Chandrasena Hettiarachchi

Hettiarachchige Chandrasena (Sinhala:චන්ද්‍රසේන හෙට්ටිආරච්චි: born 7 September), popularly known as Chandrasena Hettiarachchi, is a Sri Lankan singer. Having emerged from the youth choir as a group singer, Hettiarachchi has been able to show his talents and sang several popular songs such as Mal Mal Vile, Amma Jeewana, Oya Nisa Mage Sina, Kelesaka Keewath and Nawala Annasi.

Personal life Chandrasena was born on 7 September in Garagoda, Yatiyanthota as the third child of a rural family with six siblings. His father Hettiarachchige Gunawardena was a mason. His mother Waliwita Vidanelage Mary Nona worked in a rubber plantation. He has one elder brother, one elder sister and three younger sisters. He educated at Garagoda Sinhala Junior College. His mother died on 18 October 2018 at the age of 84.

After school times, he went to work at Mahaweli Development Board in Bathalayaya. He had to cut down forests, roads and drains. However after taking first salary, he quit from the job. Then he packed a box full of plastic items and went from house to house selling them. The couple has one son Gayana Madhuwantha and one daughter; Lihini Vihanga. Lihini went to three schools. She was educated at the Sri Sangamitta Girls' College, Colombo. After that she moved to Gothami Balika in Colombo from the grade six to eleven. Finally studied A/L at Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo. She is currently an undergraduate at the University of Jayewardenepura.

Career Since child age, Hettiarachchi participated in the singing competitions for the Sinhala New Year, Vesak and Poson where he was first in all these competitions. In 1979 Youth Awards, he sang the first song Jayabhumi Sri Lanka at the Kegalle Girls' College.

In 1980, he joined with the youth choir which was first established by the National Youth Services Council (earlier known as Bellwood Music Academy) on September 1. Musicians Shirley Vaijayantha and Nihal Gamhewa were the lyricists. He sang the first duet Seetha Kandu Yaye with Chandralekha at the Batangala Training Center.

On 7 September 2018, the concert 'Senehase Gee – Thawalama' was held at 6.30 pm at the Maharagama Youth Services Council Theater to celebrate 40 years of singing career. On 4 July 2020, he was honored with the honorary title "Manawa Hithawadi Keerthi Sri Veeraputhra Deshabandu" by Dharma Shakthi Social Service Foundation.