[1] Considered one of the most respected musicians in Sinhala song,[2] Algama is most notable for the invention of a musical instrument known as ‘Sri Veena’.
During this time, Lionel's father and uncle started a drama company called Theater Club and set out to stage two plays, "Honda Kala" and "Vana Pushpaya".
[5] Between the years 1955 to 1959, ge performed classical and jazz concerts and Ballets in New Delhi, Calcutta, Bombay, Benares, Jaipur and Pakistan.
[8] Meanwhile, he also directed music for the plays Kinkini Kolama, Gini Hora, Ran Kikili, Nuwanpodiya, Kusa Pabawathi, Macbeth and Othello.
[10] Released in 1966, the three songs are like precious pearls in the history of Sinhala film music:[11] "Sandakath Pini Diya", "Ada Pamanai Ithiiri" (by Amaradeva), "Parawunu Malwala" (by Sujatha Aththanayaka).
[12][5][13] Along with Dayananda Gunawardena, he staged popular play Nari Bena on 4 November 1960 at Thurston College Hall.
[16] Then he designed the North Indian Classical music syllabus for the Institute of Asian Culture, University of Windsor, Canada.
Rita Ganguly, a contemporary of Visva-Bharati, along with Bengali musician Subhash Chandra, participated in a drama conference at the Tower Hall Theater Foundation in 1981.
[6] He wrote two theses for his doctorate: Teaching of Music and Development of the Chordophones in East and West in the years 1978 and in 1979 respectively.
On 7 January 1996, a solo concert at Elphinstone Theatre, Maradana was held where he performed his new instrument “Sree Veena”.
[8] In addition, he composed the melody for the song "Sambudu Himige Sadaham Sisilen", the Dhamma school anthem sung by children in Sri Lanka today.
Among the teledramas he directed music are Sasara, Mihikathage Daruwo, Ran Masu Uyana and Imadiyamankada.