Childhood

Victor Ratnayake was born on February 18th, 1942 in the town of Kandy (Central Highlands), home of the sacred “temple of Buddha’s tooth relic”.
His father, Ratnayake Arachchilage Don James, was an apothecary serving the State Pharmaceuticals and his mother was named Abeykoon Mayadunnelage Sumanawathi. Victor was the 3rd in a family of 10 children and their home was the rural town of Kandangama in Kadugannawa, few miles away from Kandy.
Victor’s immediate younger brother, Somapala Ratnayake was the first child of the Ratnayake family to pursue any interest in music. At present he is a renowned musician, having composed music for Cinema, TV and popular songs.
Victor loved listening to Hindi and Tamil film songs, he often overheard when those movies were regularly playing for audiences inside temporary tents on Municipal Council ground in town. Victor enjoyed accompanying his mother to the weekly flea market in town on Sundays as he was fascinated by Dolki Drummers and Japanese Mandolin players regularly performing there. Only mother’s continues persistence made Victor return home on those visits. Once returned, Victor usually put the groceries aside and tried singing the songs the musicians were playing at flea market by beating to a hollow metal device. On those occasions, elder brother Wilfred assisted him by providing rhythm and the performances demonstrated Victor being a gifted natural born singer.