Clarence Wijewardena Musical artist

Clarence Wijewardena (Sinhala: ක්ලැරන්ස් විජේවර්ධන; 3 August 1943 – 13 December 1996) was one of the most respected Sri Lankan musicians in Sinhala music,who pioneered the use of electric guitar in Sinhala music. He is said to have revolutionized Sri Lankan music in the 1960s and is often named as the father of Sri Lankan pop music - having influenced performers in ranging from W. D. Amaradeva, Premasiri Khemadasa to Athula Adhikari. His music is often characterized by simple melodies built around a melody that features the electric guitar - this style may be best illustrated by the song Malata Bambaraku Se.