Desmond de Silva

De Silva was born on 13 July 1944 in Matara, Sri Lanka as the eldest of the family with two siblings. His father Clement Arnold de Silva from Matara was a Public Health Inspector (PHI) and mother Olga Correa from Chilaw was a teacher. He had one younger brother (Milroy) and a younger sister (Varena). After moving to Bambalapitiya, he first went to St. Peter's College, Colombo. Then he was boarded at St. Aloysius College due to being stubborn. Later he was sent back to St. Peter's College and finally school life ended at St. Thomas' College, Matara.{{Cite web |date=2 September 2019 |title=By God I can still sing well - Desmond de Silva |url=http://www.aruna.lk/දෙයියන්ගෙ-පිහිටෙන්-මට-තව/ |access-date=9 January 2022 |website=Aruna |language=en-US}} He did not go to high school and came to Colombo to join the Army. De Silva could not bear the hardships of military life, so he decided to leave. As a result, he left the Army and joined the Air Force. He left the army and became a soil digger at a bank construction site. At that time his daily wage was five rupees.

De Silva became a singer at the invitation of a friend. "Des", as he was known to his fans, launched his career in popular music in Colombo in 1963, he was the lead vocalist of the Fire-Flies. His music was featured widely on Radio Ceylon and subsequently the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, the oldest radio station in South Asia. De Silva also performed with leading Sri Lankan pop groups – "Spitfires", "Gabo and the Breakaways", and the "Jetliners." He sang a song titled 'Oba Nisa' with Mignonne Fernando and the Jetliners – it was hailed as a musical masterpiece at an international song festival.{{Cite web |title=Veteran singer Desmond de Silva passes away |url=https://www.dailynews.lk/2022/01/10/local/269808/veteran-singer-desmond-de-silva-passes-away |access-date=13 January 2022 |website=Daily News |language=en}} In 1976 he decided to form his own band, "Desmond and the Clan", which performed in various countries in Southeast Asia, including the Maldives. He also represented Sri Lanka at the 5th Olympiad of Songs in Athens, Greece in 1979 and became the champion and at the Yamaha Festival of Song in Tokyo, Japan.

He celebrated 53 years in show business, selling millions of CDs around the world. De Silva was known for his popular renditions of Sri Lankan 'baila' music, which was a style whose origins are in Portuguese and Spanish music. He had a string of baila hits including: Polkatu Hande, Chuda Manike, Mamma No, Miss Sri Lanka, Rajasangabo, Komali Pane as well as popular recordings of anonymous Baila songs. He was also known for a whole range of 'Party Time' non-stop Baila music. De Silva resided in London and performed with London-based backing group Foreign Affairs in the United Kingdom.

De Silva championed the cause of autism spectrum disorders: in August 2005 he was the first Sri Lankan musician to appeal on behalf of autistic children and people with autism in Sri Lanka, urging Sri Lankans to 'speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves.' De Silva received a standing ovation. He was also a film background singer where he also sang the songs of the film Seetha Devi as well as the baila songs of the films Samanmalee and Mage Amma. He turned to Baila singing because of Wally Bastiansz. De Silva, who became a fan of Wally, one day invited him to his house. He sang some of his songs on the guitar that day and recorded them from his home recorder. Since then, he sang many of Bastiansz' songs such as Yaman bando, and Hai Hui baby Achchi.{{Cite web |last=bugsbunny |date=9 January 2022 |title=Sri Lanka's King of Baila Desmond De Silva has died |url=https://colombogazette.com/2022/01/09/sri-lankas-king-of-baila-desmond-de-silva-has-died/ |access-date=13 January 2022 |website=Colombo Gazette |language=en-US}} De Silva also sang record songs and Nadagam songs such as Raja Sangabo Hisa De Dugiyata, Muni Nandana Siripada, Panamure Eth Raja, Amba Damba Naran, Budubawa Pathana Vesathuru Nirinda.

In 1986, De Silva moved to England. On 7 June 2003, he performed in a sold-out concert at BMICH titled 'Desmond Live in Concert'.{{Cite web |date=7 February 2005 |title=Desmond celebrates 40 years of it with a mega show at BMICH |url=https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2003/06/15/fea21.html |access-date=13 January 2022 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050207233547/http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2003/06/15/fea21.html |archive-date=7 February 2005 |url-status=live}} He launched the first ever Concert for Autism for Sri Lanka in Sydney, Australia on 31 March 2006.{{Cite web |title=Autism Awareness Campaign Sri Lanka (Autism Sri Lanka) |url=http://autismsrilanka.blogspot.com/ |access-date=13 January 2022 |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=29 September 2007 |title=World Music Central - Desmond de Silva Autism Fundraiser in Sydney Australia |url=http://www.worldmusiccentral.org/article.php/20060206131847102 |access-date=13 January 2022 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929110943/http://www.worldmusiccentral.org/article.php/20060206131847102 |archive-date=29 September 2007 |url-status=dead}}

De Silva married Deanna de Zilwa and they had two sons and a daughter. His eldest son was a singer/entertainer, who died of cancer.{{cite web |url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/110227/Magazine/sundaytimestvtimes_2.html |title=Goodbye dear friend |publisher=Sunday Times |access-date=29 December 2019}}{{Cite web |title=6 Years Young Voice Desmond de Silva |url=http://www.dinamina.lk/2022/01/11/විශේෂාංග/138704/දශක-6ක-තරුණ-හඬ-ඩෙස්මන්ඩ්-ද-සිල්වා |access-date=13 January 2022 |website=දිනමිණ}}

His second marriage was to Lilamani Wijeratne.

Desmond met and married his third wife, Phyllis Van Houten, in Sydney, Australia, where they lived for thirteen years. They were in Melbourne where he performed at a New Year’ Eve Dance. He died of a heart attack on 9 January 2022 at the age of 77.{{Cite web|date=9 January 2022|title=Veteran singer Desmond De Silva passes away|url=https://www.newsfirst.lk/2022/01/09/veteran-singer-desmond-de-silva-passes-away/|access-date=9 January 2022|website=Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Legendary singer Desmond de Silva passes away|url=http://www.adaderana.lk/news/79749/legendary-singer-desmond-de-silva-passes-away|access-date=9 January 2022|website=www.adaderana.lk|language=en}}

• Baila 20
• Gramaphone Express
• Chuuda Maanike
• Haadu Hathak
• Komali Pane
• Baila Rajje
• Desmond Silva with Sunflowers

• Music of Sri Lanka
• List of Sri Lankan musicians

{{Reflist}}

{{Wikiquote}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070929110943/http://www.worldmusiccentral.org/article.php/20060206131847102 World Music Central: Desmond de Silva Autism Fundraiser in Sydney Australia]
• [http://autismsrilanka.blogspot.com/ Autism Sri Lanka: Desmond de Silva Autism Concert in Sydney ]
• [http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/3033005cp.shtml Desmond de Silva appeals on Autism]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070929111316/http://www.worldmusiccentral.org/article.php/20050807043031230 Desmond de Silva presents a Lifetime Achievement Award]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20040703081606/http://www.sinhalajukebox.org/cgi-bin/songs.cgi?action=ShowTracks&artist=A107 Listen to Desmond de Silva on Sinhala Jukebox]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20050915064956/http://www.sinhalasongs.net/page/build/moviedisplay/Desmond_De_Silva_Selection_1/ Desmond de Silva on Sinhala Songs Page]
• [http://www.infolanka.com/miyuru_gee/ Desmond de Silva on the Myuru Gee Library]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20051120070516/http://www.worldmusiccentral.org/article.php/20050822075406457 World Music Central Article on Sri Lankan Musicians]
• [https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2003/06/15/fea21.html Sunday Observer Article on Desmond de Silva's 40 years in Showbiz]
• [http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=122132&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=28180 Gulf Daily News Bahrain article ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071111005420/http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=122132&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=28180 |date=11 November 2007 }}
• {{discogs artist|Desmond De Silva}}

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{{Sinhala Music}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Silva, Desmond De}}

Category:1944 births

Category:2022 deaths

Category:20th-century Sri Lankan male singers

Category:21st-century Sri Lankan male singers

Category:Autism activists

Category:Sinhalese singers

Category:Sri Lankan emigrants to the United Kingdom

Category:Sri Lankan health activists

Category:People from Matara, Sri Lanka