8 Portraits of elders in Negombo

The Passion Play Actor

Christy Mihindukulasooriya

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Christy Mihindukulasooriya was the first man to play the role of Jesus Christ in the Duwa Passion Plays. Before him there were only statues. Christy talks to us about the long history of the Duwa Passion Play and his anecdotes of playing Jesus for forty years.

Recorded: September 21, 2013
Photographer: Kannan Arunasalam, Dominic Sansoni
Published: August 4, 2023
Main story:
So I told the director, I wanted to play a bigger role
There are also 2 supporting stories

The Migrant Worker

Lejmal Hussein

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Lejmal Hussein reflects on vicissitudes of working as a migrant worker in Saudi Arabia for nineteen years, away from his family.

Recorded: September 8, 2013
Photographer: Kannan Arunasalam
Published: August 2, 2023
Main story:
Every two years I come here and go back
5921 listens
3 comments
Subjects discussed:
Community, Faith, Family, Language, Occupation, Travel
There are also 2 supporting stories

The Prayer Leader

Joseph Chooge

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‘Annawi’ Joseph Chooge recalls his days of singing hymns in Latin and how the lives of people going to church in Negombo were affected by language changes of church and country. 

Photographer : Kannan Arunasalam
Published: June 28, 2023
Main story:
No matter where you go, you can communicate with anyone.
Subjects discussed:
Faith, Language, Occupation

The Fisherman’s Wife

Mary Joaana Vaas

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Mary Joaana Vaas

Mary Joaana Vaas is a 90-year-old fisherwoman from Duwa. She talks about her husband who took her on his travels to the north and east with their young family, befriending Tamil communities there, in a time untouched by war.

Recorded: September 4, 2013
Photographer: Kannan Arunasalam
Published: May 5, 2023
Main story:
The Tamils also loved us
2911 listens
Subjects discussed:
Death, Faith, Family, Occupation, Religion, Tradition, Travel, War
There are also 2 supporting stories

The Rathu mudalali’s son

Gerald Fonseka

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Gerald Fonseka talks about his late father, known locally as Rathu mudalali. The father’s ethical treatment of his workers on the coconut plantations and mills in the 1950s inspired the son to do the same.

Recorded: September 19, 2013
Photographer: Kannan Arunasalam
Published: April 7, 2023
Main story:
He used to get into the paddy fields with them
2708 listens
Subjects discussed:
Caste, Community, Family, Occupation
There is also 1 supporting story

The descendant

Selvam Croos Moraes

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A member of Negombo’s Bharatha community, Selvam Croos Moraes reminisces about his discovery of an archive photograph of the Donoughmore Commission, in which his father was a staff member. He talks about his distinctive community and the challenges he faced in getting the photograph recognised as part of Sri Lankan history.

Recorded: September 8, 2013
Photographer: Kannan Arunasalam
Published: April 7, 2023
Main story:
Fourth from the right of the picture…This is my father
6498 listens
1 comments
Subjects discussed:
Community, Family, Language, Occupation
There are also 3 supporting stories

The garage owner

Justinus Lawrence

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Justinus Lawrence

Justinus Lawrence’s father travelled to Negombo to start his own garage sixty years ago. Full of laughter, he talks about taking over the garage and the challenges he faces in running it today.

Recorded: August 30, 2013
Interviewer: Kannan Arunasalam
Published: April 7, 2023
Main story:
From the day I was born I did this job
2968 listens
Subjects discussed:
Death, Family, Occupation, Tradition
There is also 1 supporting story

The cigar seller

Lawrence Saravanamuttu

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Lawrence Saravanamuttu’s grandfather Soosaipillai came to Negombo from his hometown of Jaffna to open the shop that would become famous for selling Jaffna cigars.
One hundred and fifty years ago, Lawrence Saravanamuttu’s grandfather Soosaipillai came to Negombo from his hometown of Jaffna to open the shop that would become famous for selling Jaffna cigars. The shop still sells cigars but as Soosaipillai explains, they are no longer from Jaffna.
Recorded: August 17, 2013
Photographer: Kannan Arunasalam
Published: April 7, 2023
Main story:
The most important was the cigars
7333 listens
1 comments
Subjects discussed:
Black July, Community, Conflict, History, Tradition
There are also 3 supporting stories