Rookantha Gunathilake

Rookantha Goonatillake
(රුකාන්ත ගුණතිලක)
Born Mario Glory Rookantha Goonatillake
(1959-09-05) 5 September 1959
Kegalle, Sri Lanka
Nationality Sri Lankan
Other names Ruka
Education St. Anthony's College, Kandy
Occupation singer, composer
Spouse(s) Chandralekha Perera
Children Raini Charuka, Trinita Windy

Mario Glory Rookantha Goonatillake (Sinhalese: රුකාන්ත ගුණතිලක) (born 5 September 1959) is a popular Sri Lankan singer, songwriter and composer. Rookantha started his career as a solo singer in late 1980s. He frequently duets with his wife Chandralekha Perera. His daughter Raini Charuka is also a singer, and an actress.

Rookantha is one of the most successful musicians in Sri Lankan pop industry. His albums have sold around 10,000 copies in Sri Lanka. He is known as the person who changed the Sri Lankan music industry in the 80's with his songs.

Life and career

Early years

Rookantha Goonatillake was born in Kegalle to a middle-class family in Sri Lanka. Since a very young age Rookantha loved music. As a result, his parents sent him to a music teacher nearby to teach him play the Piano.

Rookantha once said in a radio interview that one of his music teachers at school was not that friendly and punished him several times for not using correct fingers. Also, he found out that he is getting restricted to what the teacher wanted him to learn.

He attended St. Mary's College, Kegalle for primary education. He learned music at his school, St. Anthony's College, Kandy from great musicians such as Stanley Peiris and Cyril Brown.

Music

Rookantha Goonatillake originally in 1976 pursued a career as a composer. In 1985 he found himself without a singer to provide the vocals on one of his compositions, "Bambara Pahasa." With a deadline hanging over him, Goonatillake provided the vocals himself beginning his career as a singer.

His fourth album "CHARUKA" was released in 1997.

[1] The exclusive Concert of Rookantha and Chandralekha is "Ru Sanda Rae" which means "Beauty Moon Nite". The first Concert was staged at The Elphinston Theatre in Colombo Sri Lanka in 1993 February. To-date it has been staged in many places in the globe such as Italy, France,Denmark,UK,USA and The middle eastern Bahrain. "Ru sanda Rae" Concert has been staged more than 200 times and still counting.

Personal life

Rookantha is married to another singer and former actress Chandralekha Perera. They have two daughters, Raini Charuka Goonatillake[2] and Trinita Windy. Since 2005 December, Rookantha and Chandralekha reside in New York with their family.

Most recent tour Roo Sanda Rae took place in 2005 and 2006.

The mega show of "Rookantha Chandraleka Live at Stadium" was held on August at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium.[3]

Discography

Singles

This list of songs or music-related items is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Solo Tracks
No. Title Length
1. "Hitha Nawathuna Thana"    
2. "Sangawanna oya nil nuwan"    
3. "Kalakata passe"    
4. "Upaharaya" (Produced for ICC Cricket World Cup 2011)  
5. "Dura Atha"    
6. "Ithin Hadamu Api Aluth Ratak (Let's Make A New Country)" (Produced with Kasun Kalhara for the victory of New Democratic Front (Sri Lanka) at the Sri Lankan presidential election, 2015)  

References

  1. ↑ "Rooka shaken after fire disaster". Daily Mirror. 2004. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-06-06.
  2. ↑ Raini Charuka Goonatillake
  3. ↑ Rookantha Chandralekha Live at Stadium
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