Sri Lankan Music – Wellington Mervin Bastian (died 1986) was a Sri Lankan singer who developed the style of chorus baila in the 1940s.
Bastianz was a police officer who played in a marching band when he began his music career. Drawing from his orchestral roots, he transformed the tunes of standards like “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “Inky Pinky Parlez Vouz” into classic baila songs.
His songs dealt with everyday life and simple people. One of his hits was an ode to a nurse named Nona and another covered the trial of jilted lover Eric Bacho. He sang several songs in English.
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