Roar Media Archive - Culture & Identities

Welcome to Roar Media's archive of content published from 2014 to 2023. As of 2024, Roar Media has ceased editorial operations and will no longer publish new content on this website.
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A Picture In Time: Sri Lanka Through The Eyes Of Artists

The role of art in documenting culture is well known. For centuries now, artists have reproduced what they saw around them, from renditions of lush landscapes to portraits of human figures. Through their art, we are able to learn about the past, see representations of the present and even explore visions of the future.

The Gardener That Grows His Own Food In The Heart Of Colombo

There are no fantastically trimmed hedges or fancy cherub-infested fountains, but stepping into Ranjit Seneviratne’s garden after navigating the concrete-riddled congested city of Colombo is an experience in itself. This is not your typical well manicured lawn, and you will not find any sweeping flower beds; instead there are arching fruit trees, silent ponds and a haphazard wilderness of thriving greenery.

Taking Care Of Timepieces: Inside One Of Colombo’s Last Clock Repair Shops

There are little shops in Fort and Pettah in Colombo which often go unnoticed, for most of these shops are hidden between much larger and newer establishments.Trust Watch Works on Sri Baron Jayathilake Mawatha in Fort, is one such place. The shop is run by Lenus Peiris, and he has made a living for himself and his family over the past ten years by making, selling, and repairing antique and modern clocks and watches.

Four Sri Lankan Movies Based On Real Life Events

When you have a past that’s as eventful and colourful as Sri Lanka’s, some stories seem wilder than the movies. But it’s precisely these stories that filmmakers often pounce on to make a stunning, compelling film. Recently films like Silence in the Courts and According to Matthew made the news. Here are four of Sri Lanka’s best known films based on true stories.

The Toy Cart Maker

toy cart maker

The Artisans Of Traditional Beats

Artisans Of Traditional Beats

The Sri Lankan Film Songs That Used Melodies From Hindi Films

Sri Lanka’s popular cinema and pop music are closely related, and in their earliest days they both were very closely connected to Indian Hindi cinema. The reason for this is that
the earliest Sinhala language films were all made with the services of Indian artistes.

The Music Maestro of the Borella Crossroads

Music Maestro of the Borella Crossroads

A Divine Dance From South India: Bharatanatyam

Bharatanatyam

Thuryaa: Making History As Sri Lanka’s First Female Percussion Band

Once an art that was strictly limited to men in the country, traditional drumming was considered taboo for women. There was no way for a woman, or girl, to learn it, especially as boys were taken under the wings of a patron who would teach them rigorously for years. This left a void where female performers were concerned.

Dulshan Ellawela: Archiving Sri Lanka’s History With Stamps

Looking small and rather faded underneath the transparent protective covering, the stamp appears pretty unremarkable. A dull pink in colour, with the profile of…

The Sri Lanka Magic Circle; More Than Just Pulling Rabbits Out Of Hats

Regent Street, February 10, 1922. A riveting public show, a flamboyant Ceylonese illusionist, the seed of an idea from a seller of magical books…

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