Mario Glory Rookantha Goonatillake (born 5 September 1959: Sinhala: රූකාන්ත ගුණතිලක) is a Sri Lankan singer, musician, and songwriter, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the country’s music industry.
[2] Rookantha’s career was disrupted in 2000 when he and his wife, Chandralekha Perera, were subjected to politically motivated harassment under the administration of then-President Chandrika Kumaratunga.
[2][8] His most iconic concert series, Ru Sanda Rae (translated as "Beauty Moon Night"), debuted in February 1993 at the Elphinstone Theatre in Colombo.
To date, this concert series has been staged over 300 times worldwide, including in Italy, France, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UK, the USA, and the UAE.
However, he faced an unfortunate incident when a group attacked him and vandalized his vehicle, reportedly due to his refusal to vote for a contestant.
Despite the incident, Rookantha forgave the perpetrators, which contributed to the granting of a presidential pardon by then-President Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2014, leading to their release.