The Gypsies
Encyclopedia
This article is about the Sri Lankan band, for other uses of the term see The Gypsies (disambiguation)
The Gypsies are a Sri Lanka
n band that perform English
and Sinhala songs and have been around since the early 1970s.
. Anton renovated a portion of his house on Galle Road (in Ratmalana) into a recording studio and began recording their first album. In the thirty years that followed, many changes have occurred in the group's membership that have led to the eight members present today. Sunil Perera and Piyal Perera are the two surviving members from the original line up.
Their early success was due to a series of 5 LPs they released in the 1970s (entitled Dance With the Gypsies). In the 1980s the group released their first audio cassette containing their novelty hit "Kurumitto" ("Dwarfs"), which is a cover version of Dutch
musician Father Abraham
's "The Smurf Song". With the arrival of CDs in Sri Lanka
, they released their first CD
Gypsies Gold containing 17 songs and following its success there, with two other CDs, Dance With the Gypsies and Singyore, both well received as well. The group has since released other CDs and continues to enjoy success. Sunil Perera and the Gypsies are world famous for their Sri Lankan baila
music. The Gypsies have also successfully collaborated with other Sri Lankan stars like Desmond de Silva
. They are also credited for having the first ever biala non stop medly. They are known for their hit song "I Don't Know Why" as well.
Their first performance out of Sri Lanka, as the resident band at the Delhi Taj for three months, was followed by successful tours in foreign countries where many Sri Lankans now reside, such as the UK, Singapore
, U.S.
, New Zealand
, Australia
and Canada
.
They are a highly paid band in Sri Lanka
, since they constantly perform at parties, dances and perform at many sold-out concerts.
The long standing female vocalist of the group, Coreen Almeida, and Sharon Nesaduray, better known as "Lulu", have left the group. Radhika Rajavellu is the latest addition to the band after the departure of their well known female vocalist Ginger (Judith White).
Other artists also perform with them on their tours and they have a female vocalist.
The Gypsies are a Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n band that perform English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Sinhala songs and have been around since the early 1970s.
History
The band was formed in 1969 by Anton Perera, a confectioner at the Glucorasa company, composed of his five sons (Sunil, Nihal, Piyal, Nimal, Lal) - all of whom had recently completed high school. Lead singer Sunil Perera, schooled at St. Sebastian's College, Moratuwa and St Peter's College, ColomboSt Peter's College, Colombo
St. Peter's College is a distinguished boys only primary to secondary school in the Bambalapitiya zone of Colombo, Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1922....
. Anton renovated a portion of his house on Galle Road (in Ratmalana) into a recording studio and began recording their first album. In the thirty years that followed, many changes have occurred in the group's membership that have led to the eight members present today. Sunil Perera and Piyal Perera are the two surviving members from the original line up.
Their early success was due to a series of 5 LPs they released in the 1970s (entitled Dance With the Gypsies). In the 1980s the group released their first audio cassette containing their novelty hit "Kurumitto" ("Dwarfs"), which is a cover version of Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
musician Father Abraham
Pierre Kartner
Petrus Antonius Laurentius "Pierre" Kartner is a Dutch musician who sings under the alias Father Abraham, and who has written around 1600 songs.- Early life :...
's "The Smurf Song". With the arrival of CDs in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, they released their first CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
Gypsies Gold containing 17 songs and following its success there, with two other CDs, Dance With the Gypsies and Singyore, both well received as well. The group has since released other CDs and continues to enjoy success. Sunil Perera and the Gypsies are world famous for their Sri Lankan baila
Baila
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 and was later amalgamated with European instruments and eastern and western rhythms, especially rhythms found in Spain and northern European folk...
music. The Gypsies have also successfully collaborated with other Sri Lankan stars like Desmond de Silva
Desmond de Silva
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 is now resident in Great Britain and has performed to packed concert...
. They are also credited for having the first ever biala non stop medly. They are known for their hit song "I Don't Know Why" as well.
Their first performance out of Sri Lanka, as the resident band at the Delhi Taj for three months, was followed by successful tours in foreign countries where many Sri Lankans now reside, such as the UK, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
They are a highly paid band in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, since they constantly perform at parties, dances and perform at many sold-out concerts.
The long standing female vocalist of the group, Coreen Almeida, and Sharon Nesaduray, better known as "Lulu", have left the group. Radhika Rajavellu is the latest addition to the band after the departure of their well known female vocalist Ginger (Judith White).
Line up
- Sunil PereraSunil PereraSunil Perera is a Sri Lankan vocalist, guitarist, songwriter and composer . He is the leader and the lead vocalist of the popular Sri Lankan band, Gypsies.-Early life:...
(b. September 14, 1952, Sri Lanka): vocals and guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Piyal Perera (b. April 25, 1956, Sri Lanka): vocals and percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
- Gordon Athula: drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Derek Hepponstall (b. March 8, 1956, Sri Lanka): bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and vocals - Ranil Vas (b. , , Sri Lanka): guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and vocals - Dushan Jayathilake (b. , , 1981, Sri Lanka): keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
s and vocals
Other artists also perform with them on their tours and they have a female vocalist.