[2][3] One of the iconic singers in Sri Lankan music, Nandasiri received several awards for his compositions in a career spanned more than six decades.
Nandasiri was born on 15 February 1942 in Gothatuwa, Sri Lanka as the third child to businessman and building contractor, H. M. William Perera and Dona Amalin Katugampola, a housewife.
[15][16] Nirajala Sarojani is also a singer who was married to late musician Abeywardena Balasuriya who died on 26 March 2010 at the age of 63.
During this period, he got the opportunity to work with Madawala S. Ratnayake, Nanda Jayamanne, Karunaratne Abeysekera and Sanath Wimalaweera.
In 1960 at the age of 19, Nandasiri travelled to India to continue his studies at Bhatkhande Music Institute Deemed University.
[23] In 1972, Nandasiri recorded the song Mahada Veena which was included in the Soorya album titled 'Songs and Rhythms of Sri Lanka'.
After that he recorded three major albums for Singlanka 1980 and 1981 which included some of his best known songs such as "Eka Yayata Mal" and "Mama Nam Asayi".
[24][27] He was appointed Chancellor of the University of the Visual and Performing Arts in 2016 by president Maithripala Sirisena after the demise of Pandit Amaradewa.
[28][29] On 12 October 2017, an Inquisitive and Aesthetic Book titled "Sinhala Sangeethaye Sanath Nandasiri Sanathana Gee Miyasi' written by Yapa Bandara Seneviratne was released at 4.15 pm at the Colombo Public Library Auditorium.
[30][31] On 24 February 2018, a ceremony was held at the Western Province Aesthetic University Resort Auditorium to pay homage to Sanath Nandasiri with a concert titled 'Ninnada 2018 Thunpath Rata Swara Dehana'.
[32] On 4 September 2019, a collection of 100 lyrics and chords of Nandasiri's songs titled "Rasanandaya", was released at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute.