බිලී ෆර්නෑන්ඩෝ
25 songs performed · 12 compositions
Billy Fernando (බිලී ප්රනාන්දු) is a Sri Lankan pop singer, composer, and music producer, born in 1982, known for blending modern pop with Sinhala folk material and for the New Year raban padha verses that introduced a younger audience to traditional Avurudu sounds.
Fernando came up through the band scene before stepping out as a solo vocalist in the Sinhala pop stream. He played guitar in a gospel group early on and later drummed for the duo Bathiya and Santhush, an apprenticeship that shaped the polished, electronic-leaning production of his own records.
His solo breakthrough came with Hadawatha Pathule, released around 2012, which became a radio hit and established his romantic-pop signature. He followed it with the much-covered Yuwathiyakata Oba Adare Nam and Oba Kamathy Nam Mata Kiyanna, both staples of his live sets.
In the same period Fernando recorded a full album of raban padha, the call-and-response rhythmic verses tied to the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. Working with a percussion ensemble credited as Billy Fernando & Team, he reworked traditional banku-raban chants into produced tracks, helping keep the genre alive for a generation raised on pop. Lyrics-lk hosts several of these, including Dontha Babakkata, Kandak Uda Gon Dennek, and Haban Kukulo Pas Denai.
Beyond his own catalogue, Fernando has composed and produced for other artists, including Ashanthi, Devashrie, Brenda Mendis, and Kanishka Fernando. He is also noted for contemporary remakes of older Sinhala pop classics, recast for current arrangements and streaming audiences.
Fernando founded and fronts the Sri Lankan concert band 2Forty2, a large live act known for full-band remakes of Sinhala evergreens. A regular featured voice in the group is the singer Devashrie de Silva, whom Fernando married. The two had sung together years earlier in the gospel rock band Ezra, and they now record and perform as a couple, from wedding and Christmas songs to 2Forty2 singles such as “Dhoni” and “Ran Tharu Payana”.
Every Sinhala lyric, composition, and song credit by Billy Fernando.
Performed by: Billy Fernando (බිලී ෆර්නෑන්ඩෝ)
Performed by: Billy Fernando (බිලී ෆර්නෑන්ඩෝ)
Performed by: Billy Fernando (බිලී ෆර්නෑන්ඩෝ)
Performed by: Billy Fernando (බිලී ෆර්නෑන්ඩෝ)
Performed by: Billy Fernando (බිලී ෆර්නෑන්ඩෝ)