A Biographical Study of William Banda Makulloluwa's Contributions

William Banda Makulloluwa (1922–1984) was a musician in Sri Lanka who made a significant con- tribution to preserving Sinhalese music. He dedicated his scholarly pursuits to the investigation of Sinhalese music and the cultural intricacies of Sri Lanka. Undertaking extensive fieldwork from...

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Main Author: Kamani Samarasinghe
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Logos Verlag Berlin 2024-12-01
Series:Asian-European Music Research Journal
Online Access:https://www.logos-verlag.de/cgi-bin/engpapermid?doi=10.30819/aemr.14-7&lng=deu&id=
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author Kamani Samarasinghe
author_facet Kamani Samarasinghe
author_sort Kamani Samarasinghe
collection DOAJ
description William Banda Makulloluwa (1922–1984) was a musician in Sri Lanka who made a significant con- tribution to preserving Sinhalese music. He dedicated his scholarly pursuits to the investigation of Sinhalese music and the cultural intricacies of Sri Lanka. Undertaking extensive fieldwork from the 1960s to the 1980s, he methodically documented and studied traditional music, with a particular emphasis on various communities in Sri Lanka. The objective of this study is to investigate the con- tribution of Makulloluwa’s musical style, expectations, and ideologies to elevate Sri Lankan tradi- tional music. The study is based on the narrative method of qualitative research. Interviews, records, autobiographies, various reports, and books written by Makulloluwa were used to collect data. Seven in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted in November and December 2022 and January 2023 to gain a better understanding of his musical style, expectations, and ideologies. Non-probabil- ity purposive and snowball sampling were used as the sampling method. Content analysis was used to evaluate the data. Research revealed that he used techniques such as recording, documenting, rearranging, and educating to safeguard the distinct Sinhalese musical melodies. He established a formal framework for community singing, which helped to establish the foundation for Sinhalese traditional music. He assumed the task in a proactive manner as a musician, showing genuine interest in recording and conserving Sinhala traditional tunes. He worked very hard to locate, preserve, and share these tunes with the next generation. This study emphasizes Makulloluwa's unwavering com- mitment to the growth and preservation of Sri Lankan folk dance and music.
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spelling doaj-art-a70a338984034ae6bfc2880dc23af3df2025-08-20T01:59:53ZengLogos Verlag BerlinAsian-European Music Research Journal2701-26892625-378X2024-12-0114778610.30819/aemr.14-7A Biographical Study of William Banda Makulloluwa's Contributions Kamani Samarasinghe William Banda Makulloluwa (1922–1984) was a musician in Sri Lanka who made a significant con- tribution to preserving Sinhalese music. He dedicated his scholarly pursuits to the investigation of Sinhalese music and the cultural intricacies of Sri Lanka. Undertaking extensive fieldwork from the 1960s to the 1980s, he methodically documented and studied traditional music, with a particular emphasis on various communities in Sri Lanka. The objective of this study is to investigate the con- tribution of Makulloluwa’s musical style, expectations, and ideologies to elevate Sri Lankan tradi- tional music. The study is based on the narrative method of qualitative research. Interviews, records, autobiographies, various reports, and books written by Makulloluwa were used to collect data. Seven in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted in November and December 2022 and January 2023 to gain a better understanding of his musical style, expectations, and ideologies. Non-probabil- ity purposive and snowball sampling were used as the sampling method. Content analysis was used to evaluate the data. Research revealed that he used techniques such as recording, documenting, rearranging, and educating to safeguard the distinct Sinhalese musical melodies. He established a formal framework for community singing, which helped to establish the foundation for Sinhalese traditional music. He assumed the task in a proactive manner as a musician, showing genuine interest in recording and conserving Sinhala traditional tunes. He worked very hard to locate, preserve, and share these tunes with the next generation. This study emphasizes Makulloluwa's unwavering com- mitment to the growth and preservation of Sri Lankan folk dance and music. https://www.logos-verlag.de/cgi-bin/engpapermid?doi=10.30819/aemr.14-7&lng=deu&id=
spellingShingle Kamani Samarasinghe
A Biographical Study of William Banda Makulloluwa's Contributions
Asian-European Music Research Journal
title A Biographical Study of William Banda Makulloluwa's Contributions
title_full A Biographical Study of William Banda Makulloluwa's Contributions
title_fullStr A Biographical Study of William Banda Makulloluwa's Contributions
title_full_unstemmed A Biographical Study of William Banda Makulloluwa's Contributions
title_short A Biographical Study of William Banda Makulloluwa's Contributions
title_sort biographical study of william banda makulloluwa s contributions
url https://www.logos-verlag.de/cgi-bin/engpapermid?doi=10.30819/aemr.14-7&lng=deu&id=
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