Modernizing Composition: Sinhala Song, Poetry, and Politics in Twentieth-Century Sri Lanka 9780520967755

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Modernizing Composition

SOUTH ASIA ACROSS THE DISCIPLINES Edited by Muzaffar Alam, Robert Goldman, and Gauri Viswanathan Dipesh Chakrabarty, Sheldon Pollock, and Sanjay Subrahmanyam, Founding Editors Funded by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and jointly published by the University of California Press, the University of Chicago Press, and Columbia University Press For a list of books in the series, see page 215.

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Modernizing Composition Sinhala Song, Poetry, and Politics in Twentieth-Century Sri Lanka

Garrett Field

UNIVERSIT Y OF CALIFORNIA PRESS

University of California Press, one of the most distinguished university presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by ­advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu. University of California Press Oakland, California © 2017 by Garrett Field This work is licensed under a Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND license. To view a copy of the license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses. Suggested citation: Field, Garrett. Modernizing Composition: Sinhala Song, Poetry, and Politics in Twentieth-Century Sri Lanka. Oakland: University of California Press, 2017. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/luminos.27

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Field, Garrett, author. Title: Modernizing composition : Sinhala song, poetry, and politics in    twentieth-century Sri Lanka / Garrett Field. Other titles: South Asia across the disciplines. Description: Oakland, California : University of California Press, [2017]    | Series: South Asia across the disciplines | Includes bibliographical ­    ­references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2017004065| ISBN 9780520294714 (pbk. : alk. paper) |  ­ISBN 9780520967755 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Songs, Sinhalese—Texts—20th century—History and    criticism. | Sinhalese poetry—20th century—History and criticism.    | Songs, Sinhalese—20th century—History and criticism. | Sri Lanka—    Politics and government—20th century. | Sri Lanka—Foreign relations—    India, North. Classification: LCC PK2852 F54 2017 | DDC 891.4/817109—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017004065

26  25  24  23  22  21  20  19  18  17 10  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1

For Mom, Dad, Nayomi, and Sophia

C onte nts

List of Illustrations   viii Acknowledgments  ix Note on Translation and Transliteration   xii Introduction  1 Part One: The Colonial Era 1. Nationalist Thought and the Sri Lankan World   19 2. Brothers of the Pure Sinhala Fraternity   34 3. Wartime Romance   56 Part Two: The Postcolonial Era 4. Divergent Standards of Excellence   77 5. For the People   99 6. Illusions to Disillusions   116 Conclusion  136 Notes  141 Bibliography  191 Index  203

Illustrati ons

1. 2. 3. 4.

“Mahabō Vannama,” by Chandrarathna Manawasinghe, 1957   3 “Siya Bas Vaḍuvō,” 1941   43 “Ōlu Pipeelā,” by Sunil Santha, 1948   51 Chandrarathna Manawasinghe, c. 1950s   81

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ack nowle d gme n ts

I wish to acknowledge the support of the individuals and institutions that helped me to complete this project. At Wesleyan University my adviser Mark Slobin attentively guided this project from its inception, constructively criticized my writing, and helped me clarify my thoughts. B. Balasubrahmaniyan and David Nelson mentored me from my first day as a graduate student. Andrew Colwell, Sarah-Jane Ripa, Amanda Scherbenske, Pete Steele, and Shoko Yamamuro put smiles on my face. Aaron Paige, my brother in a previous life, supported me in a myriad of ways for which I can never repay. Krishna Winston painstakingly edited my fellowship proposals. When I was bringing this project to a close, she again offered dynamic emendations and suggestions. I thank the U.S. Department of Education for granting me a Fulbright-Hays award. The award enabled me to complete two unforgettable years of research in Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka Sandagomi Coperahewa engaged me in lively discussion, shared hard-to-locate resources, and provided opportunities to present my research at the University of Colombo at a Sinhala Studies Seminar and a seminar for the Centre for Contemporary Indian Studies. At the American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies, Ira Unamboowe, Deepthi Guneratne, M. de. S. Weerasooriya, and Lorette Weeraratna assisted me in my research and shared in much amusement. The Ranasinghes were sources of great hospitality, warmth, and friendship. Also in Sri Lanka, Praneeth Abeysundara, Ranjana Amaradeva, W.  D. ­Amaradeva, Sunil Ariyaratne, Dhammika Dissanayake, Mudiyanse Dissanayake, Ranjit Pranandu, Nishoka Sanduruwan, and Ratnasri Wijesinghe patiently answered my questions. Ivor Dennis explained Sinhala verses and shared rare documents pertaining to Sunil Santha’s life and works. Udaya Manawasinghe spoke ix

x     acknowledgments

with me about his father and generously granted permission to feature a photograph and song text of Chandrarathna Manawasinghe. I am grateful to my friends at the digital and gramophone archives of the Sri Lankan Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC): Chandradasa, Chandrika Vitharana, and Sanath Mendis shared music from rare gramophone recordings, helped me translate Sinhala song texts, and provided copies of SLBC music programs. Chinthaka Ranasinghe offered his intellectual input on many of the poets discussed in this book. Thank you, Liyanage Amarakirti, for your gracious hospitality and intellectual support. Suresh Mantilake and Utpala Herath provided an opportunity to present my research at the University of Peradeniya. I owe a debt of gratitude to the American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies for granting two language-instruction fellowships to study the Sinhala language. Chandini Tilakaratna guided me through the basics. Uchita Ranasinghe read Sinhala novels with me and helped improve my speaking abilities. Nirmalini Rajapaksa explained difficult sources and aided my attempts to translate poetry and write in Sinhala. I wish to thank my colleagues at Ohio University in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and School of Music. They provided the ideal environment in which to complete this project. Charles Buchanan, Christopher Hayes, Vladimir Marchenkov, Richard Wetzel, and William Condee welcomed me into the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and School of Music, stimulated my thinking, provided avenues to present my research, and challenged me to grow as a scholar and educator. Nicole Reynolds explained to me key issues pertaining to romanticism. Gary Ginther provided assistance to prepare the manuscript’s figures and musical examples for publication. I would also like to thank the following individuals for their assistance: At decisive moments Victor Lieberman offered insightful suggestions, revisions, and advice. Wimal Dissanayake, Jeanne Marecek, and Susanne Mrozik edited chapters-in-progress and made important suggestions. Ramnarayan Rawat encouraged me to follow my intuition. Justin Henry recommended useful sources and shared with me his knowledge of Sanskrit and Pali. David Dennen informed me about important secondary sources. Ranga Kalugampitiya located a hard-to-find document that was crucial. Hemamali and Siri Gunasinghe answered many translation questions, helped me to understand Siri Gunasinghe’s poetry and inspiration, and gave permission to use the photograph of Siri Gunasinghe on the book cover. I cannot forget the generosity of H. L. Seneviratne, who painstakingly read the entire manuscript, suggested how to improve the translations, and corrected errors in typography, transliteration, and translation. Lanka Santha made important revisions and granted permission to use the figures pertaining to Sunil Santha. Ravinda ­Mahagamasekera offered constructive feedback that shed new light on his father’s oeuvre. R ­ ichard Wolf gave suggestions that strengthened the introduction.

acknowledgments    xi

I thank the publishers that allowed me to rework information in my own articles for this book. Earlier versions of sections were published in 2012 in volume 38, issue 1–2, of the Sri Lanka Journal of the Humanities—published by the University of Peradeniya—in the article “Commonalities of Creative Resistance: Regional Nationalism in Rapiyel Tennakoon’s Bat Language and Sunil Santha’s ‘Song for the Mother Tongue’”; in 2014 in volume 73, issue 4, of the Journal of Asian S­ tudies— published by Cambridge University Press—in the article “Music for ­Inner Domains: Sinhala Song and the Arya and Hela Schools of Cultural Nationalism in Colonial Sri Lanka”; in 2015 in volume 4, issue 1, of the South Asianist—published by the Centre for South Asian Studies at the University of Edinburgh—in the article “Veiling the Modular: Literary Language and Subjective Nationalism in Sinhala Radio Song of Sri Lanka, 1957–1964”; and in 2016 in volume 39, issue 2, of South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies—published by Routledge for the South Asian Studies Association of Australia at Monash University—in the article “Modern Contours: Sinhala Poetry in Sri Lanka, 1913–1956.” I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the University of California Press and the South Asia across the Disciplines book series for their willingness to publish my manuscript. Thank you, Gauri Viswanthan, coeditor of South Asia across the Disciplines, and Reed Malcom, acquisition editor at the University of California Press, for supporting this project. Gauri Viswanathan, Amanda Weidman, and the anonymous reviewers provided invaluable feedback. Zuha Khan, editorial assistant at UC Press, helped prepare the manuscript for production. Rachel Berchten, project editor, guided the manuscript through production. Susan Silver meticulously copyedited the manuscript. I could never have completed this project without my family’s immeasurable encouragement and support. My mother, Ellyce, inspires me to be creative, and she stimulates my thinking about the arts. My father, Stephen, challenges and supports me to be thorough. My mother-in-law, Suneetha, and father-in-law, Ranjana, teach me about Sri Lanka and encourage me to keep learning. My brother, Andrew, regularly edits my sentences and translations and asks, “What is your argument?” My grandmother, Maimie, instills confidence in me. My wife, Nayomi, and daughter, Sophia, sustain me with their love. I express my gratitude to them through the words of this song: l,d jefjka .;a Èh foda;la fia jà jà Tn ug ue jà fndaêhlska jg fnda fld