H. M. Jayawardena

Jayawardena died on 18 April 2019 at the age of 69, while receiving treatments for prolonged kidney failure at Colombo South Teaching Hospital, Kalubowila. His body was laid at the Jayaratna Respect Reneral Home in Borella and the last rites were performed at the Kanatte Cemetery on Wednesday at 3 pm.

In November 2015, Jayawardena was awarded at Nelum Pokuna in the program Miyasi Theerthaya along with the musician Thissasiri Perera. On 2 February 2018, another felicitation ceremony HM Harasara was held at Maharagama Youth Council.

Jayawardena started his musical career as a freelance flutist at SLBC. He was also the flutist in stage plays such as Devlowa Yanakam and Neth Anda Bisaw which were created at that time. His first musical composition was the song Oba Ha Mema sung by T. M. Jayaratne. After the success of the song, Jayawardena composed the song Siyak Aayu Leba for Jayaratne. In 1981, he made his cinema debut composing the soundtrack to the blockbuster Aradhana along with Rohana Weerasinghe. The music of the film received critical acclaim and later won the 1982 Sarasaviya Award for the Best Music Director for the song Sinawakin Puthuige Muwe. In 1985, Jayawardena won the Presidential Award, but refused it, stating that the award should go the fellow musician Premasiri Khemadasa. He said that the music of Khemadasa's Thunweni Yamaya was better than the music of his film Muhudu Lihini.

He was married to fellow musician and songstress Malani Bulathsinhala and the wedding was celebrated on 30 December 1978, and was the father of popular musician Kasun Kalhara. His only daughter, Nirmani Chaya died in 1991 at the age of three due to dengue fever. Malani was in the United States to perform a concert when she was found dead in the bathroom at the residence of the Sri Lanka consul Tissa Wijeratne on 29 March 2001 at the age of 51. It is believed that her death was caused by anaphylaxis brought on by an allergic reaction to hair dye.

Jayawardena's ambition to be a musician started at an early age where he learned music under P.A. Subasinghe, who became his mentor. After failing his senior exam in Passara, Jayawardena returned to his village and had to live a very difficult life. He farmed chenas and worked for hire. Then he began to play flute which proved to be the turning point in his musical career. In mid 1960s, Jayawardena applied for a vacancy for a flutist in the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), but failed the test because he could not read the chord charts.

Herath Muidiyanselage Jayawardena (17 March 1950 – 18 April 2019: Sinhala: එච්. එම්. ජයවර්ධන), popularly as H. M. Jayawardena, was a Sri Lankan flutist, musician and composer. One of the most respected musicians in Sri Lanka, Jayawardena started his musical career as a flutist and later became a popular music director and composer.

Jayawardena was born on 17 March 1950 in the village Siyambalanduwa, Monaragala, Sri Lanka as the eldest of the family. His father H. M. Wijayasundara was a farmer and his mother D.M. Ranmenika was a housewife. He received his primary education at Siyambalanduwa School. After passing the grade 5 scholarship examination, he entered Passara Maha Vidyalaya for secondary education.