Legendary Sri Lankan singer and entertainer Desmond De Silva has passed away at the age of 77 in Melbourne, Australia.

He had reportedly passed away due to a sudden illness.

Regarded as the ‘King of Baila’, the legendary singer was born in Matara, Sri Lanka in 1944 while he launched his career in popular music in 1963 as the lead vocalist of the Fire-Flies.

He also performed with leading Sri Lankan pop groups – ‘Spitfires,’ ‘Gabo and the Breakaways,’ and the ‘Jetliners.’. His music was featured widely on Radio Ceylon and subsequently the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, the oldest radio station in South Asia.

In 1976 he decided to form his own band, “Desmond and the Clan”, which performed in various countries in Southeast Asia, including the Maldives.

Known for his popular renditions of Sri Lankan ‘baila’ music, Desmond celebrated 40 years in show business in 2019.

He launched the first ever Concert for Autism for Sri Lanka in Sydney, Australia on 31 March 2006.

He has had a string of baila hits including: ‘Polkatu Hande,’ ‘ Yaman Bando (Wally Bastiansz),’ ‘Chuda Manike,’ ‘Mamma No,’ ‘Miss Sri Lanka,’ ‘Hai Hui baby Achchi (Wally Bastiansz),’ ‘Rajasangabo’ ‘Komali Pane,’ as well as popular recordings of anonymous baila songs.

He has performed his hits in several major cities around the world including Los Angeles, New York, London, Auckland, Dubai, Bahrain, New Delhi, Singapore, Melbourne and Sydney, where he had been living in the recent years.

Desmond De Silva was a great entertainer in many Sri Lankan events in Sydney, Australia. The Sri Lankan Community in Sydney, NSW were closely attached to the veteran singer Desmond De Silva.

Desmond De Silva lived  in Sydney, Australia and the funeral arrangements will be announced soon.