Background
Gerald Wickremesooriya was born in 1920 at Ambalangoda, Sri Lanka.
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Gerald Wickremesooriya
Edit ProfileEducation
After his early education at Dharmasoka College Ambalangoda, he completed his education at Saint Thomas’s College Mountain.
Career
In 1948 Gerald started his career in the Plantation sector by joining Environmental Protection Agency Bogala Estates Limited. He ventured into his own business “The Children’s Bookshop” in 1959. Originally dealing in the sale and distribution of Children’s books, he went on to sell vinyl records, which eventually led him to his next venture: The Sooriya Record label.
With his natural ability to play instruments by ear Gerald played the Esraj in the orchestra of the late Ananda Samarakoon.
Wickremesooriya popularized Sinhala popular music amongst a widely western speaking audience. He was able to recognize and pick talent and transform them into stars in the Sinhala People’s scene: Golden Chimes, Mendis Foursome along with Maxwell Mendis, Stanley Peiris and The Fortunes and produced countless hit songs for which Sooriya is well known today.
Gerald lobbied and wrote articles in the newspapers supporting artiste’s and their creations when popular songs were banned by the then Radio Ceylon considering this music “Thuppahi music”: unsuitable for the intellect. He was bold enough to produce Tamil popular music when it was not in vogue.
He fused instruments used in Hindu temple rituals with electrified music of the Sinhala popular idiom, synthesized the sounds of local Drum Rhythms with that of a Symphony written by the late Winston Jayawardena, recorded and produced Nurthi Gee (songs of the old Sinhala theatre) and brought to life Tower Hall music in an era when this music was unheard amongst the public.
Gerald pioneered in offering royalties for music creators under the Intellectual Property Rights in Sri Lanka’s music industry, which was unheard in 1980’son The weekly Sooriya radio show and live concerts featuring the stars of the Sooriya label were one of the most popular and sought after shows in the country. The “Sooriya Show” in 1974 was produced by Gerald on a floating stage at the Saint Joseph’s swimming pool which had shadow dancing basing dancers on the diving boards of the pool.
A well-kept secret in his life was that Gerald was blind in one eye, due to a sports accident that took place in his mid-teens.
After a life lived fruitfully, Gerald Wickremesooriya passed away on 9 January 2006 at the age of 86.
