Wanted to make a track that expresses the vibes during the New Year season in Sri Lanka.
Track done in 2011. Uploading 12 years later. Any vocals were not done.

Awurudu - Sri Lankan New Year Vibes [Instrumental]

Lyrics:				                        Udeni Saman Kumara
Vocals:				                        Lionel Bopage and Vimukthi Gii Group
Music and Music composition:	Sena Weerasekera
Compère:				                Budhdhadasa Withanarachchi
Introduction:				        Nandana Marasinghe
Written in 1972 and recorded in 1978

‍1.06 රතු බල පෙන්වව් - சிவப்பு சக்தி காட்சி - Display Red Power

Written in 1981 and recorded in April 2013
(indicates the Spanish influence on our music)
Lyrics - Lionel Bopage
Vocals - Lionel Bopage
Melody: Lionel Bopage and Nihal
Music : Lionel Bopage and Ananda Waidyasekara
Cover Photo - Migratory Birds in Sri Lanka
Courtesy: www.thuppahi.wordpress.com

Flocks of Birds

Flocks of birds murmur
looking at a dwelling with no locks and chains
in a world not encircled with fortresses

Flocks of birds chirp
with victorious eyes lighted up
flying towards a free world 

Darkness keeps on spreading
in all four corners of the world
with only a single star beaming to bloom

Flocks of birds flying through the clouds
over the ranges of highlands
till they reach a world not enslaved

4.06  එනු මිතුර පසු නොබා - Come My Friend Don't Hesitate - தயங்காமல் வாருங்கள் நண்பரே

Written in 1977, sung and recorded in 1978
Vocals - Newton Perera
Lyrics - Nandana Marasinha
Melody / Music composition - Newton Perera
Cover Photo - Women tea pluckers in Sri Lanka 
Courtesy: www.huffingtonpost.com

English translation:
Lying on highlands

Our sweat made tea gardens lush
our blood made tea water red
our bones made that highland fertile
our brother and sisters perished
on that highland

In the crack of the dawn
lying on the highlands
do lush tea leaves sob tear drops
hurt by our miseries?

A day comes for us
to be at the battle front
to lay injustice to rest
that day smiles will blossom in the highlands
with shining torrents of red light!

3.05 කඳුයාය මත වැතිරී - Lying on the highlands - மேலைநாடுகளில் கிடக்கிறது

Written in 1977 and recorded in 1978
Written by Nandana Marasinha
Vocals by Jayathilaka Gamage and Chitra Jayanthi
Melody and Music composition - Newton
Photo - Moon or Woman?
Courtesy: https://www.quitor.com

English Translation:
What did I desire?

A handsome face like the gentle moon
a mass of hair like waves of the ocean
smiles with pearl like teeth
did not I desire!

Semi closed eyes due to sun’s heat
a forehead flowing with golden liquid
life blood not distraught by anguish
hands with corn, damp with life
did I desire

a bright flower blossomed by heroism
currents of fragrance flowing of pride
did I desire

1.08 සොමි සඳ වන් - Like the Gentle Moon - மென்மையான சந்திரனைப் போல

Ketthe Udalle Muvahath Veyan Heta!

Written in 1977 and recorded in 1978
Written by Nandana Marasinha
Vocals by Jayathilaka Gamage
Melody and Music composition - Sangeetha Visharada Dr Rohana Weerasinha
Photo: Courtesy philipveerasingam.blogspot.com

English Translation:
Tomorrow be sharp, blades and mammoties!

Chirring cicadas flying about
fence line keeping loneliness away from the four sides
not a single rain drop from the skies yet
So when can I till a fertile plot of land?

Body aching with burns from sunlight
spending night time in a shack on a tree
surviving on a roti and a mouthful of tea
an other living over my sweat lavishly

Offspring crying being starved
my dear shedding tears of sadness
reason for this karma I understand now
making my blood boil with revulsion

This misery I cannot bear any more
tomorrow be sharp, blades and mammoties!
to destroy poisonous scrubland they survive in
tomorrow be sharp, blades and mammoties!!

1.04  කැත්තේ උදැල්ලේ මුවහත් වෙයන් හෙට - Be sharpened tomorrow, blades and mamoties!

Songs of Liberation - Gayakayanane! - Soloist!

Written in 1977 and recorded in 1978
Written by Susil Karunaratne
Vocals - Chitra Bopage
Melody and Music composition - Ari of Songs of Liberation Group
Cover Photo - A Souvenir from the 100th Public Performance of Songs of Liberation

English Translation
Soloist!

Sing the song of immortality, soloist!
taking the melody from the sounds made
by the battle weapons of the heroic people 
who showed their valour
fighting their adversaries

Murmur the immortal song, soloist!
guarding at the bottom of their heart
the pains of the oppressed
using the flames of non-quenching hatred
to break off the iron chains

Sing the song that was unsung, soloist!
why the heroic people who battled
and sacrificed their lives;
guarding forever the dynamism
raised by the drops of blood
spilt on the battle ground

1.03 ගායකයානනේ! - Soloist! - தனிப்பாடல்!

Today (18 July 2015), we release this Single "Mandela the Madiba", as a tribute to Nelson Mandela's life and his achievements.

Nelson Mandela International Day, also known as Mandela Day, is held on July 18 each year. It was launched in recognition of Nelson Mandela’s birthday on 18 July, 2009 via unanimous decision of the UN General Assembly. It was inspired by a call Nelson Mandela made a year earlier, for the next generation to take on the burden of leadership in addressing the world’s social injustices when he said that “It is in your hands now”

More than a celebration of Madiba’s life and legacy, this day reflects a global movement to honour his life’s work and
act to change the world for the better. It is to remember and reflect upon Mandela’s achievements in working towards conflict resolution, democracy, human rights, peace, and reconciliation.

Lyrics: Lionel Bopage
Music: Niko Schäuble

Vocals: Lionel Bopage, Fem Belling
Additional Vocals: Mpaphi Matthews Nfandizo, Jida Gulpilil
Background Vocals: Fem Belling, Harshini Bopage and Chitra Bopage
Acoustic & Electric Guitars: Suranga Bopage
Djembe, Congas, Bells: Kanchana Karunaratna
Didgeridoo and Clap Sticks: Jida Gulpilil
Drums and additional Percussion: Niko Schäuble
Piano: Howard Belling
Saxophones: Tony Hicks
Tabla: Visharada Ranjith Madurapperuma

Executive Producer: Lionel Bopage
Music Producer: Niko Schäuble
Recorded, Mixed and Mastered at Pughouse Studios, Melbourne by Niko Schäuble

Also appreciate the assistance offered by Visharada Ranjith Madurapperuma and Asanka Perera

Photography - Ashoka Peiris
Video Editor - Sasanka Sanjeewa Abeykoon, November Productions

Cover Photo - Credit: www. jassel.com.au/

P5.0   මැන්ඩෙලා .. මාඩිබා - Mandela The Madiba - மண்டேலா மடிபா

Lyrics: Nandana Marasinghe
Singing: Tilak Iddamalgoda
Music and Composition: Rohana Weerasinghe
Story: Buddhadasa Withanarachchi
Introduction: Nandana Marasinghe
A song written and recorded in 1982
Begging is prevalent in Sri Lanka as well as in South Asia. The song attempts to clarify the reasons why.

4.08 VG - උණු කඳුුළු පිරුණු ජීවිතේ - Life full of hot tears - சூடான கண்ணீர் நிறைந்த வாழ்க்கை

An interview on Myanmar and the Economic reasons for the escalating Rohingya crisis
Photo Courtesy: REUTERS/Jorge Silva

3CR Interview

Int 2.  Rohingya crisis in Myanmar

Lyrics:				Lionel Bopage
Music:				Niko Schäuble
Vocals:				Lionel Bopage, Gayani Meemanage & Chitra Bopage
Executive Producer:	Lionel Bopage
Music Producer:		Niko Schäuble
Video Production:	Lionel Bopage
Recorded, Mixed and Mastered at Pughouse Studios, Melbourne, Australia by Niko Schäuble: www.pughousestudios.com

Acknowledgements
We thank the following digital sources used in the production of this video
Lenin Portrait:						The Jewish Chronicle
Lenin_ Revolutionary:					Documentary (Parts 1 to 4)
Lenin's own voice						What Is Soviet Power
The Internationale – Instrumental:		The Best of KSS & KSČ;
Vladimir Lenin founder of USSR - Russian revolutionary: Documentary footages
Vladimir Lenin - Leader of the Bolshevik Rev:	Documentary

Tribute
This song is a ‘Tribute to Lenin’, written and sung originally in 1978.
Since the ‘Songs of Liberation’ performance was proscribed in Sri Lanka in 1982, the song and its lyrics had gone missing. Having refound the lyrics in 2015, this recording is made as a tribute to Lenin,
without whose intervention the Soviet Socialist Revolution would not have come into being.
This song is also dedicated to the memory of the original members of the ensemble, who in 1977 contributed to bring ‘Songs of Liberation’ performance to life, in particular, our late and much missed comrades Nandana Marasinghe and Sunila Abeysekera.
This is also a tribute to Sunila for her original contribution to this song.

October Centenary and Lenin

4.12 ලෙනින් - ඔක්තෝබර් ශත සංවත්සරය - Lenin - October Centenary  - லெனின் - அக்டோபர் நூற்றாண்டு

I am passionate about social justice, fair-go and equity of opportunity in this world where absolute uniformism, consumerism and maximisation of profits have become sole values of human society. I firmly believe that advances in science and technology, and improvements in productivity and competitiveness need to be holistically used mainly for the benefit of the world, not for its destruction.

‍1.06 රතු බල පෙන්වව් - சிவப்பு சக்தி காட்சி - Display Red Power

Dr Lionel Bopage

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