Clarance Wijewardane

Clarence Wijewardana (August 3, 1943 – December 13, 1996) was a Sri Lankan musician who pioneered the use of electric guitar in Sinhala music. He is said to have revolutionized Sri Lankan music in the 1960s and is often named as the father of Sri Lankan pop music - having influenced performers in ranging from W D Amaradewa, Premasiri Kemadasa to Athula Adhikari. His music is often characterized by simple melodies built around a melody that features the electric guitar - this style may be best illustrated by the song Malata Bambaraku Se

Rookantha Gunathilaka

Rookantha Goonatillake (born 5 September 1959) is a popular Sri Lankan singer, songwriter and composer. Rookantha started his career as a solo singer in late 1980s. He frequently duets with his wife Chandralekha Perera. Rookantha is one of the most successful musicians in Sri Lankan pop industry. His albums have sold around 10,000 copies in Sri Lanka. He known as the person who added latest electronics sounds in late 80's for his songs.

Gunadasa Kapuge

Gunadasa Kapuge (August 7, 1945 – April 3, 2003) was a legendary Sri Lankan musician. He was well known among Sri Lankans due to the philosophical background of his music renditions and lyrics selected for his work. Kapuge's one man show called "Kampana" was a historical advent of the Sinhala music industry.

Kapuge's initial released was titled "Daesa Nilupul Thema" in 1973, which became an instant hit. After which, Kapuge was quoted as a 'Grade A' vocalist by the Radio Ceylon. Thus the three decade long music career of Visharada Kapuge began. The first stage drama for which he provided background music was "Thuranga Sanniya" by Sugathapala De Silva. Since then he provided background music for the highly popular musical "Tharawo Igilethi" by Lucien Bulathsinhala and several other. His first movie background music gig was for the Stanley Perera's "Sandha." In 1980, Kapuge released his first music compact cassette titled "Dhampatin Laa Sandha" featuring Malini Bulathsinhala.

Sanath Nandasiri

Professor Sanath Nandasiri (born February 15, 1942 in Gothatuwa, Sri Lanka) is a critically acclaimed Sri Lankan classical musician.

Nandasiri has received several awards for his compositions; he composed the music to Sandamalige Kathawa, the first TV serial on Rupavahini.

Nandasiri was born to businessman and building contractor, H.M. William Perera and Dona Amalin Katugampola. He attended two schools concurrently as an adolescent (Gothatuwa Maha Vidyalaya and St. Matthew’s College, Dematagoda, where he studied English).[1]

Nandasiri first appeared on Sinhala Radio at the age of 13 in 1955. He began studying the tabla instrument under D.R. Peiris soon after. In 1960 Nandasiri travelled to India to continue his studies at Bhatkhande Music Institute. His teachers at the academy included Ustad Ahmed Jan Thirakwa, G.N. Nattu, Ustad Mokshut Ali, Pandit Hari Shankar Misra and Ustad Rahimmuddeen Khan Daga.

While in India, Nandasiri composed several songs that appeared on Lucknow radio. He returned to Sri Lanka in 1974 and joined the staff of University of Kelaniya as a lecturer. Nandasiri served as the head of music at the university from 1988–1992.

Nandasiri took the Part I examination in vocal music and obtained first class at the "Nipun" examination in 1992 becoming the first Sri Lankan to achieve this task.He serves as Dean of the Music Faculty at the University of the Visual Arts and Performing Arts.

Edward Jayakodi

Edward Jayakody (born April 6, 1952 in Kegalle, Sri Lanka) is a Sri Lankan musician, singer and composer. Jayakody had directed the music for hundreds of Sinhala films and television serials; he has also composed many songs for children's programming ("Koppara Koppara").

Jayakody won the Swarna Sanka Award in 1987 for Best Male Singer for the film Gedara Budun Amma. He won Best Music Director in 1979 and 1980 for the plays Nidane and Aparadaya Saha Danduwama.

Victor Rathnayake

Victor Ratnayake (born 18 February 1942) is a popular Sri Lankan musician. He was the first Sri Lankan musician to hold a live one man concert; His concert known as "SA" was first performed in 1973, and was an instant success. Ratnayake credits his success to his "fitting blend of Western music with Ragadari classical music."  His songs deal with diverse themes that vary from love, to patriotism and Buddhism.

Matara Achchi is the first film he composed music for and it's Sandakada Pahana song sung by Sunil Edirisinghe is still very popular among Sinhala music fans. Ratnayake also has composed music for films like Siribo Aiya, Podi Malli, Sarungale, Hulawali and Athuru Mithuru.

Nanda Malani

Nanda Malini (born August 23, 1943 )whose unmatchable deep voice started a new chapter in Sri Lankan female classical music context is undoubtedly the most talented Sri Lankan female singer who is often compared with country's most respected singer Pandith Amaradewa.She has gained her praise and popularity and won her 11 Sarasaviya Awards and 8 Presidential Awards for Best Singer .

W. D Amaradeewa

Wannakuwatta Mitiwaduge Don Albert Perera (born 5 December 1927) in Moratuwa, Sri Lanka better known by his adopted name Amaradeva, is a Sri Lankan vocalist and musical composer. Primarily using traditional instruments like sitars, tablas and harmoniums, Amaradeva incorporates Sinhala folk music with Indian ragas in his work.

In the mid-1950s, Amaradeva in his Janagayana project consulted experts of the Kandyan dance tradition like Pani Bharata, Kiriganita, Gunamala, Ukkuva and Suramba in his path to understand what constituted Sinhala folk music. Noting that it mostly revolved around a single melody, he decided to add verses that would lead up to the central melody which would now be a chorus thus forming two parts (unseen earlier in traditional Sri Lankan music) removing restrictions that had existed earlier. In doing so, Amaradeva created a uniquely Sinhalese music style that stayed true to folk tradition while incorporating outside influences. His work was vital in the creation of the sarala gee genre practiced subsequently by artists like Victor Ratnayake, Sunil Edirisinghe and Sanath Nandasiri.

Pandit Amaradeva has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Philippine Ramon Magsaysay Award (2001), Indian Padma Sri Award and Sri Lankan "President's Award of Kala Keerthi" (1986) and Deshamanya Award (1998). He has also represented Sri Lanka in many forums including the UNESCO 1967 Manila Symposium, and composed the melody for the Maldives national anthem, Gaumii salaam,[2] at the request of British Queen Elizabeth II in 1972.

H.R Jothipala

Hettiarachchige Reginald Jothipala (February 12, 1936 – July 7, 1987) was a prolific playback singer in the Sinhala cinema. Jothipala rendered his voice to all classes of actors ranging from Eddie Jayamanne, Ananda Jayaratne, Gamini Fonseka, Vijaya Kumaratunga, Sanath Gunathilaka, Ravindra Randeniya and even several of the young generation of actors in Sri Lanka. 

Jothipala was the undisputed choice in films that were made in the late sixties and through the seventies, the period during which he also began to act. Though Jothi was criticized for singing to the tunes of popular Hindi songs he also sang under the batons of Pandit W. D. Amaradeva, P.V. Nandasiri, Premasiri Khemadasa, Sarath Dassanayake and Milton Mallawarachchi. 

He sang in hundreds of films including popular hits like Kasthuri Suwanda, Thushara, Sweeep Ticket, Hitha Honda Minihek, Kawuda Raja, Hondata Hondai, Wasana, Sangeetha and others. The award-winning singer also played some memorable roles in films including Ethulweema Thahanam, Sulalitha Sobani, Sujeewa, Sukiri Kella, Abirahasa, Bonikka, Shanthi and his own production Sumithuro'and "Obai Mamai". In the music scene, no musical show was complete without Jothi in the seventies and eighties. Jothipala died in the first week of July in 1987.