Ha Papara Mary

"C'è la luna n menzu ô mari" (Sicilian for "There's the moon amid the sea") is a comic Sicilian song, widely known in English-speaking countries as "C'è la luna mezzo mare" or "Luna mezz'o mare." Traditionally performed as a lively 6/8 tarantella, the song’s origins date back to 1835, with related music appearing in Gioachino Rossini’s "La Danza." By 1871, bawdier versions were circulating, and the song became a worldwide hit. It was first recorded in 1927, and versions like Rudy Vallée’s "Oh! Ma-Ma!" (1938) and Lou Monte’s "Lazy Mary" helped cement its popularity. ( Wikipedia ) The song also inspired two well-loved Sri Lankan renditions: Christopher Paul’s "Ha Mal Pipenne" and "A Me Ahanna" from the Puswedilla stage drama. These versions, with their unique Sri Lankan flair, deeply influenced this project, which I named "Ha Papara Mary" (හා පපර මේරි). As a draft for the m...

"Oru Urala" is a Tamil short drama, for which I was invited to direct the music. I decided to make it the pilot project for my initiative, "Ha Papara Mary". This project was rooted in Papara improvisation, a concept I had been researching at the time, and it became an extension of that exploration. The primary goal was to understand how audiences would react to Papara improvisation, and to experiment with the data we gathered. Beyond the Papara element, the rest of the music production was also based on improvisation, following a simple yet guided structure. I'm proud to share that "Oru Urala" was honored with the Best Music Award in the Tamil short play category at the 43rd National Youth Drama Festival (2023) and the Best Music Award at the State Drama Festival 2022 (Short Drama category - Tamil). Video links -  State Drama Festival 2022  |  National Youth Drama Festival (2023) Oru Urala Crew Cast - Baskar Krishan & Induni Nilanka Abayasen...

Following an extensive practice-based research process, I had the opportunity to present a paper titled "How to Use Improvisation on Papara" at the ICH International Research Symposium 2023. This presentation marked a significant milestone, not just for me, but for the broader academic community, as there was no existing literature on papara music at the time. In fact, this paper is believed to be the first academic exploration of papara music, making it an important contribution to the field. The process was challenging, as there was little to no prior research available to draw upon. However, this only added to the importance of the work, and I am thrilled to have been able to introduce this fascinating aspect of music to a wider audience. Symposium details  - ICH International Research Symposium 2023 Book of Abstracts -  ICHIRS 2023 - Book of Abstracts  (See Page 53) Presentation -  Presentation.pdf