This blog (created in March 2011 by Lucky) is about new entrants to the Colombo Medical Faculty of the University of Ceylon (as it was then known) in June 1962. There were a total of 166 in the batch (included 11 from Peradeniya). Please address all communications to: colmedgrads1962@gmail.com. Header image: Courtesy Prof. Rohan Jayasekara, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo (2011 - 2014). Please use the search bar using a keyword to access what interests you
La Mer- music played by Zita Perera Subasinghe
(with
illustrations of Southend on Sea by her son D J Rohan and her daughter Nisha)
Zita wishes to offer her “humble video” for a few minutes of music to the piece by Charles Trenet, played by her and illustrated with the photos of scenic Southend on sea, views of the sea taken by son Rohan, mostly with a couple by daughter Nisha.
I am delighted to post this timeless and beautiful song. La Mer (The Sea)
ReplyDelete"La Mer" (English: "The Sea") is a song by French composer, lyricist, singer and showman Charles Trenet. The song was first recorded by the French singer Roland Gerbeau in 1945. When Trenet's version was released in 1946, it became an unexpected hit, and has remained a chanson classic and jazz standard ever since.
Zita plays it beautifully on her Yamaha Clavinova Digital Piano (not surprisingly she uses her fingers to play on this digital wonder!)
The photos make it all the more pleasing and relaxing
Zita, what a lovely idea to give us some beautiful images to enjoy while listening to you playing this lovely piece of music. (Thank you Rohan and Nisha.) I became familiar with the song when Bobby Darin's version became popular. It was called "Beyond the Sea."
ReplyDeleteIt has always been one of my favourites. I just listened to his version too! Well done Zita! I enjoyed it very much.
Oh I do remember that version of the song, Srianee! And thank you for your kind words of appreciation. It means a lot and I'll tell son Rohan and daughter Nisha that the got a mention too! I think Bobby Darin's version is unique!
DeleteChere Zita,tu es un geniel,bien cuite.
ReplyDeleteMerci! Merci! Tu es tres gentil! J'aime bien cette chanson!
DeleteExcellent performance by your family which I enjoyed very much
ReplyDeleteThanks! That's very kind of you!
DeleteZita you are great. What talent! Well done!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your music very much. Let me thank you, Rohan and Nisha for the excellent performance.
I remember South end on Sea as I have visited you there,I enjoyed viewing the picturesque sceneries. Chira
Thanks, Chira! That's kind of you to appreciate our effort. Yes, you've seen personally this beautiful sea around us.
DeleteZita , Rohan and Nisha - This is lovely-I enjoyed it very much- Thank you .
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your appreciation of our effort, Rohini! I am blushing now as I didn't expect any of this1
DeleteC'est la vie!(that is life)
ReplyDeleteC'est la vie, bien sur!
DeleteLa vie est belle, n'est pas?
ReplyDeleteOui, De nos jours,Nous sommes les personnes agees(we are old people)
DeleteSumathi and Zita, La ist bin koh cst abile mono waa socre pas pis ssu n'sex pa ho ho!
ReplyDeleteMahen, මොනවද කියන්නෙ?
ReplyDeleteඑය කුඩා විහිළුවක්!
DeleteThat's hilarious! It's great to talk in a foreign language even if it is one you just made up!
DeleteC'est tres genial, n'est pas?
Hi Zita
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed your keyboard skills and the pictures,felt like dancing the quick step.Even though I live thirty minutes from Southend and visited Southend General many times for meetings,surprisingly never been to the sea front.The video has encouraged me to visit the sea side on a warm sunny day and enjoy the scenery,fish and chips..
I first heard "La Mer" played by a Latin American pianist Peppe Iaromillo in the early nineteen sixties.Bobby Darin sang this number in the mid sixties,Srianee thanks for reminding us. Zita thanks for the music, keep playing and keep safe.
Hi Bora
DeleteYou do evoke those old memories mentioning Pepe Jaramillo, the Mexican pianist. I remember his hit 'South of the border' which we heard so often on the radio. This was a popular 'Cha Cha' at our famous Colours Nights at King George's Hall played by the Harold Seneviratne Combo. Speaking of Cha Cha I remember going for dancing lessons with Mahendra Collure and Lucky Abey prior to one those Colours Nights to brush up our performance. Ah! Those were the days.
Nihal, right! Next time we have a batch get-together we expect a cha cha cha dance from you, ok?
DeleteThat's ever so kind of you, and it means a lot! I think you should drop by at the seafront next time you visit Southend on Sea, hey, if to the hospital, I take it that it is to work or visit a friend! You've given me info which is new to me about people who have sung this number. Shows there's always something new to learn. I am encouraged by your comment to send a couple more pieces to the Blog. Oh yes, there's one coming hopefully before the end of this month. Zita
DeleteThank you Zita for your beautiful performance.A mood elevator indeed at a time we need it. I thank God for you and your amazing talent and Nish and Rohan for lending their skills to help us count our blessings.
ReplyDeleteHey, Suri! That's so kind of you to listen to it and comment. I'll tell Nish and Ro that you commented on their contribution. Ro has a drone now to catch unusual views. Our youngsters are smarter than us, aren't they? I have listened to and read quite a lot about your youngsters and their fantastic talents. Nice to see you on the Blog, Suri! Thanks again, from Zita
DeleteDear Zita
ReplyDeleteAs I wrote an email to you to say how much I like the music I didn’t make a comment on the blog earlier but felt I should show my appreciation with the rest of the crew. As Srianee and Bora has said it reminds us of the 1960’s when we were teenagers.
I particularly like the way the piano is played with that flowing style. It reminds me of that famous pianist Charlie Kunz who played for British Dance Bands in the 1930’s for around two decades. He became the highest paid pianist in the world. Perhaps in my ignorance I’ve called the style “syncopation”. Rohini Ana who is a fine pianist herself or Zita can correct me on this. Charlie Kunz and that particular style of playing reminds me of my childhood holidays in Kegalle, the wind-up HMV gramophone and the hiss of the needle as it played on.
Thank you Zita for the beautiful piece so brilliantly played and bringing back those memories of long ago.
I am not well versed in these terms and expressions, but you are right about 'syncopation', Nihal! To me, it is where you adjust the rhythm to come in between the words and expressions in a 'regular rhythmic pattern'.
DeleteHi Nihal
ReplyDeleteI liked Peppe's music ,it was very relaxing.I still enjoy listening to a number called "Green Eyes" by Peppe.Russ Conway a British pianist played in a style similar to Zita, Radio Ceylon played music for dancing on a saturday night from 9.00 to 11.00,one of my favourite programmes,it featured Victor Sylvester,Joe loss,Russ Convey,Peppe etc
I remember attending dance classes with Sydney when we were doing the six months course{1961} but it was not easy finding partners to dance with. Some of my friends at the golf club in U.K told me that they had no problem in finding partners to dance when they were young,very rarely was a request refused.One member described the nurses home in the local hospital,during his youth as a good source for dancing partners.I have come across many couples who first met on the dance floor,
Hi Bora
DeleteThe dance band era music of Victor Sylvester, Joe Loss and Glen Miller were great as was the piano music of Pepe Jaramillo and Russ Conway. I too used to be glued to the radio in the old days of Radio Ceylon and the Commercial Service. I still listen to them on Spotify. “Green eyes is one of my special favourites too and prefer the version by Victor Sylvester”. The Joe Loss band appeared on TV often in the 1970’s. I loved his brand of music.
Memories of those days in the faculty swirl in mind often. They were indeed the swinging 60’s. There was a drought and even a famine of dance partners. After moving to Jeewaka through the grapevine I heard there was a “Madam” in the nurses quarters who procured dance partners. A few of us approached her, cautiously, but there was a problem. We never knew who we got until the evening of the dance. The “Madam” explained the reservoir of girls who danced and were willing to take the plunge was small and there was shift work etc to cope with. She insisted “No Hanky Panky “ please. Those words still ring in my ears.
Once I drew the short straw and got a big girl like a double decker. Dancing became an ordeal and was like pushing a lorry up Kadugannawa. The halitosis nearly killed me. My luck changed for the next Colours Night and found pleasant company. Harold Seneviratne, the band leader, knew there was a room full of testosterone charged males. He stopped the jives and the rock and roll after midnight concentrating on the cheek to cheek stuff “Are you lonesome tonight and Wooden Heart”. I am reliably informed that’s when things got interesting.
They were great times and fabulous memories.
Fortunately no names have been mentioned except of the dance bands. Otherwise this will need a full page disclaimer.
Nihal and Bora, you have brought back so many pleasant memories about songs and artistes from our era. I can add Santana, Nat King Cole, the Carpenters, James Last and his Orchestra, The Bee Gees, The Shadows. Then there were our own Bill Forbes, Cliff Foenander, The Jetliners, Harold Seneviratane combo. Many, many more. We used to eagerly await the next edition of "Hit Parade".
DeleteI maintained my interest in Sinhala and Hindi music too. Rukmani Devi, Mohideen Beg, Lata Walpola, Sunil Santha. Sadly, I never listened to Tamil music. I wish I had.
Nihal, hee hee hee! Pushing a big lorry up Kadugannawa! What a lovely comparison! I bet the girl would have blushed crimson, if you told her that at the time! I love the expressions that are coming up from the commenters here, they're so much fun to read!
DeleteThis is to Harischandra, I prefer it to Bora(!) You have mentioned some really great people who we used to listen to so eagerly and our feet went tapping wherever we were when we heard them. Those were the greats and they are ageless and one never fails to hear their music on any dance floor even in the modern age. I hope your being on dancing classes led to you taking every chance to take to this fantastic passtime. We all went for classes, but then we picked up the stethoscope, and that was it for dancing! But there's no excuse really.
Delete