Wasantha Sandanayake

Mudunkotuwa Munasinghe Arachchige Leelawathi Perera (; 18 October 1917 – 24 November 2000), popularly known by her stage name Wasantha Sandanayake, was a Sri Lankan singer, primarily worked as a playback singer in Sinhala film industry. She is often described as a symbol of the Buddhist song tradition in Sri Lanka.

Personal life

She was born on 18 October 1917 in Randombe, Balapitiya as the second child in a family with seven siblings. Her father was Arnolis Perera from Uthuwankande, Kegalle and mother was Nilenthige Nani Nona. She had to move with his family due to the busy schedule of her father. Therefore, she educated from several schools such as Kegalu Balika Vidyalaya, Urapola Madya Maha Vidyalaya and Kollupitiya Jinaraja Vidyalaya.

She has one elder brother Dharmadasa, two younger sisters; Kamala, Chandrawathi, and two younger brothers; Srimath and Dharmadasa. They have five children, including popular singer Sujatha Aththanayaka, a renowned dance teacher, Ranjani Perera and a popular comedian and musician, Susil Perera. Chandraravathi was married to a station master at Nawalapitiya.

Wasantha was married to Don Dharmapala Sandanayake, who was a police constable. They were married on 10 November 1937. The couple had two daughters, Supriya and Sadhana, both are popular singers. Sadhana is married to Nanditha Ranatunga, the son of veteran artists Dayarathna Ranatunga and Amara Ranatunga. Sarath is married to Karunawathi Perera and the couple has one son; Thushara Sanjaya. In 1948 Independence Day celebrations, she voiced to Seetha Molamure for the drama depicted for the royalists.

During the two years 1984 and 1985, she sang on two cassettes of the productions, "Kalyani Ganga", "Mahaweli Nadiye" at the request of Karunajeewa Ganegoda. She has sung to the music of Mohammad Sally for the Saraswati label and to the music of Sarath Balasuriya for the Gemtone label. She has been involved in the "Peradina Tharu Pela" Music Festival hosted by the Tower Hall Theater Foundation for a long time since the inception of the Gam Udawa project established by president.