Baila

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This article is about the Sri Lankan music genre. For the American dance company, see BAILA. For the Romanian village of Băila, see Leordeni. For the Senegalese village, see Baïla.

Baila is a form of dance music popular on the island of Sri Lanka. The genre originated centuries ago among the 'kaffir' or Afro-Sinhalese communities (mixed communities of Portuguese, African and native Sinhalese people) and was later amalgamated with European instruments and eastern and western rhythms, especially rhythms found in Spain and northern European folk music.

Baila music, though popular as a folk art for centuries in the country, was introduced to Sri Lanka's mainstream during the early years of the 1960s when singer Wally Bastian (who was also a police officer), began adapting the 6/8 'kaffirhina' rhythms to accommodate Sinhala lyrics. By the 1970s, owing largely to the contributions of musicians MS Fernando and Maxwell Mendis, baila had grown to become a recognized (and respected) style of Sri Lankan popular music.

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[edit] History

The term "baila" is adapted from the Portuguese verb "bailar" meaning "to dance". The popular baila singer Wally Bastian was known as "Father of Baila in Sri Lanka." There is a popular baila song by Saman de Silva in tribute to him.[citation needed]

M.S. Fernando A.K.A "Baila Chakrawarthi" was a key figure in Sri Lankan baila history.

Baila music, as its etymology suggests, is deeply rooted in Sri Lanka's colonial history — particularly within the communities established by the Portuguese traders of the 16th century. These communities (consisting of Portuguese traders and the slaves that they had brought with them from the western coast of Africa) gradually combined with communities of native Sri Lankans. From this cultural interchange, emerged the musical style now referred to as "baila".

[edit] Contemporary baila

Today, this kaffirhina style (often referred to by its "6/8" time) has been adapted from violin, bongo drums, mandolin, box guitar and honky tonk piano to accommodate modern instruments — specifically the electric guitar and synthesiser/workstation keyboards, octapad, and drum kit. Due, in part, to this evolution, it is most often heard during parties, school reunions, charity dinner dances, hotel concerts, and weddings. Contemporary baila is also characterized by comical lyrics, often loosely adapted from themes derived from Sri Lanka's history and/or folklore.

Popular baila artists include M.S. Fernando, Ranjith Peiris (Magic Seeya), Anton Jones, Paul Fernando, Desmond de Silva, Nithi Kanagaratnam, Annesley Malewana, A.E.Manoharan, Dalreen, and late Clarence Wijewardene, Maxwell Mendis and many more.

There are two subgenres of baila.

  • Chorus baila — typical baila song
  • Waada baila — this is a contest between several baila singers. Judges give them a topic and competitors must compose their own lyrics for the specific baila rhythm. Judges select the singer with highest marks as the winner. Marks are given in different criteria: Meaningfulness, the flow, and rhyme are some of them.

Radio broadcaster Vernon Corea has been credited with having helped to spread baila music to the English-speaking world via English-language programmes aired on Radio Ceylon and BBC Radio London during the late 1960s and 1970s.

In December 2006 a nonstop dance CD with greatest baila hits titled Sri Lankan Open House Party was released in Sri Lanka. The music was directed by renowned composer Suresh Maliyadde while the music to the CD was provided by Niresh Perera (The Gypsies) on drums, Mahinda Bandara (Fortunes) on guitar, Tilak Dias on bass, Tissasiri Perera on key boards and Visharadha Monaj Pieris on percussion. Singers powering these all time evergreens are Kanishka Wijetunga, Ganesha Wijetunga, Mariazelle Goonetilleke and Suresh Maliyadde.

There are baila songs in Tamil also which was popularised by a singer called Ceylon Manohar. His song "Chinna Mamiye" (or "Sinna Mamiye") in particular is popular and the rhythm is quite like some of the konkani songs. These songs are popular in Tamil Nadu, India.

[edit] Popular baila songs

(Note: The external audio song links below require RealPlayer.)

[edit] See also

[edit] External links
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