In the little Sri Lankan coastal village of Koralawalla, Moratuwa, where fishermen sang as they went about their daily business, the boy who would become famous as Amaradeva was born on December 5, 1927. At birth, he was given the name Wannakuwattawaduge Don Albert Perera. He was the youngest of six children, four boys and two girls.
His father, Wannakuwattawaduge Don Ginoris Perera, was a Buddhist, and his mother, Balapuwawaduge Maggie Wesliana Mendis, a Methodist. Although Maggie converted to Buddhism upon her marriage, she continued to attend church in the nearby village, often taking along the young Albert.
In this coastal village whose name means “seashore full of shells or corals,” fishing and carpentry were the predominant occupations. The young Albert did his share of pulling fishing nets, while he listened to the songs of the fishermen. His father, though, was not a fisherman but the village’s foremost carpenter and a skilled woodcarver
This is an official collection of songs by Pandit Amaradeva, with information about the artist as well as his creations. We will update the site with interesting stories about related incidents and making of the songs. This is a time-consuming task and we need the blessings and support of all music fans in Sri Lanka and around the world. We have created this tribute to our own "Amaradeva Master” in collaboration with his contemporary artists, his seniors, and younger musicians who are inspired by his music and therefore feel they are responsible for keeping the tradition alive.
Amaradeva Foundation, which was established in year 2000 to preserve pandit Amaradeva’s work for the future generations, later got registered as a company Limited by gurantee in 2012, Under 2007 Companies Act No. 7
Since then we are operating as a non profit organization which is committed to full fill Pandit Amaradeva’s ideas to enrich Sri Lankan music Culture.
The foundation takes lead in organizing cultural events, Musical Workshops, Seminars (Rasa Vindana programmes) and especially awarding scholarships and gifting musical instruments to needy children.
He is as a Singer and Writer of Songs, our country’s gift to the world of international music and for me his voice is the greatest musical instrument we have in this country.
I came across a young man called W.D. Albert Perera… He could handle the violin with exceptional skill. He had been practicing the violin under his father’s guidance even as a toddler, and as a teenager the Violin was almost like a toy in his hands…
The music which Amaradeva creates today has been the result of a long and varied course of experimentation…
Amaradeva’s musical creations speak for themselves. While pundits wage verbal battles regarding what Sinhala music ought to be, he has demonstrated what it could be.
