උපාලි කන්නංගර
7 songs performed · 1 composition
Upali Kannangara (උපාලි කන්නංගර, also spelled Upali Kannangra) was a Sri Lankan singer, guitarist and composer whose warm, country-tinged voice carried some of the most-requested songs of the open-air musical era. He is best remembered for Parata Kittuwa Del Gasa, Dumbara Mitiyawatha Paththe and Iwasillak Na.
Kannangara was born on 5 January 1951 in Colombo. He came up through the guitar rather than the microphone, learning the instrument before he ever fronted a band. That grounding in rhythm and chord work shaped the relaxed, melodic phrasing that listeners later recognised as his.
He entered the professional scene in 1974 as a guitarist with the Super Star band led by Ernest Soysa, a fixture of Sri Lanka’s live and outdoor-musical circuit. Working as a backing musician first, he gradually moved to the front as a vocalist, and his blend of pop, soul, rhythm and blues, and country textures suited the big open-air shows where he built his following. Over a career that ran from the mid-1970s until his death, Upali Kannangara worked across stage performance, studio recording and music direction.
His best-known recordings remain staples of Sinhala oldies playlists. Beyond the breezy Parata Kittuwa Del Gasa, his catalogue includes the tender Gele Ran Mala Da Hadawi and Mage Ihe Malak Pipune (Mage Pabawathi). He also recorded for labels including Torana and Singlanka, and contributed playback vocals to Sinhala cinema.
As a composer, Upali Kannangara also wrote music for others, including Arayum Pathak performed by Vijaya Bandara Welithuduwa. He died on 12 December 2018 in Colombo at the age of 67, following heart surgery. His songs continue to play across the Sri Lankan diaspora, valued for the easy, unforced charm that defined his voice.
Every Sinhala lyric, composition, and song credit by Upali Kannangara.
Performed by: Vijaya Bandara Welithuduwa (විජය බණ්ඩාර වෙලිතුඩුව)