Wijewardene was born on August 3, 1943, in Haputale, Sri Lanka, to an estate medical doctor. His family moved to Batugedara, Ratnapura in 1964, where Wijewardene eloped with the daughter of a local landlord, and abandoned a budding planting career to pursue music full time.
Wijewardena formed the Moonstones at the age of 21 with Annesley Malewana as lead vocalist. Managed by Vijaya Corea the group recorded several songs to be aired on the Saturday Star program in 1966. Their 1968 debut EP Mango Nenda was released on the JVPC007 Philips label selling up to 5000 copies. It included the songs "Mango Nenda," "Ruwan Puraya," "Seetha Ude" and "Menike." The sophomore release More Hits by the Moonstones came out november that year on the Sooriya label and included the hits "Kalu Mama", "Rosa male", "Ramani" and "Goyam Kapanawa." "Mango Nenda" was selected the best Sinhala song by the Hit Parade program on Radio Ceylon. In 1969 the Moonstones welcomed female vocalist Indrani Perera who sang lead on the best selling "Dilhani." Wijewardena himself only sang lead on "Dileepa Podi Puthu," an adaptation of a poem written by band member Upali Abesekara to his son.
(read less)Wijewardene was born on August 3, 1943, in Haputale, Sri Lanka, to an estate medical doctor. His family moved to Batugedara, Ratnapura in 1964, where Wijewardene eloped with the daughter of a local landlord, and abandoned a budding planting career to pursue music full time.
Wijewardena formed the Moonstones at the age of 21 with Annesley Malewana as lead vocalist. Managed by Vijaya Corea the group recorded several songs to be aired on the Saturday Star program in 1966. Their 1968 debut EP...
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