Saman Chandranath Weerasinghe (5 July 1947 – 15 February 2022: සමන් චන්ද්රනාත් වීරසිංහ), was an award-winning Sri Lankan journalist, lyricist, poet, and novelist.
[1] Considered one of the most iconic and prolific lyricists ever produced in the country, he contributed to more than 2,000 songs in a career that spanned more than five decades.
When Saman was out of school due to a language problem, his father went to Mapalagama Vipulasara Thera where he studied arts at the Paramadhamma Chethiya Pirivena in Ratmalana for 4 months.
[5] Weerasinghe died on 15 February 2022 at the age of 74 while receiving treatment at the Colombo National Hospital for a longtime prevailing illness.
[10] As a child, he wrote the short story Tikiri Kathawak with a plot where the protagonist commits suicide amidst an anxious question that thieves have broken into the bitter gourd vine that he has planted in his field.
Cyrus Surendra, who worked for the Lankadeepa newspaper wrote a column entitled 'Kaalaye Satahan' died suddenly.
He was involved in a trade union struggle under the Intellectual Property Act and was the feature editor and co-editor of 'Silumina' newspaper.
[4] Later, he wrote many of Soysa's all-time favorite hits such as "Sewwandiyakata Pem Banda", "Rusiru Dasunak", "Biduwak Iwasa Ahanna" and "Ganga Diyawela Gala".
[15] His first lyrics broadcast on the radio was a patriotic song titled "Muthuketa Mathuwuna Maha Sayurai" which was sung by C.L.
[16] Saman-Sarath duo then made several collaborative works for more than two decades which include the popular song "Hima Renu Watena".
[15][4] The song "Sondura Mata Samudenna" was composed by Weerasinghe and was included in the programs 'Prabuddha Gee' and 'Ran Kethai Kammalai' on the National Radio in the 1970s.
[4] The purpose of the Prabuddha Gee, which was sung between 5.45 - 6.00 am daily before the morning news at that time, was to create a patriotic feeling among the general public based on the existing Vaga Sangrama project.
The patriotic sentiment of the labour force was exaggerated in the songs he wrote such as: "Nabara Goyamata Rahas" which was sung by Gunadasa Kapuge.