

The festival provided the Japanese people with the rare opportunity of experiencing a taste of Sri Lanka right in the heart of Tokyo.

The theme of this year's festival was 'Sri Lanka Close to Nature', and all the attractions at the event reflected this theme.

The festival was organised by the Sri Lanka Embassy in Tokyo in co-operation with Sri Lankan and Japanese organisations including SriLankan Airlines, the Sri Lanka Tourist Board, the Sri Lanka Tea Board, the Export Development Board and the Sri Lanka Business Council of Japan and with the co-sponsorship of Japanese State institutions including the Japanese Foreign Ministry, JICA, JETRO, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Shibuya City Office. The festival was sponsored by Japanese and Sri Lankan companies and NGOs.

The festival was ceremoniously declared open on Saturday morning by Sri Lanka's Ambassador in Japan Ranjith Uyangoda along with Japanese parliamentarian and former Chief Cabinet Minister Koichi Kato, Parliamentarian Humiaki Matsumoto, Japanese Government's Special Envoy on the Peace Process in Sri Lanka Ambassador Yasushi Akashi, and the Mayor of Shibuya City Toshitake Kuwahara.

Around forty VIPs based in Japan and in Sri Lanka participated in the opening ceremony including the Chief Prelates of the four leading Sri Lankan Buddhist Temples and Foundations in Tokyo, Ambassadors based in Tokyo, Sri Lankan and Japanese sponsors including Harry Jayawardena, Managing Director of the Stassen Group of Companies.

One of the highlights of the festival was the dazzling performances, both classical and modern, by the famous 'Channa Upuli' Foundation who had a 10-member troupe of dances and drummers specially flown in by SriLankan Airlines, performing through the two days on the stage located in the events plaza.

The Sri Lankan dancers kept the Japanese audience mesmerised with their performances of classical items such as 'ves', 'vannam', 'thelme', 'sabaragamuwa' dance and their modern choreography.

The drum orchestra was welcomed with a rousing applause each time they stepped on stage, and the breathtaking fire dance 'gini sisila' was performed each evening at dusk to a packed audience. The Sri Lankan dances were interspersed with Japanese cultural performances including songs by Japan's celebrated singer Chikako Sawada and 'taiko' (Japanese drum). The festival ended on Sunday evening with a grand finale of Sri Lankan songs and 'baila' played by a Sri Lankan band based in Tokyo.

Food was undoubtedly the primary attraction of the two days competing closely with Ceylon tea which is called 'Ceylon Kocha' in Japanese. Batiks and handcrafts were another attraction.

Long queues could be seen in front of the food stalls from noon to evening each day with people waiting patiently to sample 'curre rice'. 'I had to wait in the queue for 45 minutes to get this', said one young Japanese pointing at a plateful of 'kottu' which he was eating with chopsticks.

(Sri Lanka Embassy Tokyo press release)

'Rhythms in Harmony'

'Rhythms in Harmony an evening of rhythmic music and entertainment will be held on November 6 at Colombo Hilton from 7 p.m.

The event which is a fundraiser in aid of Home for Street Childrens and organised by Lion Ladies of District 306B2 will also feature Dr. Prasanthi Mendis who performs as violinist and Caribbean steel drum artiste.

The Caribbean steel drums are better known in the caribbean as steel pans. The instruments of steel bands are tuned to an orchestral range.

As a result, it is projected to the world as a versatile instrument which can not only play Caribbean music such as Calypsos, Reggae, Soca, etc., but western classical music, Spanish music, jazz, rock or pop music or in short, any music from the East or the West.

This musical invention now serve as a Caribbean musical legacy to the world enjoyed today by many continents and states such as USA, UK, Africa, Holland, France and Africa.

World renowned musicians to participate at Colombo Kamban Kalagam's music festival

The annual music recital of Colombo Kamban Kalagam is being held at Ramakrishna Mission Hall, Wellawatte, Colombo 6 commencing from 29.10.2005 (Saturday) to 5.11.2005 at 5 p.m. every day. The President of the Colombo Kamban Kalagam T. Eeswaran, Secretary P. Balasundaram and Treasurer A. Balendran have made elaborate arrangements to make this function a success.

Kamban Kalagam is rendering a tremendous service in the sphere of art and culture under the able guidance and leadership of 'Kambavaruthy' E. Jeyaraj who is a great Tamil scholar, orator and debater.

In fact, Mr. Jeyaraj was responsible for giving name and fame for this Kalagam and it has become an internationally renowned cultural institution. Indeed Mr. Jeyaraj is a multi-faceted and multi-dimensional personality and is being highly appreciated and recognised by everyone on account of his simplicity, humility and dynamic organising power. Further no field of human endeavour was left untouched by his imagination, encompassing sweep of his thought, felicity of his words and indefatigable zeal of his actions.

Music and dance are the two major art forms which have stood the ravages of colonialism and foreign rule and emerged unscathed. Music is an art which is the true refiner and uplifter of humanity. It is the instrument of culture, broadener of the heart and it has become the great pride of our cultural scene today.

The internationally renowned musicians Sudha Rugunathan and Jayashri Ramnath are the special artistes from South India to grace this glorious occasion.

* Sudha Ragunathan is one of the most popular young singers of the carnatic music. She grew up in a music family and began to learn this demanding music from her mother Srimathy Choodamani.

Further she has been blessed by Saibaba and now she has been recognised internationally as one of the brightest stars in the firmament of Carnatic music.

The turning point in Sudha's life, as far as music was concerned, was when she came under the tutorship and the legendary M. L. Vasanthakumar and after that there was no looking back. The latest in her string of achievements is the national award Padmasri presented to her on June 30 last. The key to her success is hard work and also she is a stickler for quality.

* Jayashri was groomed in her initial years in Carnatic music by her parents. Her regimented initiation into music was under her father's guidance at the age of 4. Further under the tutelage of Srimathy T. R. Balamani, Jayashri took to the path of pursing her music seriously and added subsequently to her repertoire.

She had the rare privilege of enrolling as disciple of legend Shri Lalgudi Jayaraman. From here there was no looking back. Jayashri has performed her music recitals in countries like USA, Canada, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Middle East.

In fact, two memorable concerts in her career, she cherishes were the concerts she performed for the Paramachcharya at Kancheepuram Mujj during his Kanakabhishekam and also performance at Shri Stya Saibaba's seventieth birthday at Puttaparthi.

She has been awarded the titles of Yuvakalabharathi in 1992 and Isaiperoli in 1998. Further she has already released 19 albums.

Finally, we wish that the Kamban Kalagam should grow from strength to strength and become a great influence for the good of the country and for everlasting peace and prosperity in Sri Lanka.

- Chelvathamby Maniccavasagar

Jazz music by Jean-Jacques Milteau Quartet

Alliance Francaise has organised a unique evening of Jazz Music by Jean-Jacques Milteau Quartet, specially flown from France as part of the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of Alliance Francaise.

This will be held at the Lionel Wendt Theatre (18, Guildford Crescent, Colombo 7) today at 7.00 p.m. Tickets are limited and are available at Alliance Francaise.

J.J. Milteau was born in Paris, France, in 1950, a few years after World War Two, in a modest family. The rocking 60's gave him the choice between plain regular studies and a more Bohemian way of life.

He decided to travel over Europe and North America, doing little jobs and meeting all kinds of people and musicians.

He started playing the harmonica after hearing unknown but inspired blues artists on his way. The harmonica soon suited him as it was a pleasant easy-to-carry instrument for a young lonesome traveller. Thirty years later, he has all the reasons to be glad of this choice as the little 'mouth organ' brought him to all kinds of interesting situations.

He performed in quite unexpected places from the North Polar Circle (Saint Pierre and Miquelon) to South Africa, from Switzerland to Cuba, and even on the stage of the famous 'Opera de Paris'.

The past few years, he has been touring all over Europe, the United States, Canada, Africa (Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, the Ivory Coast, Benin, Nigeria, Erythrea, Congo, Sudan...); Central America (Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras...); the Caribbean Islands (Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, the Dominican Republic, Martinique...); the Indian Ocean (Madagascar, Reunion, Mauritius, Seychelles...) and in Taiwan, Mainland China, Singapore...

He performed and recorded with the most famous French Singers: Francis Cabrel, Yves Montand, Patricia Kaas, Charles Aznavour... These encounters frequently ended in a friendship and gave birth to the CD 'Merci d'dtre venus'... on which Jean-Jacques Milteau invited ten well-known artists to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his favourite instrument.

Jean-Jacques Milteau feels very lucky to be a busy musician. Still, he also feels he has a role to play as a citizen and tries his best to share his experience and knowledge.

The World of Arts

by Gwen Herat

Romeo and Juliet in visual form

Shakespeare's best play and the most popular tragedy it is but not necessarily his best. Down the centuries and to date, it remains the most-talked about, accepted and celebrated as the epitome of youth, love and sacrifice. But Shakespeare was at his best in Hamlet.

The dialogue he fed this play is par excellence, superseding even the spectacular; eloquent powerful utterance of Mark Antony in Julius Caesar. So, here we have two plays that are ahead of Romeo and Juliet but in popularity, the play is the most significant. The reason being it has been visually projected to the people to leave behind a deep impression.

Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet are the creations of the Bard while Julius Caesar has a spectre of history thrown into it though he is different to the Caesar of the real Roman history. However, Shakespeare did have reasons to write Romeo and Juliet as well as Hamlet because of a personal experience he had which I will let you know later.

Romeo and Juliet is the most filmed, danced and staged over other plays making it a visual beauty from whatever angle it is viewed and people seem to be seeing this play over and over again. No matter how hacked the play is, choreographers and producers swear by its immortal portrayals.

Performed around the world with limitless energy, the popularity never waned or ceased. Not even when new and contemporary twists were given. (For example when Romeo and Juliet were cast as the Bard and his wife Anne in Shakespeare In Love). It was an apology for this classic.

Set in the Veronese high summer, it is both a tale of star-crossed lovers and the healings of the feuding parents. The principal source of this play was a popular poem written by Arthur Brooke in 1562 but years later, Bernard Shaw called it an irresistibly impetuous march of music. Few plays have been acted so often. The 1744 version by Theophilius Cibber was a flop. The 1748 version of David Garrick was enormously successful and paved the way for many to follow in that era.

The sequence of revivals continued with Charles Kemble being the first Romeo in 1803 and Mercutio in the 1829 version. Eliza O'Neil and 19 year old Fanny Kemble were the historic Juliets.

This was followed by Adelaide Neilson as Juliet for fifteen years. Seven years later, the most exciting revival brought together John Gielglud and Laurence Olivier as Romeo and Mecutio while Juliet was the beautiful Peggy Asheroft magically perfect.

This was in 1953. It has also Edith Evans as the Nurse whose acting was described as 'Earthy as a potato, slow as a cart-horse, cunning as a badger' by critic, W.A. Darlington. The performance was so tensed, classical and perfect, nothing since had shadowed that revival.

However, Peter Brook's Stratford production in 1947 was blood-stirring for Mercutio acted by Paul Scofield at the Old Vic. This gave the impetus for many young Mercutios to opt for this character over Romeo. In 1987, Kenneth Branugh and Samantha Bond were strong at the Lyric. Hull Truck's touring production with Richard Gift as Romeo used the family feuds to pursue racial question.

Franco Zafferilli who directed an epic version, chopped the Mab speech into untidy little cubes. American also kept a record of her productions since mid-18th-century. Came the 19th century when Charlotte Cushman cast Adelaide Neilson and Mary Anderson as Juliets in 1885 with Forbes Robertson as Romeo in New York.

Others followed and in 1930 a great actress of Hollywood, Olivia de Havilland and Douglas Watson acted the immortal lovers. Bill Alexander directed yet another success for The New Audience.

Another contemporary version was experimented by Michael Arabian whose imagination went wild on a CBS Production in 1991 for Studio City when he used swastikas and stars of David to suggest wider, racial question in 1991.

In terms of other productions, none of the Romeo and Juliet films have been a success until Hollywood's 1936 production with Norma Sherer on a 'wedding cake structure' balcony followed by the very popular star, Leslie Howard as Romeo in a British-Italia production in 1954 directed by Renato Castallent.

Yet another epic by Franco Zafferilli with two very young lovers Leonard Whiting 16 years of age and Olivia Hussey 13 years old. This was a remarkable film because the ages of Romeo (who was a teenager) and Juliet who had not turned 14 as found in Shakespeare's play, was maintained by Zafferilli.

This play has been the subject for many ballets such as Serge Prokofiev's in 1934 and an American gang-war musical called 'The West Side Story' in 1975. It was featured on BBC Television in 1975 with an inexperienced pair of young lovers. The biggest and most highly acclaimed ballets ever to have mounted to date has been the Royal Ballet's Romeo and Juliet.

Two of the most brilliant dancers ever seen, combined their talents to give the most breathtaking version of this play and to have ever performed. Rudolf Nureyev as Romeo and Margot Fonteyn as Juliet danced at the majestic Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. It was a spectacular production in every aspect with nothing left for imagination.

From Prokofiev's brilliant scores, to the magnificent choreography by Kenneth MacMillan, scenery, costumes, superb artistry of principal dancers, Romeo and Juleit remains the most highly acclaimed ballet ever seen or filmed. This was a celebration for Shakespeare from the Royal Ballet and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

The creation of Juliet and Ophelia

This is a tragic story that haunt history where the tragic sisters live on his plays. Fear ruled out a proper funeral to mark the death of Chalotte Clopton. The year was 1564, the year in which Shakespeare was born and a plague had struck Stratford-upon-Avon. Charlotte was one of its first victims. To prevent the spread of the disease, her sealed coffin was hastily removed from the Clopton House and sealed up in the family vault at Holy Trinity Church.

Within a fortnight another member of the family died of the disease and the vault was re-opened. A terrible sight sent the burial party back in horror. Charlotte's coffin had been forced open and her lifeless body stood leaning against the wall, torn fingers clawing the stone-work where she had tried in vain to escape. Charlotte had been buried alive.

Not long afterwards, her sister Margarette committed suicide. Forbidden to see the man she loved, she drowned herself in a shallow fish pond.

As a young man growing up in Stratford, Shakespeare visited the Clopton House to obtain first hand information about the tragic sisters and the sad stories linked to their deaths. Legend has it that he used the tragedies of Charlotte and Maragerette as a base of the characters of Juliet and Ophelia, bringing into focus the same circumstances under which they died in his two plays.

The ghosts of the tragic sisters are said to still haunt Clopton House. After Shakespeare wrote these two plays, the heirs of Clopton House decided never to sell, demolish or reconstruct the building but to allow it remain as a tribute to the Bard.