Mahagama Sekara

Mahagama Sekera (Mahagamage Sekara) (Sinhala:මහගම සේකර / මහගමගේ සේකර ) (7 April 1929 – 14 January 1976) Sri Lankan poet, lyricist, playwright, novelist, artist, translator and filmmaker. He is considered to be a significant figure in Sinhalese poetry and literature. Sekara is best remembered as a poet and songwriter with several of his works even becoming popular songs in Sri Lanka. His works occasionally have an introspective Buddhist influenced outlook. His poems and songs remain widely quoted on the island nearly thirty years after his death.

Early life and education

Mahagama Sekera was born on 7th of April 1929 in Radawana, Colombo. His father was Maha Gamage Kirihonda Appuhamy, mother was Ranawaka Arachchige Rosalin. He had his initial education at Kirindiwela Maha Vidayalaya. Sekera started life as an artist and although in his later paintings and book covers he tended towards modern art. He got a thorough grounding in the forms and techniques of formal art at the Government School of Fine Arts of which he later became the Principal. Thus at a young age he was exposed to new ways of looking at the world and perceiving reality which combined with the folk culture of his inheritance in a typical village milieu gave its particular strength to his world view.

Sekera started his Doctoral Studies at Vidyodaya University of Ceylon in 1974. His thesis on "Sinhala Gadya Padya Nirmana Kerehi Ridmaya Balapa Athi Akaraya" (Influence of Rhythm on the Sinhala Prose and Poetry) was submitted to the University in 1975. At the time of passing away in 1976, he was attending to the final editing of the thesis as recommended by the supervisors.

Bibliography

Mahagama Sekera started his artistic and creative career as a painter. He contributed to every branch of literature. He wrote short essays and plays to sinhala weekly papers and magazines, published several novels and poetry, and wrote over 100 songs. Many of his songs were vocalised and music directed by Pandit W. D. Amaradeva. He wrote and produced the musical play Swarnathilaka, which was critically acclaimed.