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Anil Bharathi
Kalabushana Anil Bharathi (8 January 1950 – 22 January 2025) was a Sri Lankan musician and singer.[2][3] Often considered the "Christmas singer",[4] Bharathi dominated in indoor concerts for more than five decades.[5] He sang several popular songs including: Bethlehem Pure, Seethala Sanda Eliye and Bambareku Aduna.[6] He sung more than 120 songs, of which 50 are Christmas songs.[7] BackgroundAnil Bharathi was born in Panadura, Sri Lanka on 8 January 1950. His father was Felix Bharathi and mother was Nita Bharathi. He had one brother, Nihal, and one sister, Shamini Thennakoon. Nihal worked at the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) for five decades as a news anchor, programme presenter, and later as a director. Shamini was a professional librarian.[8] Bharathi started primary education from Sri Sumangala College in Panadura, and then completed secondary education from Wesley College, Colombo and Prince of Wales' College, Moratuwa.[5][9] He was married to Rupa Bharathi and the couple had two sons:[8] Ruchindra and Lakshan.[10][5] Bharathi died while receiving treatment at Panadura Hospital, on 22 January 2025, at the age of 75.[11] His remains were placed for public viewing before the funeral service, which was held on 26 January, at The Church of St. John the Evangelist in Panadura. A subsequent service took place at Minuwanpitiya Public Cemetery in Panadura.[10][12] CareerIn 1960s, he applied for a voice test conducted by Observer newspaper for the music band "Jet Liners". He joined the test and got the first place in the "Observer Talent Search" competition.[8] Then he formed the musical band "Rangers" with his friends confined to Panadura.[5] In 1970s, Bharathi joined with the musical band "Golden Chimes" led by Clarence Wijewardena where he performed as the English singer.[10][13] He sang English songs for the band for few months and Wijewardena later asked him to sing Sinhala songs as well.[5][8] His bass voice and rhythm impressed Wijewardena. Then he composed the original Ada Wei Iiru Dina under Lotus label for Bharathi, which became a sensation during the 70s.[14] After the popularity, Wijewardena composed two more songs for him: Tikirimalee and Maa Mulin Liyu Pempatha under Gemtone label, where both became instant hits in both outdoor and indoor musical shows. Both songs were released through Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) and gained popularity.[14][10] He performed in the band for 4 years and later decided to work as a solo artist after the dispersal of the band.[8] In 1972, he sang the Christmas classic, Bethlehem Pure written by the lyricist Karunaratne Abeysekera,[4] composed by Wijewardena and recorded by Mervyn Rodrigo at Dalugama Sarasavi Studio.[10] The song remained a central part of Christmas music in Sri Lanka,[15] with Bharathi playing a prominent role in Christmas celebrations for several decades.[14][5][16][10] As a film singer, he made vocals for the two films: Damayanthi and Sihasuna. His song "Mal Mal Uthumin Pathum Piri" along with Indrani Perera was noteworthy.[8] During his musical career, he performed music concerts in 26 countries including America, Australia, Canada, Japan, Italy, Israel, Germany and Kuwait.[5] In 2003, he also held his "Anil Bharthi Live in Concert" at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall.[8] Bharathi was honoured with the honorary titles: Kalabushana and Panadura Abhimani for his service rendered to Sri Lankan music industry.[10] On 8 January 2022, the road where he lived was named as Anil Bharati Place by Nandana Gunathilaka, Chairman of Panadura Municipal Council and the council for his 50-year service to music.[5][1] Albums
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