Gypsies’ leader, Sunil Perera has gone away from us due to Covid 19. I write these few lines on how I as a Clergyman would like to remember this great entertainer of our times. I need not write long lines to talk about his contribution to the music stage in Sri Lanka, as it is very well known. But I mention here a few things that I appreciated in him as an entertainer. Sunil was one of those who are rare to find – a person who would call spade a spade. He did it using the gift of music, singing and entertainment which had a strong appeal to the audience to take a serious note of the evil in society which many have ignored for their safety. He paid the price for such revelations he made when he was physically harmed by those who got exposed through Sunil’s songs. But some remained silent when their weakness was mentioned directly and openly right in front of their eyes through a Baila sung by Sunil. At a concert in the BMICH I witnessed him singing the famous baila “Apata Kiyanna”.
