CT Fernando

C. T. Fernando (also written CT Fernando), සී. ටී. ප්‍රනාන්දු, born Cyril Tudor Fernando, was a Sri Lankan singer and songwriter widely regarded as one of the earliest popular voices of Sinhala light music. Active from the 1940s until his death in 1977, he is often credited as the first Sinhala pop singer, and his melodies remain part of everyday listening across Sri Lanka and the diaspora.

Early life and entry into music

C. T. Fernando was born on 28 January 1921 in the Colombo district and was schooled at St. Mary’s College, Nawalpitiya, where he sang in the church choir and took part in school drama. He moved into radio work in the 1940s, and in 1946 he passed the audition to become a grade-one artist at Radio Ceylon, the platform that carried his early recordings to a national audience.

Career and breakthrough

In 1952 Fernando began recording commercially with HMV through the Cargills company, and between 1959 and 1960 he was rated among the most popular singers in the country. He was one of the first Sinhala artists to perform abroad, touring Europe in the 1960s, which helped carry Sinhala song to listeners outside the island. His writing favoured plain, singable language and themes drawn from village life, devotion, and childhood, an approach that set CT Fernando apart from the more formal idiom of his contemporaries.

Signature songs and collaborations

Fernando is remembered both for solo numbers and for duets. He recorded frequently with Latha Walpola, including the much-loved Salalihini Kowul and Malbara Himidiriye Pipune. His cradle song Bilinda Nalawe and the gentle Ane Dingak Innako are still sung today. His son, Priyantha Fernando, went on to become a popular singer in his own right, joining him on the recording Sunila Waralasa Mudanni.

Notable songs on Lyrics-lk

• Lo Ada Ninde
• Punsanda Hinahenne
• Amba Ruk Sewanelle
• Salalihini Kowul
• Bilinda Nalawe
• Ma Bala Kale
• Ran Wan Ran Kendi
• Kalu Mahaweli

Legacy

C. T. Fernando died on 17 October 1977, but his catalogue has stayed in steady circulation through radio, reissues, and cover versions. For many listeners his songs are a first memory of Sinhala music, and the warmth and directness of his voice are why C T Fernando recordings continue to find new audiences decades on. Lyrics-lk hosts a large part of his catalogue with Sinhala lyrics, transliteration in English (Singlish), and translation, so the meaning of each song travels with the melody.