Sri Lankan Poet and Irish Violinist Marry Music, Lives
Unique music shows their common experience of exile and immigration
Lonny Shavelson | San Francisco, California March 16, 2011
Irish violinist Colm O'Riain and his wife, Pireeni Sundaralingam, a Sri Lankan Tamil poet, performing together.
Photo: VOA - L. Shavelson
Irish violinist Colm O'Riain and his wife, Pireeni Sundaralingam, a Sri Lankan Tamil poet, performing together.
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Colm O'Riain is an Irish violinist. Pireeni Sundaralingam is a Sri Lankan Tamil poet. They’re married and have created a unique music that sounds out their common experience of exile and immigration.
Perhaps the best way to introduce the marital and musical pairing of Colm O’Riain and Pireeni Sundaralingam is from the first time his Irish and her Sri Lankan parents met.
"We initially were rather concerned as how our parents would react, as we came from different religions, different backgrounds, two different parts of the planet," says Sundaralingam. "When they did meet, they found they had many stories in common, stories of colonialism, of resistance, also of poetry and literature and the music that springs out of that. My father said, 'I don’t know what you were so worried about. They’re just like our people.'"
The British declared the Island of Sri Lanka a Crown Colony in 1802, one year after they attached Ireland to the United Kingdom, and that Crown unity led to the suppression of the Gaelic language in Ireland.
"If caught speaking Irish, you could be sent to jail," says O'Riain. "If caught teaching it, you could be deported."
The Tamil language in Sri Lanka faced similar challenges.
"Tamil language could no longer be used in law courts and schools," says Sundaralingam.
From that common colonial experience grows a song and poem called "Celtic Raag," in Tamil, Gaelic and English.
"If I could choose the language in which I spoke to you,
I would chose the dark, red tongue of the Tamil Lands,
the yearning notes, the desert drone,
the heated hum of the monsoon rising.
If I could choose the language in which I spoke to you,
I would choose to speak in Gaelic,
the sliding scale, the sussuration of breath,
The sound of water beating between us."
"We both come from small islands surrounded by large oceans," says O'Riain.
"I’m sure that the sounds of both Gaelic and Tamil were influenced by the fact they evolved right there beside the ocean," says Sundaralingam.
The couple has performed at the English National Theatre in London and the UN Headquarters in New York as well as at arts and literary festivals around the world. They see a natural meshing of their two arts forms.
"Pireeni’s poetry is naturally lyrical, and the basis of all lyrical poetry is music," says O'Riain. "And I grew up in Ireland where there’s a very strong poetry movement."
"It was once said that every poet lives as an exile within his own language, and to write poetry that you have to look at the world sideways on, to feel slightly at odds with the world, to look at things with fresh eyes," says Sundaralingam.
The two have released a CD called “Bridge Across the Blue,” which brings together musicians and writers from different ethnic traditions to tell the immigrant stories of America.
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Comments (11)
16-03-2011 Chan (Canada)
Nice to hear about the unity of two artists from two sides of the world. But on thing is not true in the article. That lie "Tamil is not use in schools & courts" All the Tamil kids study in Tamil in the country and other kids study Tamil as a second language. Tamil use in courts in North & East together with English. Just to clarify.
16-03-2011 mark
In Sri Lanka there is a planed discrimination of tamil language is carried out by Sinhalese Govt for several decades and it is still continuing in a increased phase. The native Tamil names of the villages directly translated and applied in name boards. National anthem which was sung in both languages, is currently ordered to use its Sinhalese version. Schools in non Tamil areas are encouraged to study in Sinhala medium and Tamil medium students are less encouraged in public sector jobs.
17-03-2011 Nancy Judah (Canada)
Chan, Clearly you don't know your history. Tamil kids today are denied the education of THEIR history, as the textbooks are full of dominant propaganda. Tamil kids are not given priority to learn Tamil in schools, instead they're forced to learn Sinhala. Tamil kids are not allowed to cultivate their cultural mediums, their classical dance and music and literature and fine arts, instead you see sinhalese art forms being performed at Tamil public functions forced on by sinhalese politicians.
17-03-2011
Wonderful write up VOA, Thank you. I apologize for deviating from the work of the artistes What is happening is there are several schools that damaged in the war, where Tamils are, still occupied by the Armed forces of Sri Lanka. Some places they have been declared "High Security zones" and residents evicted. In capital Colombo the school named after Sri Lanka's first Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake, attempts are being made to close down the Tamil medium classes in this reputed school.
17-03-2011 Rajan (UK)
"…I chose to do my fieldwork in South India, probably because through my mother I am Irish. In many ways, South India is to North India as Ireland is to England. South India has been dominated politically and culturally by North India for many centuries. Tamils in particular, the most populous of the South Indian ethnic groups (defined by the language they speak), take pride in their identity and more than once this century have attempted to establish a separate Tamil nation.
17-03-2011 Rajan (UK)
"…Also like the Irish, Tamils believe in strong sentiment: rage, grief, compassion, affection, desire, laughter, and ecstasy are openly and frequently displayed in the streets and courtyards of Tamil Nadu. And like the Irish, the Tamils value the gift of the gab: fabulous conversationalists, storytellers, singers and poets abound among them.” (p.4)
17-03-2011
In 1956 The sinhala only act came in Srilanka only 8 years after the British rule and 450 years of colonial rule when european languages were official. In 2010 Srilanka stopped Tamil National Anthem after It's president's embarrassment of Oxford union Insident. The war on Tamil people in the name of Terrorism also on Tamil culture and language for more than 30 years as in Ireland!
17-03-2011 Del (Australia)
I am reluctant to accept what you’re saying about Irish language in Ireland .Because one thing i know very clearly that Ms . sundaralingam 's comment about Tamil language in Sri Lanka is utter lie. In Sri Lanka Tamil kids study in Tamil medium . Tamil language use in courts as well .please be kind enough to correct your article.
17-03-2011 Waran (Australia)
I did my first degree in Colombo, Sri lanka. There was sinhala medium and English medium. I completed my degree in English and wanted to do my post grad in Australia. So i approached the faculty head (Dean) for a letter to confirm i did my degree in English. Instead she gave me a letter saying Sinhala is the main language they offer but English is also available. If an academic has this kind of mentality what can be expected from ordinary people ?
17-03-2011
"The Tamil language in Sri Lanka faced similar challenges. "Tamil language could no longer be used in law courts and schools," says Sundaralingam. I think she is referring to the above during a colonial era when English was the national and official language.
01-04-2011 Anshi (China)
It was once said that every poet lives as an exile within his own language, and to write poetry that you have to look at the world sideways on, to feel slightly at odds with the world, to look at things with fresh eyes.———— i like this discription about poets. Very beautiful.
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