Veteran musician Neela Wickremasinghe passes away (Video)

Veteran singer musician and current Consulate General at Milan, Italy, Neela Wickremasinghe, has passed away.

She was 71-years-old at the time of her demise.

She learned music under maestro Vincent Somapala and Ananda Jayasinghe.

She had a number of popular hits, including duets with T. M. Jayaratne.

Born in Wattala on March 20, 1959, Donna Delicia Neela Wickramasinghe is a singer who has excelled in singing since childhood.

When she was just 6 months old, Neela Wickramasinghe contracted polio.

Neela Wickremasinghe sang her first song for the then Radio Ceylon in 1959 for a programme 'Amateur voice.'

The song was composed by Dalton Alwis and the music was composed by Lionel Algae.

In 1974, she received her Master of Music degree in North Indian Classical Music.

She later worked as a music teacher in a number of schools in the island at the age of 23 in 1998.

Neela Wickramasinghe has sung backing vocals in 67 films and has also contributed music direction to nearly 50 songs.

Scholar Neela Wickramasinghe has won the Sarasavi Award for Best Film Background Singer on three occasions in her music career.

That was in 1984, 1986, and 1992.

Neela Wickramasinghe also won the Sumathi Award for Best Teledrama Backing Singer in 1996.

Neela Wickramasinghe is a singer with extraordinary mental strength was able to defeat abdominal cancer.

Carefully selected and sung during her long musical journey, she sang famous songs such as songs like 'Punchi Site Punchi Sina', 'Rahase Handana Apa Hagum', 'Ran Tikiri Sina', and 'Viyo Gee Gayena Hade'