අනිල් භාරති
16 songs performed
Anil Bharathi (also spelled Anil Barathi), අනිල් භාරති, was a Sri Lankan singer remembered for his deep, resonant voice and for becoming one of the country’s most beloved Christmas vocalists. He rose to prominence in the early 1970s as a lead singer of the pioneering pop group Golden Chimes, before sustaining a solo career across five decades.
Bharathi entered the Sinhala music scene through Golden Chimes, the band fronted by composer Clarence Wijewardena in the early 1970s. Wijewardena’s melodies and the group’s blend of Western pop with Sinhala lyrics suited Bharathi’s distinctive low register, and the partnership gave him several of his earliest recordings. He went on to record songs such as Iru Dina Pamanak Nowa and Sulanga Samaga Ekathu Wela.
Bharathi became widely known as Sri Lanka’s “Christmas singer”, recording a large body of seasonal songs over his career. The most enduring is BethLehem Pure (බෙත්ලෙහෙම් පුරේ), a Christmas standard composed by Clarence Wijewardena that has remained a fixture of the Sri Lankan festive season for more than half a century. His seasonal repertoire kept him in steady demand for indoor concerts year after year.
Beyond his Christmas work, Anil Barathi recorded many love songs and ballads that remain familiar to Sri Lankan listeners. Among the best known is Seethala Sanda Eliye, along with Hiru Ipadena Wita, Ma Adareyi Nangiye and Ada Wei Iru Dina. He was credited with well over a hundred recordings across his career.
Alongside his singing, Bharathi spent decades at the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation as a presenter and administrator. He died on 22 January 2025 at the age of 75. His Christmas songs, and BethLehem Pure in particular, continue to be played across Sri Lanka and the diaspora each December.
Every Sinhala lyric, composition, and song credit by Anil Barathi.