Master Sir

"Master Sir" is a classic Sinhala song written by the Sri Lankan singer/songwriter, Nimal Mendis, and sang most famously by Neville Fernando of Los Caballeros. Nimal Mendis was born in Ceylon(Sri Lanka). The song was composed by Nimal Mendis and released in Sri Lanka. The song was also recorded in an English version.

The song, 'Master Sir,' was first featured in the early 1970s on Radio Ceylon, the oldest radio station in South Asia. It still receives extensive airplay on the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and other commercial radio stations in Colombo. Mendis has also played his classic hit 'Master Sir' in front of capacity crowds in concerts organised in Colombo.

'Master Sir' reached new audiences in London when the Sri Lankan broadcaster Vernon Corea featured it on his BBC Radio London program, ' London Sounds Eastern.'[1]

History

The song was a number one hit in South Asia for Nimal Mendis. It has been covered by several Sri Lankan musicians.

"Master Sir" was written by Nimal Mendis in English for the 1970s for the Sri Lankan film Kalu Diya Dhahara (A column of black water).[2] The song was sung by the composer and Sandra Edema in the film. The song was translated to Sinhala by the late Karunaratne Abeysekara and sung by Neville Fernando of Los Caballeros.

Female vocalist Neela Wickremesinghe sang a version of the song on the title sequence of "Kalu Diya Dhahara" and later recorded a cover version of the song based on the 4/4 time signature arrangement and riffs of the original English version. An authorized cover of the song was performed live and recorded by popular Sri Lankan duo Bathiya and Santhush.

The English version sung by Sandra Edema and Nimal Mendis, and the Sinhala version by Neville Fernando of the song were released on the Lotus label and distributed by Lotus Entertainment.

Music

The song is a musical ballad in Sinhala - with a traditional outlook. The rhythm is very traditional- hence its popularity at home and around the world among expatriate Sri Lankan communities. The song is still being featured in international concerts sung by Sri Lankan artists.[3]

Lyrics

Master Sir is set in colonial Sri Lanka; the words tell a story about the dignity of labour, a story not about wages but about social justice. The song was recorded both in English and Sinhala, and has remained a hit in Sri Lanka for over thirty years.

References

  1. ↑ "Online edition of Sunday Observer - Features". Sundayobserver.lk. 2005-07-31. Retrieved 2012-12-02.
  2. ↑ "Featured Artist | Nimal Mendis". Sinhala Jukebox. Retrieved 2012-12-02.
  3. ↑

External links

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