Rakitha Welangoda

Rakitha Welangoda (රකිත වැලන්ගොඩ), often credited simply as Rakitha, is a Sri Lankan singer, songwriter, and music producer. He is known for melodic Sinhala pop in which he frequently performs, composes, and writes the songs himself, with hits such as “Sudu Rosa”, “Oba Mage Nam”, and “Anduru Ahasaka”.

Early life and start in music

Welangoda was schooled at Trinity College, Kandy, where his interest in music took shape as a student. He has said his musical path began in childhood and gathered momentum after he and a school friend, Sachin, won a college music competition in the mid-1990s. The two went on to perform together as an early duo, an apprenticeship that fed into Welangoda’s later solo work as both vocalist and composer.

Career

Welangoda built a catalogue across the 2000s and 2010s in which he is typically the singer and the composer at once, and on several tracks the lyricist too. His early album Tharuketa produced widely played songs and established him with Sinhala radio audiences, and later releases extended his reach to streaming platforms and music video channels.

A recurring feature of his work is collaboration with lyric writers who shape the words around his melodies. Hiran Thenuwara wrote the words for Anduru Ahasaka, while Randika Amarasuriya contributed lyrics to other songs in his discography. On Hirimal Seethala Wasse he shares the credit with Manjula Dilrukshi.

Signature songs

Among the songs by Rakitha (Rakitha Welangoda) that listeners return to are the romantic Sudu Rosa and Oba Mage Nam, alongside Purami Parami (Dad Song), a tribute number, and the cricket-themed Abimane (Cricket Song). His range, from intimate love songs to occasion pieces, reflects an artist comfortable writing for both the heart and the moment.

Notable songs on Lyrics-lk

• Sudu Rosa
• Oba Mage Nam
• Anduru Ahasaka
• Purami Parami (Dad Song)
• Hada Randu Adare Namin
• Mage Surathe Diura
• Hirimal Seethala Wasse
• Abimane (Cricket Song)

Lyrics-lk presents the Sinhala lyrics for these songs in the original Sinhala script, with English transliteration and translation, so that both Sri Lankan listeners and the diaspora can follow the meaning of Welangoda’s work.