Vernon Corea - Citizendia

Vernon Corea was a pioneer radio broadcaster with 45 years of public service broadcasting both in Sri Lanka and the UK. He joined Radio Ceylon, South Asia's oldest radio station, in 1957 and later the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. Radio Ceylon is the oldest Radio station in Asia. Broadcasting was started on an experimental basis in Ceylon by the Telegraph Department During his time he presented some of the most popular radio shows in South Asia, including the Maliban Show, Dial-a-Disc, Holiday Choice, Two For the Money, and Old Folks at Home. He was well known not only in Sri Lanka but right across the Indian Sub-Continent.

Corea was born in Kurana, Katunayake in Ceylon on 11th September 1927. Kurana is a village in the city of Negombo close to Katunayake in the island of Sri Lanka. Katunayake a town is situated on the west coast of the Island of Sri Lanka near Negombo and close to the commercial capital of Colombo. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island Year 1927 ( MCMXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. His parents were Reverend Canon Ivan Corea and Ouida Corea. Rev. Corea was Vicar of St. Luke's Church, Borella, and St. Paul's Church, Milagiriya. Milagiriya is a district of Colombo city in Sri Lanka. The area took its name from the Sinhalised form of the Portuguese word "Milager" or Miracle

Career

Vernon Corea joined Radio Ceylon as a Relief Announcer in 1956. Radio Ceylon is the oldest Radio station in Asia. Broadcasting was started on an experimental basis in Ceylon by the Telegraph Department He became well known as The Golden Voice of Radio Ceylon, presenting shows of popular music, especially Indian filmi or film music, Sinhala music, and western music. Filmi (or Filmy used as an adjective is a colloquial term which refers to anything relating to the Bollywood film industry He was later News Director at the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC came into existence on January 5th 1967 when Radio Ceylon became a public corporation

Throughout his life and his broadcasting career Corea promoted the very best of Sri Lankan talent in the world of popular music. He was the first to consistently promote Sri Lanka's musicians through his highly influential entertainment column - EMCEE published in the Ceylon Daily News in the 1960s-1980s. Vernon introduced hundreds of musicians to listeners at Radio Ceylon/Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and in the studios of BBC Radio London when he presented the popular 'London Sounds Eastern' radio program.

Vernon Corea also introduced artists like Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Louis Armstrong, Jim Reeves, Hank Snow, and Cliff Richard over the airwaves of Radio Ceylon/Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation

The respected Hindu Newspaper placed Vernon Corea in the Top 5 Broadcasters of the World stating that he introduced Sinhala Music onto the English Services of the Commercial Service of Radio Ceylon and the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. Patsy Cline (b Virginia Patterson Hensley September 8, 1932 – March 5, 1963) was an American Country Louis Armstrong (August 4 1901 &ndash July 6 1971 nicknamed Satchmo or Sachimo and Pops, was an American Jazz Trumpeter James Travis "Jim" Reeves ( August 20 1923 &ndash July 31 1964) was an American country and Pop singer Clarence Eugene Snow ( May 9, 1914 &ndash December 20, 1999) better known as Hank Snow, was a Hall of Fame Country music Sir Cliff Richard, OBE, (born Harry Roger Webb on 14 October 1940 is an English Singer, Actor and Businessman.

He and his family migrated to England in 1975. Vernon Corea worked for WEC, then for BBC Radio London as a presenter for the popular London Sounds Eastern. The Launching of London Sounds Eastern -BBC Radio London London Sounds Eastern was one of the most popular ethnic Minority radio program's In 1978 he was appointed Ethnic Minorities Adviser to the BBC; he held this post until his retirement. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar)

He died in New Malden in Surrey on 23rd September 2002. New Malden is a town and shopping centre in the south-western London suburbs mostly within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and partly in the London Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. Events 1122 - Concordat of Worms. 1459 - Battle of Blore Heath, the first major battle of the English See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar.

Quotes on Vernon Corea

'Vernon was a pioneering influence in the BBC and helped to lay the foundation for the work we are continuing to do to make sure our staff and our programmes are truly representative of our nation's diverse population. ' (Greg Dyke - Director-General BBC)

External links

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