Rookantha Goonatillake (රූකාන්ත ගුණතිලක) | |
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Born | Mario Glory Rookantha Goonatillake 5 September 1959 Kegalle, Sri Lanka |
Nationality | Sri Lankan |
Other names | Rooka[citation needed] |
Education | St. Mary's College, Kegalle[citation needed] St. Anthony’s College, Kandy[citation needed] |
Occupation(s) | singer, songwriter |
Spouse | Chandralekha Perera |
Children | Raini Charuka Windy Goonatillake |
Mario Glory Rookantha Goonatillake (born 5 September 1959: Sinhala: රූකාන්ත ගුණතිලක), is a Sri Lankan singer, musician and songwriter.[1] One of the most influential musical artists in Sri Lanka, Rookantha started his career as a solo singer in late 1980s after few stints as a keyboard player.[2] He frequently performs duets with his wife, Chandralekha Perera. His daughters Raini Charuka and Windy are both singers.[3]
Rookantha is one of the most successful musicians in Sri Lankan pop and sentimental industry. He is known as the King of Pop amongst Sri Lankans.[4] His albums have sold around 15,000 copies in Sri Lanka.[citation needed] He is known as the person who changed the Sri Lankan music industry in the 1980s with his songs.[5]