If you’re a Sri Lankan 2000’s kid or a posh international school stud, you should be already wondering, “Man, is this about weed songs? Like Iraj’s Pushpe” aaaaaaand Nope.
This is about real flowers, like those you find in Peradeniya botanical garden. Yes dude, we had a whole music era (I believe from early 2005 to around late 2009) where all the Sri Lankan artists tried to symbolize flowers as women,love etc. The list went on forever till they finally ran out of flowers. I’m not even kidding. Still won’t believe me? Check out the list below.
01. සුදු අරලියා මල (White Plumeria) : Ajith Muthukumarana
Being the most beloved flower song of all time, the white plumeria is used as a metaphor for the girl, singer is in love with. Normally Plumeria blooms as a bunch of flowers. So the singer connotes the girls solitude calling her a single Plumeria flower. Alright let’s not go that deep.
02. කිංස්ලි පීරිස් (Kingsley Peiris)
This guy is obviously not a flower. He’s one of the lead singers in this famous Lankan band “Flashback”. I realized he will fill up my post all by his songs so I added him as one sub-topic. This nigga is the father of flower songs! Check the list.
- දෙහි මලක් (Lime blossom. Yes, lime.) The girl once again is a lime flower whose fragrance is only noticeable when she’s far away.
- දෙලුම් මලක් (Pomegranate flower)
The first song of the album. It gets kinda confusing when he calls the girl a ‘Rose’ in the 1st verse. Two different girls? Probably. - රෝස පඳුර (Rose Bush)
Rosa Pandura <- Couldn’t find the youtube link. Click for the mp3.
and Good luck figuring out the song meaning.
favorite line: “Don’t break my pink dreams.”
- උක් මලක් (Cane flower)
Couldn’t find youtube again. Click here -> Uk malak - නෙල්ලි මලක (Indian gooseberry flower)
Nelli Malaka
- රන් තැඹිලි මලක් (King Coconut Flower)
Ran Thambili
I know what you’re thinking. This dude is on fire! - ඩේලියා මලෙන් (Dahlia) : Dayan Witharana
I’m gonna stop here for now with his songs. But I’m pretty sure there’s more.
03. ඩැෆඩිල් මලේ (Daffodil) : Dayan Witharana
Lovely melody, Good music and it’s actually a nice song.
04. ඇපල් මල (Apple flower) : Amarasiri Pieris
Having brilliant music and actually a sense of meaning than other flower songs, this song was a hit and it never gets old.
05. සපත්තු මල (ලා රතු පාටයි) Shoe flower (is light red) : Subani Harshani
One of the Sri Lankan songs which states the obvious. The shoe flower is not even a metaphor in the song. Probably the writer just went with his/her favorite flower while keeping the rhyme.
06. කැමීලියා මල් (Camellia) : Kithsiri Jayasekara
A soulful song with a good melody. Sponsored by Disney; If they ever built a brown version of Cinderella, this would have been the theme song. Good guitar parts. The song was a hit.
07. ඇන්තූරියම් මලක (Anthurium) : Madawa Indiketiya
Another Lankan ‘boot’ song. The girl is marrying another guy and red Anthuriums are white now. Anthurium malaka
08. උඩවැඩියා මලක් (Orchid) : Chamara Weerasinghe
The girl is in a higher class in the society like orchids are blossoming in a higher ground. Metaphor is a win.
09. නටුවෙන් ගිලිහුනු පින්න මලක් : Mist flower : Priyal Amarasinghe
favorite line : ” The world depends on love. And love is also the same. So don’t be afraid to love. And you’ll never remain the same” Well whatever that means.
And the list keeps going. Some songs are quite recent too.
- Gini malak – kithsiri jayasekara -> Gini Malak
- Rathu araliya malak wage -> Rathu araliya
- Rosa mal yaye : Kasun Kalhara -> Rosa mal
- Narilatha Male : Nalin Perera -> Nari Latha
- Duhul Malaka : Nirosha Virajini -> Duhul Malaka
- Sudu rosa mal : Shihan -> Sudu Rosa
- Liyathambara : Athma Liyanage -> Liyathambara
- Na mal mitak : Randhir -> Na mal
- Kaduru malak : Ajith Muthukumarana -> Kaduru Malak
- Bak mee mal : Chandana Liyanaarachchi ->Bak Mee mala
- Atapethiya Malakata : Asanka Priyamantha -> Atapethiya
Pretty sure I have missed a lot. Comment more songs and prove that you’re a real Lankan 90’s kid.
Remember the Song era of temples? From Bellanwilla to Kiri Wehera to Sri maha bodiya.
I’ll probably make a whole list of them in my next post. Stay tuned.
