by Namini Wijedasa pix by Jude Denzil Pathiraja
The modest musical band does not even have a name. Nobody promotes it and its members don’t advertise. The instruments are new but they don’t get played often. The songs are modern, but they are rarely heard. This may be because orders are few and far between for the band’s talented, enthusiastic, blind musicians.

Susantha Premaratne can play any musical instrument he sets his mind to. It does not matter that he can’t see them. On the contrary, this shortcoming has made his ears even sharper. Like others in the band, the 48-year-old Susantha can pick up a melody faster and perhaps with greater accuracy than his sighted counterparts in other groups.

The band is a project of the Sri Lanka Federation of the Visually Handicapped and has been around for the past 15 years. It has more than ten members, though all may not participate at a time. Initially, it comprised old-fashioned acoustic instruments like the violin, accordion, harmonium and harmonica. Gradually, it was upgraded to an electronic outfit with drums, organ, octopad and three guitars. The money came from the government’s fund for the visually handicapped.

Last week, three musicians from the group assembled at the federation’s headquarters in Slave Island for a short demonstration of their abilities. Susantha was on the organ, Indrajith Thomas (31) on drums and Anura (38) on the octopad.

The musicians were good. Even an untrained ear could grasp that music came to them naturally. Susantha led, his fingers moving automatically over the keys and the various knobs which controlled rhythm and tone in the organ. He sang a ‘Seegiri geeya’ while playing and the others backed him without missing a beat.

The band plays by ear. They cannot read musical notes although there are other blind musicians who use Braille to do so. "If we listen once or twice to a song, we can play it almost immediately," said Susantha. "We can figure it out and copy it accurately. Our notation is in our mind. It is a gift."

However, a blind musician has to be familiar with the instrument. It takes a while, for instance, to become accustomed to a new organ — to identify tones and to locate relevant knobs, buttons and keys.

Many of the band’s artistes are vocalists. "We have some very good singers but they could not come for this demonstration," said R. A Sirisena, the federation’s president. He explained that the band’s members were scattered around the country and only arrived when given prior notice of some function they were scheduled to entertain at. All of them had regular employment. For instance, Indrajith worked in the packing section of a plastics company. Susantha was a teacher at the Ratmalana School for the Blind and Anura was a wandering salesman whose trade was mainly in linen.

Because of their varied lifestyles, the band has little opportunity to convene and practice. Instead, they meet on the eve of a function and brush up before playing in public. Another major reason for haphazard practice sessions is the absence of trainer. At the moment, a guitarist from another band is helping the group with their basics. But Aelian Tillekeratne admits that there is a limit to what he can do. He usually helps the members set up their equipment and get acquainted.

Meanwhile, the lack of funding prevents the federation from getting the artistes to Colombo regularly. If they come of their own accord, they lose a day’s wages and the federation cannot afford to pay their travelling costs and other allowances with the money they currently have in their coffers.

Their dream, said Susantha, was to develop themselves to the level of other more popular bands but resources and training are lacking. Consequently, very few people hire them for their functions. They get called perhaps twice or thrice a year. Eric Rajapakse Opticians are among the companies which like to see the federation’s musicians at their regular parties.

"We are not deaf," said Susantha. "We can hear other bands playing on radio and we feel sad that we haven’t the means to raise ourselves to that standard. If we could meet at least once a week and practice, it would be good."

"It would be good if someone helps us develop our group and our talents," said Anura. "Somebody with a good knowledge of music should come here and train the band."

Their main objective was to secure bookings. "There aren’t many now," said Alex M. Jayawardene, the federation’s project officer. "But we are confident that we can get many more. What we need is a sponsor." They also need a new set of drums because the one they have is unsteady. "Doesn’t matter if it is a used set," Jayawardene pleaded.

None of them are pessimistic. Being blind has taught them that survival is a constant struggle. Their backgrounds are varied but none of them had it easy. Indrajith, the drummer, was born blind and has another brother who is sightless. He started playing while a student at Ratmalana School for the Blind but initially treated it as a hobby. He became associated with the federation’s musical group in 1989 but rarely plays because of the scarcity of bookings. He does, however, do some random stints with other friends who own bands. It doesn’t pay much and he depends more on his regular job than on drumming.

Indrajith lives on rent at Piliyandala. He is married to a blind teacher. Susantha is also married. He joined the band in 1980. Blinded by illness at the age of three, he also plays the accordion, the base, rhythm and box guitar, flute, piano, melodica and other wind instruments. At present, he teaches Braille, computer and English at Ratmalana. At Christmas, he sings carols in another annual project undertaken by the federation.

Susantha has three children, all of whom can see. They, too, love music and can sing well, he said, with pride. "We get together of an evening and sing," he smiled. "I play the accordion and my son has a small set of drums."

Anura attended a deaf and blind school in Mahaweva. He is married but has no children and now lives in Negombo as does Susantha. He started his music career with tabla but learnt octopad after the band acquired one such instrument.

"Kapuge, Divulgane... anybody," said Susantha, when asked what sort of music they play. The band doesn’t charge much. For a recent show in Anuradhapura, they quoted Rs. 6,000 with transport. Ultimately, each of them gets a mere pittance.

"We don’t want to cite big prices," Sirisena said. "We just want publicity. We want to promote our band."

These sightless musicians, like any other band, need practice and backing. But they are handicapped in many ways. On the one hand, they cannot see. On the other, they are dogged by others’ misconception that the blind have no talents. With a multitude of other obstacles in their path, the nameless musical group continues to sing in the hope that somebody with give them the chance they yearn for.