විමුක්ති ගී - Songs of Liberation

විමුක්ති ගී - Songs of Liberation - விடுதலை கீதம் - Volume 1

A song sung and recorded in 1980 in commemoration of those comrades who sacrificed their lives in the expectation of building a better and fairer world for future generations.
Composition: Nandana Marasingha
Music & Vocals by Asoka Jayawardana

Vimukthi Gee 2

Epa Gee Nada Denna

2.02 එපා ගී නද දෙන්න - Please Do Not Sing - தயவு செய்து பாடாதீர்கள்

A recent recording of a song originally written in 1982
Vocals - Lionel Bopage
Lyrics - Nandana Marasinha
Music composition - Rohana Weerasinha
Music: Sangeeth Wickramasinghe
English translation:
Songs of tears were written in the crying heart
when eyes full of tears met those with falling tears
Songs of freedom were written in the battle grounds, forests and prisons
realising the font of tears is the power at the top
May the high songs sung this time of sunset
be an inspiring tribute to the thousands of disadvantaged


උපහාර වේවා ! – அஞ்சலி! - Tribute

Written in late 1972 and recorded in 1978
Lyrics - Prof Jayadeva Uyangoda
Vocals - Songs of Liberation Group including Lionel and Chitra Bopage
Melody/Music - Sangeetha Visharada Dr Rohana Weerasinghe
Cover Photo - Courtesy: http://www.pcr-rcp.ca

Celebrate Comrades Forever!

The militant voices you raised
to lighten up the path
for peoples’ emancipation, their dignity
the blood you sacrificed
We will celebrate forever

You sacrificed your life,
then born in peoples’ hearts
Voices you raised in battlefield
will awaken the world
and will be the victory song of ours!

Our life breath will be that you emanated
to build the new world
our allegiance before your graveyard
is to build a better world for all!


1.02  සදා සමරමු සොහොයුරෝ  - Commemorate Comrades Forever - என்றென்றும் தோழர்களை நினைவுகூருங்கள்

Written in 1977 and recorded in 1978 
Vocals — Vimukthi Gee Group
Lyrics by Nandana Marasinha
Melody and Music composition - Director, Sri Lankan State Music Orchestra Late Sena Weerasekera
Cover photo - Plaque presented at the 100th Public Performance of Vimukthi Gee (Songs of Liberation)

English translation:
New Songs
New songs, militant songs
Glorious Songs of Liberation

Until the blood-red sun blooms,
a golden age shines and
amazing fragrances out flow
Let us sing
glorious Songs of Liberation!

Shining in the skies, thousands of golden stars
blooming in the land, many hundreds of red flowers 
till songs of victory are sung
with hearts awakened full of joy
Let us sing
glorious Songs of Liberation!

1.01 නව ගී රණ ගී - New Songs Militant Songs - புதிய பாடல்கள் போராளி பாடல்கள்

This was the very first introduction made at New Town Hall at the very first recital of Songs of Liberation in early 1978.

Cover Photo - Part of the crowd at the JVP Rally at New Town Hall on 7 October 1977.

Written by Nandana Marasinha, Lionel Bopage, Sunila Abeysekera and Muruga Poopathy

Comperes - Buddhadasa Vithanachchi and Sivaram 

The performance ‘Songs of Liberation’ was a collective effort based on songs written and sung during and after the uprising in April 1971. Many comrades wrote and sang these songs while being held prisoners or while retreating in the jungles. The songs gave meaning to the lives sacrificed for the cause of social justice in Sri Lanka and elsewhere. Those in detention used whatever they could get hold of, their plates and mugs as instruments to provide accompaniment to those who were singing.

After their release in November 1977, the performance ‘Songs of Liberation’ called Vimukthi Gee in Sinhala and Vidutalai Geetham in Tamil got off the ground due to the tireless efforts of late Nandana Marasinha, Sunila Abeysekera, and Lionel Bopage. From its commencement in 1978 to its second proscription by the government in 1983, almost 200 public performances had been held, all over Sri Lanka from Matara to Jaffna. Being one of the most popular musical performances at the time, many artistes had been influenced by the new trend Songs of Liberation had set.

These songs were not written in praise of those in power, or to gain fame. They formed a ladder for the ordinary people to reach justice. As a song has a meaning when it starts beating in the veins of people.

"The authentic revolutionary should be behind the guitar, so that the guitar becomes an instrument of struggle, so that it can also shoot like a gun." - Victor Jara (Chilean teacher, theatre director, poet, singer-songwriter, and political activist)

1.00  විමුක්ති ගී ප්‍රසංගයේ මුල් හැඳින්වීම - Original Intro - அசல் அறிமுகம் - விடுதலைப் பாடல்கள்

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

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!

Recording of the Commemoration of April 1971 Insurrection held in April 1981 at the New Town Hall in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Compere: Buddhi Vithanarachchi
Production: Lionel Bopage and Vimukthi Gee Orchestra

April 1971 Insurrection

E01. 1981 අප්‍රේල් මස පැවැත්වූ 71 අප්‍රේල් සැමරුම - Commemoration of April 71 Uprising in April 1981

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

A song written in 1970 and recorded in 1978
Vocals - Vimukthi Gee Group
Lyrics - Subaseela Kodikara
Music composition - Sena Weerasekera
Compère - Buddhadasa Withanachchi

Vimukthi Gee Volume 3

Viplave Rana Gee

3.14 විප්ලවේ රණ ගී - புரட்சியின் போராளிப் பாடல்கள் - Militant Songs of Revolution

A song written in April 1971 and recorded in 1978
Vocals - Jayathilaka Gamage
Lyrics - Udeni Bandula
Music composition - Sena Weerasekera
compère - Buddhadasa Withanachchi

Vimukthi Gee Vol 2

2.09 විමුක්තියේ රතු උදාර - Of Noble Red Liberation - விடுதலையின் சிவப்புக் கொடி

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