Before J. R. Jayewardene left on a state visit to the United States at the invitation of then President Ronald Reagan, he received a questionnaire from Washington. It asked about his favourite food and his favourite song. J. R. named Frank Sinatra’s “I Did It My Way” as his favourite. When he arrived at the White House, President Reagan arranged for the legendary Sinatra himself to sing that song before J. R. Jayewardene. J. R. was astonished.
While “I Did It My Way” was J. R.’s favourite English song, Prime Minister Premadasa knew his favourite Sinhala song. At the time, Lata Walpola was an indispensable singer at Gam Udawa events. Whenever J. R. attended to open a Gam Udawa, it became customary for him to ask Lata to sing his favourite Sinhala song. The message to Lata was always carried by Premadasa, the architect of Gam Udawa.
The song was “Shrini Vibhushita Lanka Babale.” After J. R. was sworn in as President, Lata altered the lyrics and sang it again:
“In the President’s hour of triumph,
Bearing the presidential crown,
Ascending Lanka’s throne,
May our land shine and endure…”
That final verse was her own addition. J. R. listened with immense pleasure—because his favourite song was being sung just for him by Sri Lanka’s nightingale herself.
Even more than J. R., it was Premadasa who cherished Lata. He knew her songs by heart. H. R. Jothipala was also one of Premadasa’s favourite singers and a close friend. Later, Jothipala and Lata married. When Jothipala died, some members of his family opposed Lata coming to pay her final respects. Distressed, Lata told Premadasa, who was Prime Minister at the time. Premadasa personally took her in his vehicle and, after explaining matters to the family, ensured that Lata was able to pay her last respects. Not only that during Jothipala’s funeral rites, Premadasa commissioned a veteran lyricist to compose a tribute poem and had Lata sing it in Jothipala’s honour.
J. R. fielded Premadasa as the UNP’s presidential candidate in 1988, at a time when the country was burning. It was the period of terror, with violent clashes between the UNP and the JVP. The 1988–89 JVP insurrection drew emotional momentum from the veteran singer Nanda Malini’s “Pavana” concerts. The songs she sang there were written in a way that justified the rebellion. As a result, Nanda Malini became the popular icon of the JVP and the opposition. At Sirimavo Bandaranaike’s SLFP campaign meetings, “Pavana” was played even before proceedings began. JVP youth, armed with T-56 rifles and chanting “Motherland or death,” took to the streets, stirred by the fiery lyrics sung in Pavana.
While Nanda Malini was energising the JVP and the opposition, Premadasa—after announcing his presidential candidacy—asked Lata to sing a song to be broadcast immediately after television news bulletins:
“A golden sun will rise one day,
Tomorrow will be born,
We will journey there together,
Fulfilling our duties,
Binding hearts as one…”
Though the song did not explicitly preach politics, it became immensely popular. Everyone understood that it symbolised the coming of Premadasa—especially because the final lines echoed his signature “Shelter” housing theme. Nanda Malini’s songs carried anger, which suited the JVP and the opposition. Lata’s song carried love, which suited Premadasa.
After Premadasa, Ranil Wickremesinghe—who became leader of the UNP—favoured a younger-generation singer, Rookantha. He had Rookantha sing his presidential campaign theme song. However, UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya’s favourite singer remained Lata. During the 1997 Colombo Municipal Council election, Karu brought Lata—by then almost a symbol of the UNP—back onto the stage. Karu’s own favourite song was the same one J. R. loved, “Shrini Vibhushita.” At the 1999 Western Provincial Council election, Karu again asked Lata to sing a new song specially for him.
Party leader Ranil, however, believed that Lata’s songs did not resonate with the modern generation. At a rally at Kosgas Junction during the 1999 provincial elections, Ranil reportedly warned Karu that if Lata’s song was not stopped, he would not come on stage. Anti-Karu elements within the party whispered to Ranil that Karu was trying to revive the “old UNP” through Lata’s songs. Ranil grew angry after hearing these complaints.
It was Sajith Premadasa who continued to protect the UNP’s Lata tradition. He never had Lata sing political songs for him. Instead, he made it a habit to visit her home on her birthday and play the piano while she sang. Like his father, Sajith deeply loved Lata’s music. Every year when Sajith visited her on her birthday, Lata would hold his hands and ask the same question:
“When will you come to see me as President?”
That was Lata’s question. While her body lay at the funeral parlour, an extraordinary political development took place: Sajith began discussions with senior UNP leaders on uniting the SJB and the UNP.
Lata married Dharmadasa Walpola not just anywhere, but at Sirikotha—though not the present Sirikotha in Kotte, but the Sirikotha mansion in Kollupitiya, which was then rented out for weddings. That mansion belonged to former UNP leader Sir John Kotelawala. That Lata and Dharmadasa’s married life began at Sirikotha, the UNP’s very home, seems almost fated.
“From the journey that began that day,
Looking back at the road we came,
Flowers bloomed,
Blessings… blessings…
May I too be united under that shelter,
May I too be united under that shelter…”
These were the final lines of the song Lata once sang for Premadasa. Perhaps Lata dreamed of a day when the UNP and the SJB would come together under one shelter. And if that day comes, it hardly needs saying that she would wish to be there too—beneath that same shelter.
