Victor Rathnayake

Rathnayake has one daughter and two sons from first marriage with Chithra Rathnayake. His daughter Chandani is a dancer and a vocalist. His elder son Jayantha Rathnayake is a renowned musician and composer. Jayantha started his music career as the keyboard player in Sihashakthi musical band. Jayantha is married as has one daughter and one son. His younger son Lelum is also a musician and singer who worked in a musical band. On 6 April 2020, his elder son Jayantha Rathnayake died at the age of 52 while receiving treatments at Apeksha Hospital, Maharagama.

Rathnayake is currently married to Hashini Amendra, 40 years younger than him. Rathnayake was 75 years old at the marriage. Hashini is a bank employee. In January 2018, Hashini was taken into custody over a jewelry theft. The incident took place while she was employed at a state bank. She was produced in Court and is detained in remand custody.

Rathnayake continues to be a popular musician in the 2000s; After 39 years of success in Sri Lanka and in many other countries, Victor finally ended the concert on July 20, 2012 at the Lumbini theater where it started with the 1450th concert. His latest album 'Nil Kandu Yaaya' was released in February 2012. He performed live at the BMICH on 13 December 2014 for an event, Victor Adasiyawasa, organised by himself.

By 1973, Rathnayake was a trained musician and noted that there were no concerts of solo artists. The closest was "Shravanaradhana" a joint concert by Amaradeva and Nanda Malini. On the urging of his friends Premakirthi de Alwis, Sunil Ariyaratne, K.D.K Dharmawardena, R.R. Samarakoon, Chintana Jayasena and Bandara K. Wijetunga, Victor decided to attempt such an event. The first Sa concert was held on July 20, 1973, at the Lumbini Theatre, Havelock Town. It is widely considered a turning point in Sri Lankan music.

Victor Ratnayake debuted as a film music director with Mathara Achchi in 1973. With this film he would introduce Sunil Edirisinghe the brother of the director with the song "Sandakada Pahana." Victor himself would sing the fast-paced "Andura Bindinnata" for the film. Sunil would continue to be featured in other Victor Ratnayake helmed soundtracks of the 1970s such as Hulawali and Rajagedera Paraviyo. Victor would compose one of his most memorable songs for Sri Madhara (1978) - "Gaha Kola Mal" which he sang with Latha Walpola. Another major song from his film work was "Kohe Sita Oba" which he did for Podi Malli (1979). This song was featured in the movie with a taped performance from Sa of Victor performing the song.

SA would feature his best known songs such as "Api Okkoma Rajawaru," "Api Marenne Nae," "Kurullanta Gee," "Podi Kumarihamiye," "Thotupola Aine," etc. Victor recorded these songs also for a multitude of labels in the 1970s and also recorded them for the SLBC. He would continue to produce material into the 1980s and 1990s.

In 1969, Rathnayke joined the Ministry of Education as a music instructor, and was assigned to a post at Eththalapitiya Maha Vidyalaya in Bandarawela in 1966. He would later look back to his days as a teacher in his song "Sihil Sulang Ralle," which described the beauty of his surroundings that he noted as he travelled on the train to the school. The lyrics were penned by Sena Weerasekera on Rathnayake's recollections.

His first music teacher was D.A.D. Dharmadasa. Under the guidance of school music teacher K. M. Sugathapala, Rathnayake performed first in both the 1958 and 1959 solo singing competitions of the All Island Inter-School Musical Competition. Victor got his first instrument at the age of nine when his father presented him a harmonium for his birthday. He studied singing and various instruments under musician Cyril Perera at the M.G.P. Institute in Mulgampola in his teens. In 1963, he began attending the State Music College, now known as the Institute of Aesthetic Studies. He wrote his first song, an ode to Buddha, in 1964; it received play on radio stations run by the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.

Rathnayake Arachchilage Victor (Sinhala:වික්ටර් රත්නායක; born 18 February 1942), popularly known as Victor Rathnayake, is a Sri Lankan singer, composer, lyricist and a renowned musician. He was the first Sri Lankan artist to hold a solo concert; His concert known as "SA" was first performed in 1973, and was an instant success. Rathnayake credits his success to his "fitting blend of Western music with Ragadari classical music." His songs deal with diverse themes that vary from love, to patriotism and Buddhism.

Rathnayake was born on 18 February 1942 in a small village near Kadugannawa as the third of the family with 10 siblings. His father was Rathnayake Arachchilage Don James. He was popularly known as Rathnayake Veda Mahaththaya, was an apothecary and sang "noorthi gee," a type of Sinhala folk songs. His mother was Abeykoon Mayadunnelage Sumanawathi. Victor was educated at Kadugannawa Junior School and then attended to Kadugannawa Maha Vidyalaya for secondary education.