Broadcasting executive, Radio and TV presenter/announcer
Knownfor
Saturday Star, Lanka's Talent in Focus, Peace for All, and other radio programmes
Spouse(s)
Ranjini Corea
Children
Viran Corea, Sashika Corea
Parent(s)
Dr. C. V. S. Corea and Amybelle Corea
Relatives
Victor Corea (Grandfather)
Vijaya Corea is a radio and television broadcaster and one of Sri Lanka's most well known media personalities. Corea is a household name in Sri Lanka, synonymous with broadcasting and show business for over four decades, and has often been referred to as Sri Lanka's No. 1 Compere.
Vijaya Corea's grandfather was Victor Corea, a famed freedom fighter and a national hero of Sri Lanka.
He grew up in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Vijaya Corea is the son of Dr. C. V. S. Corea and Amybelle Corea and the half-brother of Siva Obeyesekere the former health minister and Dr. Gamani Corea who was the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations. Corea's grandfather was the famed freedom fighter of Ceylon, Victor Corea. He is a direct descendant of King Dominicus Corea who was crowned King of Kotte and Sitawaka in 1596 by Vimala Drama Suriya, King of Kandy.
He was educated at the well known educational institution in Sri Lanka – St. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia. After he left school, Corea was planning to further his studies in Accountancy.
Radio
Corea joined the Commercial Service of Radio Ceylon in 1964, lending his voice to the popular children's program Kiddies Corner. The American presenter, Craig Thompson, was unwell at the time, so Corea who was visiting Radio Ceylon was asked to step in, by his cousin Vernon Corea, despite having no prior broadcasting experience. He proved to be a natural, however, and lost no time in establishing himself as the most sought after commercial broadcaster. The impact of his voice and style before the microphone captivated the hearts of listeners. He joined Radio Ceylon at a time when the station was ruling the airwaves, right across the Indian sub-continent.The announcers of Radio Ceylon enjoyed star status in South Asia.
Vijaya Corea is widely recognised as a pioneer in the introduction of Sinhala pop music at Radio Ceylon and the English Service. He was the one man who allocated time for indigenous songs at Radio Ceylon, via his radio programmes such as Saturday Star and Lanka's Talent in Focus. He has continued that effort throughout his career and has extensive knowledge of the history of Sinhala pop groups and songs. Musicians of that era could not hold an event without Corea, as his presence was an absolute must for the introduction.
He has The Distinction of being the first ever, to stand on the BMICH stage to present a musical evening and cultural pageant inaugurating the 5th Non-Aligned Summit Conference in the year 1976, which was designed for television and telecast 'live' on global television".
He also holds the unbroken record of presenting 16 sponsored programs per week,
Vijaya Corea was appointed Director – General of the oldest radio station in South Asia, the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation in Colombo, in the 1980s. He served SLBC with distinction.
Many professionals and others still recall how, in their youth, they would skip or delay attending classes in school and university to listen to Vijaya Corea's Morning Show programmes aired over radio.
Vijaya Corea has introduced over one hundred pop musicians to the recording studios at then-Radio Ceylon. As one of his protégés, the late Stanley Peiris, recounted:
Way back in 1969, Vijaya urged me call over in Colombo to give him the break. In the meantime, Vijaya got in touch with Gerald Wickremesooriya of the "Children's Book Shop" who produced records for his "Sooriya Label." It was a time Clarence and many other groups had come out with Sinhala pop songs that hit the beams everywhere. Therefore, Gerald was reluctant to record instrumentals which was something new. Vijaya was a man able to convince the impossible. This was another rare talent in this versatile compere who reigns the scene for over four decades. Finally Gerald agreed to have me and my band "The Fortunes" for a "test" at his Sea View Avenue home in Colpetty one morning. But Gerald wanted Vijaya to be there to prove the talents of this young man Stanley. Myself and boys started and up went the thumb of Vijaya Corea and Gerald responded with a smile that confirmed Stanley and his boys had a future.
The "Fortunes," led by Peiris, played a popular composition by Clarence Wijewardene, "Kalu Kelle," on the twin saxophone. Wickremesuriya was convinced that the group would go far. While Peiris was directing music for Upul de Almeida's son Jude, he remarked with gratitude to the elder de Almeida, "If not for this man Vijaya, I would not be directing music for your son."
Television
Vijaya Corea has the unique distinction of being Sri Lanka's first TV presenter. As a broadcaster, he single-handedly played an exclusive role in spotting gifted musicians and providing them a venue for their talents, thus opening doors for them to make both a career and a livelihood. Some of those who benefited from national exposure on his radio programmes include popular names such as Clarence Wijewardane, Annesley Malewana, Indrani Perera, the Gypsies and others too.
Awards and recognition
Star performers from Sri Lanka and abroad gathered together for the show Grand Salute to Vijaya Corea to pay a musical tribute to him on his 40th anniversary in electronic media and showbiz at the BMICH Conference Hall in Colombo on 6 August 2005. On that occasion, Sri Lankan star and London-based artiste Desmond de Silva presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to Corea from the Autism Awareness Campaign.
In September 2007, he was fêted in Melbourne by Sri Lankan musicians living in that country who acknowledged his contribution to their careers.
When the National Media Awards took place for the first time in Sri Lankan history, three Gold awards were given to:
Veteran journalist D. F. Kariyakarawana in honour of his contribution to newspaper journalism,
Titus Thotawatte, the veteran filmmaker in honour of his contribution to the television media, and
Vijaya Corea in honour of his contribution towards the upliftment of the broadcasting media over a long period of time.
Personal causes
Wherever Corea has travelled, he has done whatever he could to raise awareness of autism, a neuro-developmental disorder affecting many children and adults in Sri Lanka. Corea has supported the work of the Autism Awareness Campaign UK and Sri Lanka.
Vernon Corea was a pioneer radio broadcaster with 45 years of public service broadcasting both in Sri Lanka and the UK. He joined Radio Ceylon, South Asia's oldest radio station, in 1956 and later the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. During his time he presented some of the most popular radio shows in South Asia, including The Maliban Show, Dial-a-Disc, Holiday Choice, Two For the Money, Take It Or Leave It, Saturday Stars, To Each His Own, Kiddies Corner, and Old Folks at Home. He was well known not only in Sri Lanka, but right across the Indian Sub-Continent from the late 1950s to the 1970s – this was in the heyday of Radio Ceylon, the oldest radio station in South Asia.
Radio Ceylon is a radio station based in Sri Lanka and the first radio station in Asia. Broadcasting was started on an experimental basis by the colonial Telegraph Department in 1923, just three years after the inauguration of broadcasting in Europe.
Vithana Kuruppu Arachchilage Clarence Arthur Somasinghe Wijewardena JP was a Sri Lankan singer, composer and musician. Considered one of the most respected musicians in Sri Lanka, Wijewardena revolutionized Sri Lankan Sinhala Pop Music with the use of the electric guitar in Sinhala music, in the 1960s. Due to his influence on Sinhala pop music, he is often named as the father of Sri Lankan pop music.
Annesley Malewana is a Sri Lankan musician. Often considered as the "The Prince of Sinhala Pop", Malewana is well known for being a master of contemporary Baila worked with popular musical bands The Moonstones and Super Golden Chimes.
Hector Vernon Ivan Seneviratne Corea was a highly respected priest of the Church of Ceylon.
The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) came into existence on 5 January 1967 when Radio Ceylon became a public corporation. Dudley Senanayake who was the Prime Minister of Ceylon in 1967 ceremonially opened the newly established Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation along with Minister Ranasinghe Premadasa and the Director General of the CBC, Neville Jayaweera.The first board of Directors of CBC consisted of Mr. Neville Jayaweera (CCS), Mr.A.L.M.Hashim, Mr.Dharmasiri Kuruppu, Mr. K.A.G. Perera and Mr. Devar Surya Sena. After the first board meeting it was decided unanimously to appoint the chairman, Mr.Jayaweera, as the new Director General.
Nimal Mendis (1934–2015) was a Sri Lankan singer and songwriter, and was one of a handful of Sri Lankan musicians to appear on the BBC television programme Top of the Pops (1968). Mendis was a longstanding member of the Performing Rights Society and the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society of Great Britain.
Dominicus Corea also known as Domingos Corea and Edirille Rala, was the son of Don Jeronimo Corea and Anna Corea. Don Jeronimo Corea was also known as Mudaliyar Vikramasinha, Commander-in-Chief of King Mayadunne's army. Jeronimo Corea was executed by King Mayadunne's son, Rajasinghe. Dominicus Corea was born in Colombo in 1565. At that time, the Portuguese had colonised Ceylon, and his parents converted to Catholicism.
Desmond de Silva is a Sri Lankan singer and entertainer, noted for his youthful voice that has changed little over four decades of performing, and regarded as the "King of Baila." Born in Matara in southern Sri Lanka, De Silva has performed to packed concert halls across the world.
Karunaratne Abeysekera was one of Sri Lanka's most famous Sinhala broadcasters. He was also a poet and songwriter and was widely admired for his excellent command of Sinhala.
Piyaneni is a classic Sri Lankan pop song composed by the Sri Lankan musician, Clarence Wijewardena. It is a tribute in song to the love of a father. Wijeywardena used the rhythmic pattern of the Bossa nova for 'Piyaneni'.
Kiddies Corner was a hugely popular children's radio programme broadcast on the Commercial Service of Radio Ceylon. The format was devised in 1963. This was the 'golden era' of the radio station, the oldest in South Asia. Millions tuned into Radio Ceylon and it was known as the 'King of the Airwaves' in South Asia in the 1950s and 1960s.
Mariazelle Goonetilleke is a Sri Lankan singer and musician. She has performed not only in Sri Lanka but also as far as the United Kingdom, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Australia.
The Edirimanne Corea Family Union (ECFU) is a group set up to 'foster interaction' among the members of the powerful Corea family in the island of Sri Lanka. The Corea family is one of the leading families of Sri Lanka. They trace their ancestry to Dominicus Corea also known as Edirille Rala who was crowned King of Kotte and Sitawaka in Sri Lanka - Dominicus Corea was born in Colombo in 1565.
Gate Mudaliyar James Edward Corea was a Ceylonese colonial-era headman.
James Alfred Ernest Corea was a Sri Lankan public official. He was born in 1870. His father was Charles Edward Bandaranaike Corea who was a Proctor of the Supreme Court. His mother was Henrietta Seneviratne. J.A.E Corea's father died in 1872 when his youngest son Victor was just one. His wife Henrietta was a widow from the age of 21.
Charles Alfred Ernest (Ernie) Corea was a Sri Lankan Lawyer. He was a Proctor of the Supreme Court. His father was Dr. James Alfred Ernest Corea, the prominent physician of Chilaw who was the brother of Sri Lankan freedom fighters Charles Edgar Corea and Victor Corea.
Harindra Jayantha Corea was a Sri Lankan politician and Member of Parliament, who represented Chilaw. He was member of the United National Party of Sri Lanka. His parents were Sir Claude Corea who was renowned politician and diplomat and Lady Karmini Corea. Sir Claude was Minister of Labour in the State Council of Ceylon led by DS Senanayake, and was appointed the first ever Representative of Ceylon to the UK and was also Ceylon's first Ambassador in the United States. Harindra Corea was the brother of Nihal Corea and Chandra Corea. The family home was situated in Alfred House Gardens in Colombo.
Sooriya Records Sinhala: සූරිය is a Sri Lankan record label founded by Gerald and Dulcie Wickremesooriya in 1968.
Gerald Wickremesooriya is the founder of the Sooriya Record label that produced many popular hits from the late 1960s to the early 1980s.
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