Mervin Perera

Thuseperera Liyanaralalage Mervin Aloysius Perera (21 September 1940 – 7 December 2008), popularly known as Mervin Perera, was a Sri Lankan musician and a singer.^[1] Started as a flautist, Perera became one of the most influential singers in Sri Lankan pop music industry.^[2] He is also a music teacher, lyricist as well as a film composer that career spanned for more than five decades.^[3]

Mervin Perera was born on 21 September 1940 in Kuda Payagala, Kalutara, Sri Lanka as the eldest of the family with seven siblings.^[1] His father Herman Perera was a music master, dancer, who worked as a painter and teacher. His mother Isabella Dias was a housewife.^[4] Since the age of 12, Mervin learnt violin and singing from his father and joined with church choir.^[5] Mervin completed his primary education from Payagala Roman Catholic School and secondary education from Ambalangoda Prajapati College, Southlands College, Galle, and Christ College, Baddegama. Under the guidance of the principal Francis Fernando of Payagala Roman Catholic School, Mervin got the opportunity to sit for the Jassy Musical Examination.^[4] Mervin had four younger brothers: Gertrude, Lucian, Sunil, Kamal, and three younger sisters: Swetha, Kumuduni and Pushpa.^[1]

He married Patricia Malini on 13 May 1971 and the couple had two sons: Amal and Sohan, and two daughters, Samanka and Nimesha.^[1] Malini was born on 19 October 1946.^[4] Malini died on 18 January 1999 at the age of 52.^[6]

His elder son Amal Perera is also a popular singer.^[7] He also joined as a judge in the reality shows Sirasa Superstar season 3 and currently in Hiru Star. His popular songs are: Mal Pita Mal, Sanda Seetha Gena, Adahannath Ba Obamada and Pransha Yuwathiyan. Amal has one son from his first marriage, Nadeemal Perera. Nadeemal is also a musician and band leader.^[8] Amal is currently married to actress Shiroshi Romeshika and the couple has one daughter, Merissa Amashi.^[9] Mervin's younger son Sohan Perera is also a singer.^[10]

Mervin suffered from diabetes from long time where he had frequent medication. He died on 7 December 2008 at the age of 68 at the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital.^[5][2] His remains were kept at his residence in Payagala Kalutara for final rites and cremated on 9 December 2008.^[1]

In 1959, Mervin entered music department of the government art school, and studied music under S. D. S Jayasekara and P. V. Nandasiri and completed music course from six years.^[3] Then in 1956 he started to work as a music teacher at Rajgama College, a remote school in Ampara. In the meantime, he studied music at the State Music Academy (currently as University of the Visual & Performing Arts) in 1962 and passed as A-grade flautist followed by Western music degree in 1966. His colleagues in the academy are Victor Ratnayake, Sarath Dasanayake, Wijeratne Ranatunga and Vincent Premasiri.^[1] They attended music class conducted by Shelton Premaratne in Walane where Amarasiri Peiris, Somapala Rathnayake, Gunadasa Kapuge and Sena Weerasekera also joined the class.^[6]

During this period, Victor Ratnayake made his first Sarala Gee program in Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) where he sang the song written by Mervin Perera. Later Mervin made the lyrics of Ratnayake's songs Soka Senasum Wedanawan and Paawe Walaa. With the popularity of the songs, then he wrote the two songs: Maa Neth Kedelle and Lowa Sethapena Yame for Milton Mallawarachchi.^[6] Even though his first song Oba Dedunna Akasaye was released in 1969, his first melody was composed in 1967.^[5] In 1970, he was transferred to a Colombo school where he participated in a Sarala Gee program at the SLBC. His song Oba Dedunna Akasaye penned by Premakeerthi de Alwis became an instant hit, where he stabilized as a professional singer.^[3]

With that, he started to compose many solo hits, where his songs were written by KDK Dharmawardene, Prof. Sunil Ariyaratne and G. S. B. Rani.^[3] In the meantime, he studied singing from the English musician, Lily Godridge. Then he composed about twenty five songs for Nanda Malini. During 1971 JVP insurrection, militants destroyed SLBC premises and equipment where many of Mervin's original composed songs were completely destroyed because those song tapes were used to record the testimonies of the arrested suspects.^[6]

Mervin was transferred from Ampare Vijayapura Maha Vidyalaya to Dharmaloka Vidyalaya in Kelaniya.^[6] In 1972, he lost the job due to the July strike. Before the suspension, he worked at Vadamulla School, Kelaniya.^[4] After receiving the job, he was suspended again in 1980 from government teaching and reappointed in 1983. During suspension period, Mervin collaborated with his fellow musician and friend Victor for his Sa concert and then joined with Nanda Malini for her Pawana concert. In the meantime, Mervin released his first studio cassette album titled Dedena Perada. In 1980s, he was involved in the first teledrama of Sri Lanka Rupavahini, La Hiru Dahasak. Besides as the composer, he also played a minor role in the teledrama.^[4]

Mervin continued to compose songs for wide range of musicians including Priya Suriyasena, Punsiri Soysa, Neela Wickramasinghe, Rohan Shantha Bulegoda, Niranjala Sarojini, Edward Jayakody, Charitha Priyadarshani and Pradeepa Dharmadasa. His composed the song Ashokamala Mammai Swamini for Chandralekha Perera, Pin Manda Putune for Vijaya Kumaratunga and Waw Bamme Na Turu Sewane. Meanwhile, he sang the popular songs written by Premakeerthi, such as: Adare Ran, Eka Mohothak, Wana Bambaru Kule, Pabasara Ran Pabalu, Akuru Satharakin and Dedena Perada. His songs Ran Meewitha Purawa and Maa Sanasa were written by K.D.K. Dharmawardena, which became very popular.^[1]

In 1994, he moved to Kalutara Gnanodaya College as the music teacher and then to Kelaniya Gurukula Vidyalaya. He retired from government teaching in 2000.^[5]

He has released 6 solo albums and 3 albums with other singers.^[11][12]

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