Nanda Malini facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dr. Nanda Malini නන්දා මාලනී
Born	Mirihana Arachchige Nanda Malini Perera (1943-08-23) 23 August 1943 (age 81) Kotahena, Sri Lanka
Nationality	Sri Lankan
Education	Sri Gunananda Vidyalaya
Alma mater	Heywood Institute of Art Bhatkhande Music Institute (1963)
Occupation	Singer, Music Director
Spouse(s)	Suneth Gokula
Children	2
Parents	Vincent Perera (father) Liyanage Emily Perera (mother)
Awards	Doctor of Philosophy (Fine Arts) Honoris Causa (University of the Visual & Performing Art-2017)
Musical career
Genres	Pop soul rhythm and blues Indian classical music
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1956–present
Labels	Singlanka/Tharanga/Nilwala MEntertainment Ransilu

Nanda Malini (full name: Mirihana Arachchige Nanda Malini Perera) is a very well-known singer from Sri Lanka. She was born on August 23, 1943. Many people consider her one of the best and most honored singers in her country.

Nanda Malini's songs often talk about real life and social situations. Her music explores ideas about relationships, different life challenges, and the feelings people experience every day.

Early Life and Family

Nanda Malini was born on August 23, 1943, in a village called Lewwanduwa in Aluthgama, Sri Lanka. She was the fourth child in a family of nine children. Her father, Vincent Perera, was a skilled tailor. Her mother, Liyanage Emily Perera, was a homemaker. She has four sisters and four brothers.

When she was a teenager, her family moved to Kotahena in Colombo. She went to Sri Gunananda Vidyalaya, where she was taught by T. N. Margaret Perera.

Nanda Malini is married to Suneth Gokula. They have two daughters, Varuni Saroja and Ama Sarada.

Music Career

Nanda Malini started her music journey in 1956. She won a gold medal in a poetry singing contest. After this win, a famous musician named W. D. Amaradeva invited her to sing on a popular radio show called Lama Mandapaya on Radio Ceylon. She sang a song called Budu Sadu.

In 1963, Amaradeva chose Nanda Malini to sing in the film Ranmuthu Duwa. This was the first color film made in Sinhala. She sang the song Galana Gagaki Jeewithe with Narada Disasekara. This song was very important because it was the first film song written by Chandraratne Manawasinghe. The film won many awards for its music that year, and Nanda Malini won her first major award for Best Female Singer. Since then, she has sung in many films and won many more awards.

Even after becoming famous, Nanda Malini continued to study music. She learned from B. Victor Perera. She also studied at the Heywood Institute of Art for a year. In 1963, she went to Bhatkhande Music Institute in Lucknow, India, to further her studies. She later returned to the University in Sri Lanka and earned a special degree in music in 1984.

When she came back to Sri Lanka, Nanda Malini appeared on W.D. Amaradeva's TV show. Her songs often tell stories about real-life situations, love, and feelings. Songs like Pipunu Male Ruwa and Sudu Hamine show the feelings of women. Some of her songs, like Manda Nawa Karanawa, are funny and sensitive, describing a young woman's loneliness.

In 1971, Nanda Malini performed with Amaradewa in a concert. In 1973, she started her own solo concert series. She performed 530 shows before ending the series in 1979. She started another concert series in 1981 and performed 500 shows. Her next concert series, "Pavana," started in 1987. Some of her songs from "Pavana" were even banned at the time. After many years, she held a new solo concert in 2010 called "Shwetha Rathriya."

In 1984, Nanda Malini opened her own music school called Nanda Malini Ashram. She has released many music albums and CDs. In 2007, she launched her CD Etha Kandu Yaye, which included 16 award-winning songs. She also released a CD called "Kunkuma Pottu" in 1993, which had songs sung in Tamil.

In 2017, the University of Visual and Performing Arts gave her an honorary degree. This was a special award for her amazing work in fine arts. She was the first female artist in Sri Lanka to receive such an honor from a university.

Legacy

Nanda Malini's impact on music is so significant that in 2004, a special type of orchid was named after her. It was called "Nanda Malini Ascosanda" to honor her contributions.

Albums

Saadu Naada (සාදු නාද)

Sari Podiththak (සාරි පොඩිත්තක්)

Sansara Sagare

• Peedena Goyame
• Sanda Mala
• Sansara Sagare
• Ma Pidu
• Kothanada Oba
• Wata Kotu
• Nil Latha Pura
• Punchi Punchi
• Lowe Sonduru
• Wasanawan
• Dura Atha
• Yowun Wasanthe

Discography

Nanda Malini has released many albums throughout her career. Here is a list of some of them:

Awards and Recognition

Nanda Malini has won many awards in Sri Lanka for her singing. These include national awards, popular awards, and awards for her songs in films and television.

Sarasaviya Awards

Presidential Film Awards

Nelson Most Popular Award

Other Awards

• Dhashan Soori - University of Visual Arts of Sri Lanka