Daisy Rasammah Daniels, known popularly as Rukmani Devi was a Sri Lankan film actress and singer, who was often acclaimed as "The Nightingale of Sri Lanka". She made it to the silver screen via the stage and had acted in close to 100 films, at the time of her death. Having an equal passion for singing as well as a melodious voice, she was Sri Lanka's foremost female singer in the gramophone era. After her death, she was awarded the Sarasaviya 'Rana Thisara'- Life Time Achievement Award at the 1979 Sarasaviya Awards Festival.
Kala Suri Alhaj Kareem Mohideen Baig, popularly as Mohideen Baig, was a Sri Lankan musician. One of the most influential singers in Sinhala music, Baig is known particularly for his Buddhist devotional music. He is a Muslim who moved to Sri Lanka from Salem in Tamil Nadu, but of a Hyderabadi Muslim origin. He was considered a highly influential multicultural figure in the country's arts history. Baig is the first award winning citizen of Sri Lanka.
Mohammed Gauss also known as Mohamed Ghouse, was a Sri Lankan film music composer. His compositions for Sinhala cinema in the 1950s are credited by music critics as having been influential in developing a Sri Lankan style of film composition distinct from that of Indian films.
K. Jamuna Rani is an Indian playback singer who has sung over 6,000 songs in Telugu, Sinhalese, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam languages.
Dharmadasa Walpola (1927–1983) was the most prominent Sri Lankan male playback singer of the 1950s and 1960s. Walpola was an accomplished musician adapt at playing the flute, harmonium, violin and tabla.
Chitrananda Abeysekera (1930–1992) was a veteran broadcaster, poet, writer and an administrator. He joined Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, then Radio Ceylon as a radio announcer and retired as the Director of Sinhala Services in 1989. He was also the President of Aganuwara Tharuna Kavi Samajaya for more than a decade and initiated a lot of programs that benefited poets and the public alike. He restarted Kavi Suwanda, the poetry newspaper for poets. Chitrananda dedicated his whole life to Sinhala poetry and literature, not forgetting Radio Journalism.
Seda Sulang, is a 1955 Sri Lankan romantic musical film directed and produced by Thambiraja Somasekaran for Ceylon Films Limited. The film starred Florida Jayalath and Prem Jayanth in lead roles whereas Dommie Jayawardena and David Dharmakeerthi made supportive roles.
Asoka is a 1955 Sri Lankan romantic musical based on the Bollywood film Sheesa.
Chandiya is a 1965 Sri Lankan action movie directed by Titus Thotawatte. In the country, it was the first of its genre to not borrow from Indian cinema.
Ramaya Muttusamy was a prolific Sri Lankan music director and singer. He handled the music for most of K. Gunaratnam's productions.
Dheewarayo is a 1964 Sri Lankan Sinhala drama film directed by M. Masthan and produced by K. Gunaratnam. It stars Gamini Fonseka and Sandhya Kumari in lead roles with Vijitha Mallika and Hugo Fernando in supportive roles. Music for the film is done by M. K. Rocksamy.
Dommie Jayawardena, was a Sri Lankan actor and singer. He achieved fame playing villainous roles including Bollywood film Praan.
Prema Tharangaya is a 1953 Sri Lankan film directed by A. B. Rajj and produced by S. M. Nayagam. The film stars Aruna Shanthi and Ayesha Weerakoon in lead roles along with Hugo Fernando, Mark Samaranayake and Laddie Ranasinghe in supportive roles. Music was directed by R. Muttusamy. The musician Dharmadasa Walpola debuted as a playback singer in this film.
Eda Rae is a 1953 Sri Lankan film directed by Shanthi Kumar Seneviratne and Produced by Sisil Disanayaka. The film stars Sita Jayawardena and Herbie Seneviratne in lead roles whereas Shanthi Kumar, Premnath Moraes and Wanshawathi Daulagala made supporting roles. The music was directed by Mohammed Gauss.
Asokamala is a 1947 Sri Lankan historical film co-directed by Shanthi Kumar and T. R. Goppu and produced by Sir Chittampalam A. Gardiner. It was the second film made in the Sinhalese language and the first by a Sinhalese director. It also was the first film that W. D. Albert Perera, Mohideen Baig and Mohammed Ghouse contributed to. The melodies of the songs of 'Asokamala' were original ones devised by Mohamed Ghouse- a departure from what was to be the copying of Indian melodies in the time to come.
Deshamanya Matharage Rita Genevieve Fernando, better known by her stage name Latha Walpola, is a Sri Lankan singer. Her fans refer to her as "The Nightingale of Sri Lanka"
K. Rani was an Indian playback singer who has sung songs in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Sinhalese, Hindi, Bengali and Uzbek. Rani was the first female singer from India to sing in Sinhalese and Uzbek, and sang the national anthem of Sri Lanka.
Kala Suri Gnai Seenar Bangsajayah,, popularly known as G. S. B. Rani, was a Sri Lankan actress in Sri Lankan cinema, theater as well as a songstress, politician and a media personality. She was one of the most popular playback singers in early Sri Lankan cinema industry with a career spanned over five decades.
