Wally Bastian's Hai Hooi Babiachige
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http://youtu.be/7ioWILuytV4
Wellington Mervyn Bastian aka Wally Bastiansz is the god father of Sinhala Baila, who brought Kaffrigna to the fore. By profession he was a police officer who played in the police band during the 1940s. It is said that he had been given special permission to attend musical events by then prime minister Sir John Kotelawala. Wally also played Banjo, Violin and the Spanish Guitar. His music style was later followed by many other successful Baila singers such as Anton Jones, M. S. Fernando, Desmond De Silva, Saman De Silva. His other popular songs include, Mathakai Amme, Nurse Nona, Irene Josephine, Le Kiri Karala and Ratak Watinawa.
Haai Hooi Babi Archchi is a song about an eccentric old woman who lived in Moratuwa in the 1940s, one of top hits of Wally. Whilst as Police Officer attached to the Police Band, for Wally during the 1930s and 40s it was quite common to play tunes of Western Marches, and other tunes with 6/8 rythm. Therefore, quite naturally Wally re-arranged some of these tunes to suit his own lyrics to create great Baila songs and rythms. Babi Archchi was one of such creations that paved the way for many other Baila artists such as Maxwell Mendis, A.E. Manoharan, Anton Jones etc. Babi Archchi was based on the Repasz Band March written by Charles C. Sweeley and Harry J. Lincoln, copyrighted in 1901.
The original Repasz Band, a non-military brass band, was founded in Williamsport in Pensylvania in 1831, and is still continuing in the United States, being the oldest non-military band. The Repasz Band March is their signature tune.
Some more:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7elY1kmh7PY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX05fHaXV9I
