Outstanding Skills
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Clarence in early 1980
Wijewardena showed his outstanding music skills during this time. He composed and directed music a song named as "Maha Balwathune" for the conference of the Non-Aligned Movement held in 1975 in Sri Lanka. He composed and directed music a song for the SAARC Conference as well. At the same time he sang the song "Duwani Sirima" when Hon. Former Prime Minister Mrs Sirimavo Bandaranaike arrived as the chief guest for the opening ceremony of Ceramic Cooperation. Also Super Golden Chimes supplied music for that opening ceremony. Wijewardane certificated as the most popular composer in Sri Lanka for the years 1974 and 1976 by a pop poll conducted by Pop and Teen Fanfare. The song "Kataragama" which was composed by Wijewardane also certificated as the best song in Sri Lanka for the year 1974 by a pop poll conducted by Pop and Teen Fanfare. Wijewardena composed most number of songs for Kataragama God.
In the early 1970s, Wijewardena invited Radio Ceylon broadcaster, Vernon Corea who had mentored him from the start to write the notes on a Lotus LP sleeve. Vernon Corea wrote: "We have all shared the treat of your lovely Lyrics, your tuneful compositions, your friendly presentation and your spontaneous sense of sharing with your followers, your treasury of talent. Keep going, keep growing, keep glowing". In 1976, when Vernon Corea was invited to present the first Asian radio programme in English on BBC Radio London called 'London Sounds Eastern' he played the music of Wijewardena and Annesley Malewana, introducing them to a whole new audience in London.
Wijewardena started to sing for the Sinhala films under other music directors. Subsequently a cassette tape known as "Any Time Any Where" was released in Colombo. In 1979, Wijewardena left the Super Golden Chimes and started a solo career.
Read more about this topic: Clarence Wijewardena
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