Interview With Pradeep Rangana

This is a PART of an interview I had with Pradeep, in September.......

Full Name: Pradeep Rangana Abesinghe
Birth Day: 12th November 1983
Home Town: Weralupe – Rathnapura
Family: Living with Mom, Dad, 1 Elder sister, and 1 Younger sister
Schools: Fergusan Girls’ School – Rathnapura & St. Thomas’s College - Bandarawela.

What extra curricular activities you did at school?
 I was involved in Cricket, Table Tennis, Badminton and did Cadeting while I was at school. Apart from that I was involved in competitions like folk song competitions, etc.

What made you follow Bio Science stream?
 I had this dream of being a Doctor from my childhood. Though I did not get good results for my O/L, I decided that I can achieve that. So I went on with it. And I am now a 3rd year medical student..

Why you did not think about studying Music?
 No. I had this ability to sing well, from my childhood. But since my major aim was to become a doctor, so I did not think of studying music as a subject. But I always wanted to have it to shine myself up. I think in that way only I would be a valuable person.

Who insisted you to compete in SSS?
 Well, I also had the idea of competing in this, but it was my friends who made up mind to apply. They encourage me saying that I can sing better than most of the people who are competing in SSS.

What do you think about Surendra? Do you think he is giving a good competition to you? Is it a pressure for you?
 No, Not at all. I do not think so. We have different talents. I think I can sing songs of different style. I have proved that too. Surendra is a person with a good talent, people like that, and specially I like his singing. Other than that he is filling a space which Sri Lankan music industry has been suffering about. He has a great voice that matches cinemas. I appreciate him and we all are friends now, so I never think that I have a competition or any pressure from him. It is a competition based on SMS, so everything is decided upon the public.

People have an idea that you and Surendra will be qualified for finals
 yeah, I have heard so. As I told before this is based on the decision of people. So, I do not know what will happen. But I am thankful to all the people who support me and encourage me..

Some have an idea that your singing is artificial and also that you imitate.
 I think that people want to hear a song the way it is sung already. For an example, if we try to sing Mr. Amaradeva’s song in Jothipala’s style, it is not successful. His songs should be sung in his style. That is why I try to sing the song the way it is originally sung. It is not something that anyone can do.I still remember that Ms. Rashmi Sangeetha praised me for singing with a great variation. It is anyway MY voice, so I think to make a song beautiful, we need to get that style in to the song, in which it was sung by the original singer. But if I do my own song, I will have my own style in it.

Some people have put up comments that they nearly cry when you sing…
 Yes, many people have called up and told me that they are really impressed. I think even if I lose the crown, this love I get and the blessings are more than enough for me.

There are some people who have commented about your way of responding the comments from judges. They say that you are wise then.
 Well, we should be. We have to be humble. Because they are showing up our faults where we should be improved. So I think we need to accept whatever they say. Specially we don’t need to be proud when they praise us.I have to mention this also. We practice these 2 songs in one week. Not only two actually, we need to practice the group song as well as the song sung at the departure. So we do all these in a week, while we have to attend the workshop conducted by Ms. Anoja Weerasinghe as well. Apart from that we have recordings of our new songs. In that way we all do a big thing. Like other competitions, if we had one song to practice without any other work, then I think these competitors will do it in a superbway.

You have comments on your performance for the song ‘Mal kekuli komalee manalee’..
 Well, yes, I know. I have a talent to dance as well , but I did not have the chance to do that kind of a performance since I did not get such a song.

How about your studies? Are you going to continue your studies with the next batch?
 I have an idea, but not decided yet. I have this feeling that people might think that I should give something for them…I want your (people behind my success) feedback on this…

(I told him that it is the best thing to finish his studies, and that he should give the priority to his studies :-))