Demise of veteran singer Nanda Malini

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of veteran singer Visharada Nanda Malini, also known as Mirihana Arachchige Nanda Malini Perera, who was revered as the "Golden Voice of the Nation" in the Sri Lankan music field. She passed away at her residence in Nawala on August 20, 2026, just three days before her 83rd birthday. 
She, who left an indelible mark on the country's cultural landscape for nearly seven decades, was 82 years old at the time of her demise.

She was born on August 23, 1943, as the fourth child in a rural family in Lewwanduwa, Aluthgama, and had four sisters and four brothers.  Her father was Mr. Vincent Perera, and her mother was Mrs. Liyanage Emily Perera. Later, her family moved to Kotahena, Colombo, where she was admitted to Sri Gunananda Vidyalaya, Kotahena, and had the opportunity to receive her initial music education from teacher T. N. Margaret Perera.

She pursued further music studies under Mr. B. Victor Perera, completed a year of study at the Heywood Institute of Aesthetics, and joined the Bhatkhande College of Music in Lucknow, India, in 1963. Subsequently, in 1984, she obtained her Visharada degree with a first-class pass. In 2017, the University of Visual and Performing Arts conferred upon her the honorary doctorate "Darshana Shuri," which was the first such recognition awarded to a female artist by a Sri Lankan university.

Her professional singing career began in 1956 when she won a gold medal at the poetry recitation competition organized by the Borella Young Men's Buddhist Association. Through this, she was invited by Pandith W. D. Amaradeva to join the "Lama Mandapaya" (Children's Forum) program at the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, where she sang the song "Budu Saadu." Subsequently, between 1961-1963, she entered cinema playback singing by performing the duet "Galana Gangaki Jeevithe" with Narada Disasekara for Sri Lanka's first color film, 'Ranmuthu Duwa,' with music by Amaradeva and lyrics by Chandraratne Manawasinghe. For this song, she won the Best Playback Singer award at the first Sarasaviya Awards ceremony and later became one of the most awarded female singers in Sinhala cinema.

Pioneering new paths in the Sri Lankan music field, she held over 530 solo concerts between 1973 and 1979. Subsequently, she staged approximately 500 'Sathyaye Geethaya' (Songs of Truth) concerts between 1981 and 1984, and the 'Pawana' (Breeze) concert series, held over 18 months in 1987-1988, comprised 205 shows. The 'Pawana' concert, enriched by Sunil Ariyaratne's lyrics, directly questioned social injustice, oppression, and the struggles of ordinary people with its political themes. Consequently, it was banned from national radio and television, and even possessing its cassette tapes was considered risky.

After a long break, she held the 'Shwetha Rathriya' (White Night) concert in collaboration with Sirasa FM in 2010. She also contributed to the 'Shravana Aaradhana' (Auditory Invitation) concert with Amaradeva in 1971 and established a music institute named 'Nanda Malini Ashramaya' in 1984. Blending elements of Indian classical music, folk songs, pop, soul, and R&B, she sang numerous songs encompassing themes of love, daily life, patriotism, women's experiences, Buddhist devotion, and social criticism. Prominent among these are songs from the 'Pawana' and 'Sathyaye Geethaya' eras, such as "Galana Gangaki Jeevithe," "Sannaliyane," "Ran Dahadiya Bindu Bindu," "Me Sinhala Apage Ratai," "Sakura Mal Pipeela," "Ammawarune," "Pipunu Male Ruwa," and "Sudu Hamine."

During her artistic career, she received 11-12 Sarasaviya Awards (from 'Ranmuthu Duwa' in 1964 and 'Saravita' in 1966 to 'The Newspaper' in 2020), 8-10 Presidential Cinema Awards, the Most Popular Female Singer award between 1995-1998, Swarna Sankha, SIGNIS, and Slim Nielsen awards, as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 Derana Film Awards. A hybrid orchid flower named 'Nanda Malini Ascocenda' has been named after her, and in August 2025, Studio 9 of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation was named "Dr. Nanda Malini Studio" under the patronage of the Prime Minister.

Married to Mr. Suneth Gokula, she has two daughters named Varuni Saroja and Ama Sarada. She released 25 cassette tapes and numerous CDs, including 'Perada Maha Rae,' 'Pahan Kanda,' 'Sathyaye Geethaya,' 'Pawana,' 'Sindu Hodiya,' 'Malmada Bisawu,' 'Kirimadu Wel,' 'Nilambare,' 'Sari Podittak,' 'Saadu Naada,' 'Malata Renu,' 'Kunkuma Pottu' (Tamil songs), and 'Andaharaya.' Her voice, which combined academic proficiency, emotional truthfulness, and social responsibility, will forever remain a unique marvel in the country's music.