WHY NOT SRI LANKA? සිංහල

Songs

The songs of Why Not Sri Lanka?

Sinhala songs from the book Why Not Sri Lanka?, each one sung from the moment an idea has already come true. Lyrics in Sinhala, romanised and with the English meaning.

123 songs, 3 with a video out now. The songs are on the Why Not Sri Lanka channel on YouTube as they come out.

Out now

Coming soon

Songs still being made, by the part of the book they come from

Cluster 1: Stay longer, spend more (the $2.4 billion gap)

  1. 1ආයුබෝවන්! හැමෝම ආවා!Ayubowan! Everyone's Here!At five in the morning at the arrivals door, the man with the name board has his daughter beside him with a...Coming soon
  2. 2ආයෙත් ආවා, අපේ ඇල්ලටBack Again, to Our WaterfallAt the top of the stone steps down to our waterfall, the family that found the pool years ago is back, and...Coming soon

Cluster 2: Sell the making, not the object

  1. 3සරුංගලේ නැග්ගාThe Kite's UpOn the beach in the morning the visitors' children paint our name on the kite in big letters, and at sunset...Coming soon
  2. 4අපේ ඔරුව මුහුදටOur Oruwa Goes to SeaAt dawn on the sand the whole family gathers round the oruwa before first light, Seeya lays down his adze...Coming soon
  3. 5මගේ තේ, මගේ අතින්My Tea, My Own HandsIn the morning mist in the rows of our estate, Amma shows a visitor how to pluck two leaves and a bud, and...Coming soon
  4. 6බෝතලේ මගේ නමMy Name on the BottleAt the blending table under the trees in our cinnamon garden, the visitor opens a row of little bottles one...Coming soon

Cluster 3: Souvenirs that are actually from here

  1. 7අම්මගේ ජම්පරේAmma's JumperComing soon
  2. ගාල්ලේ බීරලුGalle BeeraluOn a veranda in Galle, Amma clicks the bobbins on the lace pillow while a visitor watches the scarf grow, row...Coming soon

Cluster 4: The experience economy

  1. කරිය දිනුවා, ගමම කෑවාHer Curry Won, the Whole Village AteA Sunday cook-off on the temple ground, and Amma on the judges' bench tastes, shuts her eyes and puts her...Coming soon
  2. අම්මා බැලූන් එකේAmma's in the BalloonDawn over the paddy: the balloon fills, the flame roars, and Amma, who has never left the ground, climbs in...Coming soon
  3. යාලේ දිවියාYala's LeopardDawn in Yala: Thaththa the tracker raises one hand, the whole jeep falls silent, and the leopard steps onto...Coming soon
  4. කොට්ට පොරේ දිනුවා, අපේ අවුරුද්දේHe Won the Pillow Fight at Our New YearOn the April New Year ground, our guest from abroad meets the village champion on the pole over the mud, and...Coming soon

Cluster 5: Wellness, which we are famous for and barely sell

  1. අක්කගේ තෙල් ලන්ඩන් ගියාAkka's Oil Went to LondonBehind the house, the first bottle of the family's hair oil fills and Akka sticks on the label: the village's...Coming soon
  2. සීයට මුහුදThe Sea for SeeyaA daughter abroad books her parents a whole month by the sea. Seeya sits in a deckchair with his feet in the...Coming soon

Cluster 6: Food and drink as export, not just hospitality

  1. තාත්තගේ කිතුල් පැණිDad's Kithul TreacleDawn in a kithul village: Thaththa comes down the tree with the pot full, and the daughter sticks his own...Coming soon
  2. අම්මගේ පරිප්පු මෙල්බන්Amma's Dhal in MelbourneIn the village kitchen, Amma and the aunties fill the biggest pot with dhal, and every pack is marked in...Coming soon
  3. 17ලන්ඩන් තරුවThe London StarLunchtime at home, and the phone rings: the son's Sri Lankan restaurant in London has won its star. The ladle...Coming soon
  4. 18ලෝකෙ අනිත් පැත්තෙන්, ආයෙත්!From the Other Side of the World, Again!On a December morning in Amma's kitchen, the chilli smell is everywhere and the bottles are lined up when the...Coming soon

Cluster 7: The infrastructure that makes the rest possible

  1. 19ලෝකෙන් බුකින්A Booking from the WorldDinner at the table, and Thaththa's phone pings: the guesthouse's first booking from abroad, through the site...Coming soon
  2. 20අයියට බැජ් එකAiya's BadgeMorning at the gate: Aiya has passed the guide course, and Amma pins the badge on his new shirt and...Coming soon
  3. 21බීප්! අම්මගේ බෝතලේBeep! Amma's BottleMalli comes home with the first sheet of printed labels: the town's name and a barcode for Amma's jam. A...Coming soon

Cluster 8: The coconut, which deserves its own list

  1. 22තාත්තගේ කොහු දැලThaththa's Coir NetOn the first big night of the monsoon, Amma points the torch at the hill while the rain hammers the roof, and...Coming soon
  2. 23ගමේ දානේ අපේ පිඟන්Our Plates at the Village DanaOn the morning of the village dana, the plates come out of Thaththa's press one by one, made from fronds that...Coming soon
  3. 24සීයගේ පොල් ගහSeeya's Coconut PalmIn the carpentry shed, the old palm Seeya planted becomes a desk for Nangi, and she crawls under it to write...Coming soon

Cluster 9: The offering nobody else can make

  1. 25මිහින්තලේ පොසොන්Poson at MihintaleOn Poson night at Mihintale, Amma climbs the old stone steps by moonlight to hear Akka tell the story of the...Coming soon
  2. 26පෝය දා අපේ පන්සලේPoya Day at Our TempleOn Poya morning at our temple, Achchi takes a white cloth out of her bag and puts it round a visitor: come...Coming soon
  3. 27නංගිගේ කටින් බණThe Sermon in Nangi's WordsOn Poya evening in the bana hall, Nangi repeats the sermon clearly for visitors from abroad, and her sister...Coming soon

Cluster 10: Tea, beyond the auction

  1. 28අපේ ෆැක්ටරියෙන් මුල්ම තේThe First Tea from Our FactoryAt six in the evening the visitors carry leaf sacks to Thaththa's scales and he tells them they are the crew...Coming soon
  2. 29අපේ නංගි තේ ටේස්ටර්Our Nangi, the Tea TasterAt the long table in Nuwara Eliya, a plucker's daughter shuts her eyes, sips, and names the tea, while her...Coming soon
  3. 30අක්කගේ තේ අයිස්ක්‍රීම්Akka's Tea Ice CreamAt four in the afternoon at Akka's ice cream cart by the hill station, Thaththa tastes a cone with the basket...Coming soon
  4. 31අපේ වත්ත හරහා රේස් එකThe Race Through Our EstateRunners in bright shirts weave between the tea bushes at seven in the morning, and Malli comes past barefoot...Coming soon

Cluster 11: Cinnamon and the spice garden

  1. 32සීයා වගේමJust Like SeeyaAt dawn in the cinnamon shed, Seeya hands Nangi his old knife and steps aside, and the bark comes off in her...Coming soon
  2. 33එයාපෝට් එකේ අපේ කුරුඳුOur Cinnamon at the AirportOn Amma's first flight she stops dead at the airport shop: a ribboned box with our garden's name on it. She...Coming soon
  3. 34මාතලේ තුනපහMatale ThunapahaAt dawn in our kitchen in Matale, Amma roasts her thunapaha in Achchi's old pan and the smell wakes the whole...Coming soon
  4. 35සීයගේ කුරුඳු චොක්ලට්Seeya's Cinnamon ChocolateAt four in the afternoon in the cinnamon shed, the granddaughter brings in the first chocolate bar she has...Coming soon

Cluster 12: The gem chain, from Ratnapura to the certificate

  1. 36තාත්තගේ රතු ගල්Thaththa's Red StonesThaththa tips the tiny red stones into the tin by the door as always, but this time his daughter strings them...Coming soon
  2. 37රත්නපුරේට ආවා, තාත්තගෙන් ඉගෙනගන්නThey Came to Ratnapura to Learn from ThaththaOur front room in Ratnapura has become a classroom, with jewellers from far away round the table and a...Coming soon

Cluster 13: The sea

  1. 38ආරුගම්බේ අයියගේ බෝඩ් එකAyya's Board at Arugam BayBehind our house at Arugam Bay, Ayya shapes a surfboard all night while Amma complains about the dust. At...Coming soon
  2. 39සීයගේ ලයිට්හවුස්Seeya's LighthouseOn the verandah of the old lighthouse keeper's cottage, Seeya puts on his old cap and says come, come, and...Coming soon
  3. 40කල්පිටියේ නංගි පියාඹනවාNangi Flies at KalpitiyaOn a windy afternoon on the Kalpitiya lagoon, Nangi, a fisherman's daughter, lifts clean off the water on her...Coming soon
  4. 41ලොකුම මාළුවාThe Biggest FishAt dawn off Trincomalee, a visitor's rod bends double in Thaththa's boat, and a silver fish comes alongside...Coming soon

Cluster 14: Farm to shelf

  1. 42මනාලිගේ අතේ අපේ රෝසOur Roses in the Bride's HandIn the mist at dawn on our cool hill, Thaththa cuts roses with a torch in his mouth while his daughter wraps...Coming soon
  2. 43ආච්චිගේ කාලේ හාල්Rice from Achchi's DayOn harvest morning the old red rice Achchi grew up on has come off our own field, and Thaththa rubs an ear in...Coming soon
  3. 44පුත්තලමේ කජුPuttalam CashewIn a Puttalam cashew family's kitchen at dawn, Amma turns the cashews in the hot pan, Nangi sticks on the...Coming soon
  4. 45කොළඹ කන්නේ තාත්තගේ එළවළුColombo Eats Thaththa's VegetablesAt dawn at the packing table on our farm, Thaththa lays the dewy beans in the box and Nangi writes the farm's...Coming soon
  5. 46අල්ලපු ගෙදරටත් ලොරියක්A Lorry for Next Door TooEarly morning in our lane, two lorries stand one behind the other, both loading, and Thaththa and the uncle...Coming soon

Cluster 15: Software, services and the remote desk

  1. 47කොන්ත්‍රාත් එක අපේThe Contract Is OursAt midnight round our dining table, the village's freelancers, who all used to work alone, wait for one email...Coming soon
  2. 48ඔෆිස් එක අපේ ඉස්තෝප්පුවේThe Office Is on Our VerandahAt ten in the morning on our verandah, the daughter's video call with America begins, with Thaththa watering...Coming soon
  3. 49ආච්චිගේ සිංහල ෆෝන් එකට තේරුණාThe Phone Understood Achchi's SinhalaOn the verandah, Achchi holds the phone like an old telephone receiver and asks it in Sinhala whether it will...Coming soon

Cluster 16: Education and the exam funnel

  1. 50ඩොක්ටර් නෙවෙයි, චෙෆ්!Not a Doctor, a Chef!A hotel wedding, and the food is her son's. Amma dances the aunties to the buffet shouting that her son made...Coming soon
  2. 51අම්මා පාස්!Amma Passed!The son shouts from the kitchen door that the results are out and Amma passed, and Amma, who went back to the...Coming soon
  3. 52අක්කට කැප් එක දැම්මාAkka Got Her CapAt the capping ceremony at the nursing college, they call Akka's name, she walks up in white and the cap goes...Coming soon
  4. 53මෙල්බන් දුව පේරාදෙණියේThe Melbourne Girl at PeradeniyaOur cousin from Melbourne, fresh from her summer course at Peradeniya, stands on the step with her bag and...Coming soon
  5. 54මගේ වෙල්ඩර් දුවMy Welder DaughterAt a Saturday wedding in a hall, the new gate at the entrance has a small plate with my daughter's name: she...Coming soon
  6. 55නංගිගේ පළවෙනි පඩියNangi's First WagesOn Friday evening Nangi walks up the lane in oil-stained overalls from the town garage with her first pay...Coming soon

Cluster 17: Health, care and the parents of Sri Lankans abroad

  1. 56සීයා ජිම් යනවාSeeya Goes to the GymAt dawn Malli's trainers are missing, and there is Seeya at the gate wearing them, waving up at the window...Coming soon
  2. 57අම්මා කැරම් චැම්පියන්Amma, Carrom ChampionOn the evening video call, Amma holds up her carrom cup to the camera while her new friends bang the table...Coming soon
  3. 58පුතා කතා කළාMy Boy SpokeAt the kitchen table, with the tablet propped up and the aunty on the screen from far away, my boy says...Coming soon

Cluster 18: Sri Lankans abroad, both directions

  1. 59දෙපැත්තේම කිරිබත්Kiribath on Both SidesAt the Avurudu table in Kurunegala, Amma holds the phone up so London can watch, and both sides cut the...Coming soon
  2. 60අක්කගේ ඕඩර් එකAkka's OrderAt nine at night the phone pings in the kitchen: the first order from Akka's shop in Melbourne. Amma writes...Coming soon
  3. 61අපේ දුවගේ මංගල්‍යය ගමේOur Daughter's Wedding, in the VillageOn the morning of the wedding our daughter has flown home from Toronto to marry in the village, and the...Coming soon
  4. 62ලන්ඩන් මැද අපේ කඩේOur Shop, in the Middle of LondonOn a cold opening morning in the middle of London, our daughter hangs Thaththa's old shop bell on the door of...Coming soon
  5. 63අම්මගේ දොරකඩට කේක් එකක්A Cake at Amma's DoorA boy at the gate asks the woman sweeping the yard whether she is the one called Amma and hands over a big...Coming soon
  6. 64ඩොක්ටර් පුතා අපේ ඉස්පිරිතාලේDoctor Son, at Our HospitalAt lunchtime at our own town hospital, Amma peers in at the ward door with the lunch carrier, and the nurses...Coming soon
  7. 65ලන්ඩනුත් ඔව්, නුවරත් ඔව්London Said Yes, Kandy Said YesIn the same minute in two places a few steps apart, Thaththa tears open an envelope at the gate and Kandy has...Coming soon

Cluster 19: Heritage, archives and film

  1. 66අපේ ගම ෆිල්ම් එකේOur Village Is in the FilmThe lights go down in the cinema in town, our road comes up on the big screen, and Amma stands up and points...Coming soon
  2. 67අම්මගේ පොත මහනුවර ස්ටේජ් එකේAmma's Book on the Kandy StageIn the hall at the Kandy literary festival, Amma, who wrote her book at the kitchen table at night, walks...Coming soon
  3. 68බිත්තියේ අපේ තාත්තාOur Dad, on the WallOn opening night at a Colombo gallery, Thaththa, a mason who built houses all his life, stands under his own...Coming soon

Cluster 20: Design, fashion and the apparel spillover

  1. 69ආච්චිගේ සාරියේ මල ලෝකෙටThe Flower on Achchi's Saree, Out to the WorldIn Achchi's bedroom, her granddaughter shows her a photo of a shop window in Paris, and on the cloth in the...Coming soon
  2. 70අම්මගේ බතික් ඔක්කොම ගියාAll of Amma's Batik WentAt the design fair in Colombo, Amma's stall is full in the morning and the rack is bare before lunch, with...Coming soon
  3. 71තාත්තගේ කෝට් එක ටොරොන්ටෝDad's Coat in TorontoAt ten at night in our tailor's shop in town, the phone pings with a set of measurements and one word under...Coming soon

Cluster 21: Energy, water and waste at small scale

  1. 72අපේ ගොවිපොළෙන් ගමටම ගෑස්Gas for the Whole Village, from Our FarmJust before dawn on our dairy farm, the pipe from the new biogas plant reaches Amma's stove, and when she...Coming soon
  2. 73පළවෙනි වැස්ස අපේ ටැංකියටThe First Rain, Into Our TankOn an evening in our dry-zone village the first drops hit the roof, tak tak, then all at once a roar, and the...Coming soon
  3. 74පන්සලම දැල්වුණාThe Whole Temple Lit UpOn Poya night at the village temple, with the whole village on the steps in the dark, Malli, who fitted the...Coming soon

Cluster 22: Transport and logistics at village scale

  1. 75තාත්තගේ වෑන් එක, මගේ රූට් එකDad's Van, My RouteEarly morning, Thaththa's old van is at the gate, washed the night before, and his daughter climbs into the...Coming soon
  2. 76මුළු ගමේම බඩු, එක කන්ටේනරේThe Whole Village in One ContainerAt dawn at the junction the lorry backs up to the shared depot, every family's boxes are inside, and Seeya's...Coming soon
  3. 77මල්ලිගේ බයික් එකේ ලෝකෙටOn Malli's Bike, to the WorldAt six in the evening at our gate, Amma ties the last parcel onto Malli's motorbike and tells him to go...Coming soon
  4. 78තාත්තගේ මාළු, අයිස් එක්කම කන්ද උඩටDad's Fish Up the Hill, Still ColdAt dawn on the sand, the son opens the ice box of the new three wheeler and Thaththa empties his basket of...Coming soon

Cluster 23: The women who are not working

  1. 79අම්මා වැඩට යනවා!Amma's Off to Work!Seven in the morning, the van honks at the gate and Amma runs out, kissing the kids on the way. Achchi runs...Coming soon
  2. 80ටීවී එකේ අපේ අම්මාThat's Our Mum on the TVAt eight at night the whole family watches a film, and at the very first word Nangi screams Amma: the queen...Coming soon
  3. 81අපේ අම්මා, ලෝකෙටම ටීචර්Our Mum, Teacher to the WorldOn Saturday morning on our verandah, Amma opens the laptop and the screen fills with the small faces of Sri...Coming soon
  4. 82ඒ වත්ත පුරාම අම්මගේ පැළThat Whole Field Is Mum's PlantletsIn Amma's lab, rows and rows of bottles stand on the glass shelves, each with a plantlet inside no bigger...Coming soon
  5. 83අපේ අම්මා එනකන් ගමමThe Whole Village Waits for Our MumBefore sunrise Thaththa irons Amma's uniform with her name stitched over the pocket, and at the first house a...Coming soon

Cluster 24: Proof and trust, as a business

  1. 84ස්කෑන් කළාම අපේ ගමScan It and Our Village Comes UpIn our cinnamon shed, Thaththa sticks the little square code on the first pack, and when Malli scans it, our...Coming soon
  2. 85තාත්තගේ වෑන් එක, හිස්ට්‍රි ක්ලීන්Dad's Van, History CleanOn Sunday morning at the used-van yard, Dad types the number plate into his phone, and when the van's whole...Coming soon
  3. 86අයියගේ ගේ, හරියටම හැදිලාAyya's House, Built Exactly RightAmma walks through the new house with the phone on a video call, this is your room, son, while Ayya abroad...Coming soon
  4. 87සීයගේ නමින් ඔප්පුවThe Deed, in Seeya's NameTen in the morning, the post van at the gate, and Seeya opens the envelope on the verandah: the deed to the...Coming soon
  5. 88තාත්තගේ කඩේ, රෑ දොළහටDad's Stall, at MidnightAt midnight on the main road outside the village, Malli finds Thaththa's king coconut stall with nobody...Coming soon
  6. 89අම්මගේ කඩේට ෆුල් මාක්ස්Full Marks for Amma's ShopOn inspection morning at Amma's little food shop, the inspector sticks the score sheet on the glass of the...Coming soon

Cluster 25: Sport and the cricket economy

  1. 90ලෝක තරගේ අපේ වෙරළේThe World Contest on Our BeachAt dawn on our beach, flags dance on the sand because the world's surf contest is here today, and Dad hauls...Coming soon
  2. 91තාත්තා හදපු බැට් එකThe Bat Dad MadeIn Dad's workshop he presses the sticker with our name on the finished bat and says this one is going to the...Coming soon
  3. 92පිටරට ටීම් එක අපේ ග්‍රවුන්ඩ් එකේThe Team from Abroad on Our GroundOn Saturday morning a bus pulls up at our village cricket ground and a club from abroad gets off, bags on...Coming soon
  4. 93ජර්සියේ අම්මගේ කඩේ නමMum's Shop on the JerseyAt ten at night, with the shop shut, Amma irons a pile of school jerseys and smooths our shop's name on every...Coming soon

Cluster 26: The cities, one idea each

  1. 94පිටකොටුවේ ලයිට් දැම්මාThe Lights Came On in PettahAt dusk in Pettah, Seeya stands at his shutter with the key while the new street light comes on above him and...Coming soon
  2. 95නුවර වැව අයිනේ අපේ බෙරOur Drums by the Kandy LakeAt sunset on the Kandy lake promenade, Thaththa ties the drum at Malli's waist, pats his head and says play...Coming soon
  3. 96නුවරඑළියේ සීතලට ආවාThey Came for Nuwara Eliya's ColdAt dawn at our family guesthouse in Nuwara Eliya the mist comes in through the gate with the guests, and...Coming soon
  4. 97වන්දනා නඩේ අපේ ගෙදරThe Pilgrim Party at Our HouseAt dusk in Anuradhapura a bus of pilgrims from far away stops at our gate, the mats go down in a row on the...Coming soon
  5. 98මුහුදේ යට මගේ නමMy Name Under the SeaOn the beach under Rumassala, Ayya holds up a little tag with Nangi's name on it and says this is going down....Coming soon
  6. 99යාපනේ කකුළු කරියJaffna Crab CurryAt midday in a Jaffna kitchen, the visitors eat crab curry off banana leaves with their hands, fingers red to...Coming soon
  7. 100මුලින්ම නීගම්බෝNegombo FirstAt six in the evening on the beach at Negombo, the van from the airport pulls up and the guests drop their...Coming soon

Cluster 27: The fruit nobody grades

  1. 101සීයා හිටවපු අලිගැට පේර ගස්The Avocado Trees Seeya PlantedAt dawn on our hill, the granddaughter picks the first avocado from the tree Seeya planted and puts it in his...Coming soon
  2. 102ජම්බු ගහ උඩ ලෝකෙ ළමයිThe World's Kids Up Our Jambu TreeOn pick-your-own Saturday in our orchard, the visitors' children run straight for the jambu tree, Thaththa...Coming soon
  3. 103අපේ කොස් ඇටෙන් යුරෝපේ පාන්Bread in Europe from Our Jackfruit SeedsIn our little mill shed, Amma shakes the sieve and the white flour from dried jackfruit seeds falls, the...Coming soon
  4. 104කොළිකුට්ටු!Kolikuttu!In our banana garden, Thaththa cuts the bunch and writes Kolikuttu in big letters across the top of the box...Coming soon

Cluster 28: Coming home

  1. 105අපේ ගේම පිටරටින් ආවාOur Whole House Came Home from AbroadThe lorry carrying everything the family packed abroad reaches the village and cannot take the bend in the...Coming soon
  2. 106අයියා හදපු පාලමThe Bridge Our Ayya BuiltOn a morning by the village stream, Ayya cuts the red ribbon across the new bridge, everyone claps, and Amma...Coming soon
  3. 107නංගිගේ බේකරිය ඇරුණාNangi's Bakery OpenedBefore dawn the oven glows red in Nangi's new bakery, her hands shaking as she kneads, with her two uncles...Coming soon
  4. 108ගෙදර ආවාI Came HomeAt the arrivals hall two bags come off the belt, Amma runs the last steps with a garland, and Thaththa stares...Coming soon
  5. 109අක්කා ඇරපු දොරThe Door Akka OpenedOn intake morning at the technical college gate, Akka, the first from our village ever to walk through it...Coming soon
  6. 110අම්මගේ වෝඩ් එකAmma's WardAt six in the morning on Amma's first day, her son, who was the little one when she left for nursing abroad...Coming soon

This song is a story about one idea from the book Why Not Sri Lanka. It promises nothing. No real person or business is shown in it. The book's ideas belong to whoever builds them. Music and vocals created with Suno from original lyrics written for this channel. The pictures in the songs are made with AI too.

© 2026 Dr Maheshika Halbeisen. Lyrics, music recordings, films and pictures. All rights reserved. Please do not re-upload or reuse these songs; to use one, get in touch through whynotsrilanka.com.