Vernon Corea

Infobox Radio Presenter
name = Vernon Corea


caption = Radio Ceylon/SLBC and BBC Broadcaster
birthname = Hector Vernon Ivan Corea
birthdate = birth date |1927|09|11
birthplace = Kurana, Sri Lanka
deathdate = death date |2002|09|23
deathplace = New Malden, United Kingdom
show = Ponds Hit Parade
station = Radio Ceylon
timeslot = 7 p.m. Weekdays
show2 = London Sounds Eastern
station2 = BBC Radio London
timeslot2 = 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Sundays
style = Eastern Music Show Host
country = United Kingdom
web = |

Vernon Corea (11 September 1927 - 23 September 2002) 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 1956 and later the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. 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", "Take It Or Leave It","Saturday Stars","To Each His Own","Kiddies Corner", and "Old Folks at Home".cite web |title=Vernon Corea by Neville Jayaweera, (former Director-General,SLBC) |url=http://www.vernoncorea.com/|accessdate=2008-09-04] He was well known not only in Sri Lanka, but right across the Indian Sub-Continent from the late 1950s to the 1970s - this was in the heyday of Radio Ceylon, the oldest radio station in South Asia. cite web |title=The Golden Voice of Radio Ceylon |url=http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2004/07/18/fea20.html|accessdate=2008-09-04]

Early life

Corea was born in Kurana, Katunayake in Ceylon on 11 September 1927. His parents were Reverend Canon Ivan Corea and Ouida Corea, and was the brother of Ernest Corea a prominent journalist and former Ambassador to the United States. Rev. Corea was Vicar of St. Luke's Church, Borella, and St. Paul's Church, Milagiriya.

Vernon Corea was educated at Royal College, Colombo a well known education institution, in Sri Lanka. cite web |title=Royal College, Colombo, Sri Lanka |url=http://www.royalcollege.lk/|accessdate=2008-09-04] He represented the school in tennis and was fully involved in the world of drama and the debating society. He was sent by his father to Bishop's College, cite web |title=A History of Bishop's College, Calcutta |url=http://bishopscollege.org/history.htm |accessdate=2008-10-01] Calcutta, India for training into the priesthood. He felt this was not his vocation and returned to Ceylon after the death of his mother.

Career

Following brief careers in teaching at Uva College in Badulla (where he met his wife Monica) and as a salesman at Car Mart in Colombo, Vernon Corea joined Radio Ceylon as a Relief Announcer in 1956, he was appointed by the Director of the Commercial Service, the Australian, Clifford Dodd and his assistant Livy Wijemanne.cite web |title=Vernon Corea by Baron De Livera (Sunday Times, Colombo)|url=http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lkawgw/vcorea.html|accessdate=2008-09-04] He became well known as "The Golden Voice of Radio Ceylon",cite web |title=Vernon Corea - Radio presenter who paved the way for ethnic minority broadcasters|url=http://www.lastingtribute.co.uk/tribute/corea/2607219|accessdate=2008-09-04] representing shows of popular music , baila music, and western music. He was later News Director at the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.Corea represented the Director-General of the station at a Commonwealth Broadcasting Conference, when he was in the United Kingdom, on a six-month fellowship with the Nuffield Trust in 1970.

From 1956 to 1960, Vernon Corea and other announcers of Radio Ceylon introduced the music of Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Louis Armstrong, Jim Reeves, Hank Snow, and Cliff Richard over the airwaves of Radio Ceylon/Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.cite web |title=Sir Cliff Richard and Radio Ceylon(SLBC)|url=http://www.bloggernews.net/14875|accessdate=2008-09-04] They became hugely popular in South Asia.

[
Radio Ceylon, Colombo in 1958.]

[
Wimbledon Village, London in 1985.]

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-1970s. 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 programme. He 'discovered' many young Sri Lankan stars through his radio programmes on Radio Ceylon and promoted their musical talents in the EMCEE column in the Daily News in Colombo. Some went onto the international stage.

Some of Ceylon's first music stars such as Nimal Mendis, Bill Forbes, Des Kelly and Cliff Foenander, were interviewed by Vernon Corea, for Radio Ceylon. Their music was also introduced to a vast audience across the Indian sub-continent - millions tuned into the radio station and Radio Ceylon announcers enjoyed iconic status with South Asian listeners.cite web |title=When Ceylon ruled the airwaves|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mag/2006/01/01/stories/2006010100150400.htm |accessdate=2008-09-04] The respected Hindu Newspaper of India 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.cite web |title=Those Golden Voices (Hindu Newspaper, India)|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2004/07/01/stories/2004070101440100.htm|accessdate=2008-09-04] He was the first to introduce the talents of Clarence Wijewardena, Annesley Malewana,cite web |title=Musical "Moonstone" Malewana|url=http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2006/11/05/spe02.asp|accessdate=2008-09-04] and others on English radio programmes, on Radio Ceylon.

As a special tribute to Vernon Corea's father, Reverend Canon Ivan Corea, the Sri Lankan superstar Clarence Wijewardena composed a moving song about a father's love,'Ma Ethi Dedi Kala Piyaneni.' It was an international hit for Clarence Wijewardena and Annesley Malewana. In an interview, Annesley Malewanna recalls: "When we toured England in 1994 to hold musical shows, Vernon Corea who was in England requested me to sing this particular song. When I got on to the stage and started singing Vernon broke down and all of us were moved by this incident. Wherever we go, most people in foreign countries requested me to sing this song. Now I dedicate that song to my late father," he said. "cite web |title=Annesley Malewana: 40 years in music!|url=http://www.thesundayleader.lk/20051113/now.htm|accessdate=2008-09-04]

Television

Vernon Corea created television history on the island of Sri Lanka when he was invited to present the first ever experimental television broadcast on 15th June,1972 by the "Radio Society of Ceylon." He appeared on television screens in Colombo, in black and white, on a short TV programme, this was history in the making.cite web |title=Vernon Corea - on the first ever television experimental program in Sri Lanka|url=http://members.tripod.com/ivan_corea/id33.html|accessdate=2008-09-04] Seven years later the first regular television transmission was conducted in Sri Lanka and the first TV presenter on that regular transmission was Vernon Corea's cousin, Vijaya Corea - he introduced his cousin to radio by asking him to present 'Kiddies Corner' a popular children's programme on Radio Ceylon in the 1960s.cite web |title=Yesteryear’s voice of showbiz (Daily News, Colombo)|url=http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/07/15/fea10.asp|accessdate=2008-09-04] Vijaya Corea was one of many young broadcasters "mentored" by Vernon Corea - he went on to become the Director-General of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. Another protégé was Nihal Bhareti who went on to greater height heights in broadcasting and was the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation's Director of English Services.cite web |title=Happenings:La Musique d’Yvonne|url=http://www.island.lk/2002/08/25/leisur10.html|accessdate=2008-09-04] Leon Belleth was another mentee, after a successful career with Radio Ceylon/SLBC he retired in Australia.

There are now several television stations operating on the island, a far cry from the early experiments of the Radio Society of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1972.cite web |title=Radio Society of Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon|url=http://www.qsl.net/rssl/|accessdate=2008-09-04]

The BBC

The Corea family migrated to England in 1975. Vernon Corea worked for Radio Worldwide based in Upper Norwood, then for BBC Radio London as a presenter for the popular London Sounds Eastern.The BBC radio programme drew a huge audience in the capital and was even featured in the Radio Times. Vernon Corea soon climbed the management ladder at the BBC - he was appointed Local Radio Asian Programmes Officer in 1978. He went on to become the "Ethnic Minorities Adviser" to the BBC; This was a senior management appointment - he held this post at the BBC until his retirement.cite web |title=Vernon-Sri Lanka's pioneering broadcaster|url=http://members.tripod.com/ivan_corea/id3.html|accessdate=2008-09-04] Vernon Corea played a pivotal role in introducing and mentoring young, gifted and talented people into broadcasting. He trained minority ethnic broadcasters and found placements for them on the BBC Local Radio Network. His work contributed to what is now a highly successful BBC Asian Network.cite web |title=Vernon Corea-Broadcaster who championed minority community-based media by Reginald Massey in the London Guardian |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2002/oct/15/guardianobituaries.broadcasting|accessdate=2008-09-04] Some of his trainees at BBC Local Radio are now working for the Network.

He was also invited to Nepal, Bangladesh and the Maldives to train broadcasters and was introduced to the President of the Maldives on a visit to Male, the capital.

Church Work

Vernon Corea was a Christian, he was very involved in the work of the church in the UK - he was a Lay Reader of the Church of England at Emmanuel Church in Wimbledon Village, South-West London and previous to that appointment he was Lay Reader at Christ Church, Gipsy Hill, South-East London.

Recalling his life, Reginald Massey noted in the Guardian Newspaper, London:' "Corea was a born broadcaster and racy raconteur, prone to making outrageous remarks with a straight face. But behind his frivolous manner was a generous and large-hearted Christian, who was also a lay reader at Emmanuel church in Wimbledon village, in south-west London." 'cite web |title=Vernon Corea-Broadcaster,the London Guardian Newspaper |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2002/oct/15/guardianobituaries.broadcasting|accessdate=2008-09-04]

Autism

The struggles of parents, carers, children and adults with autism was something Corea cared deeply about, after his own grandson was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. He raised awareness of the condition. In 2002 he attended a historic service for autism held at St.Paul's Cathedral in London and wrote Prayers for Autism. These prayers are now being said on Autism Sunday commemorated annually,by churches and religious organisations across the world, on the second Sunday in February.cite web |title=Vernon Corea's Prayers for Autism Sunday-The International Day of Prayer for Autism and Asperger's Syndrome|url=http://autismsunday.tripod.com/id11.html|accessdate=2008-09-04]

He died of diabetes, in New Malden in Surrey on 23 September 2002.

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)

' His sense of loyalty to his management and to his profession and his compassion and concern for those who worked under him were exemplary.' (Neville Jayaweera - former Director-General SLBC)

' The BBC at this time was striving to be more inclusive, and Corea found himself at the forefront of an increasing thrust for diversity. His importance both as a figurehead and a consultant was recognised by his appointment as the first ethnic minorities adviser in 1978.' (The London Times)

References

External links

* [http://ivan_corea.tripod.com/ Vernon Corea The Golden Voice of Radio Ceylon]
* [http://www.vernoncorea.com Official Tribute to Vernon Corea]
* [http://vernoncorea.wordpress.com Blog on Vernon Corea 1927-2002]
* [http://vernoncorea.blog.co.uk Blog on Vernon Corea, pioneering broadcaster of Radio Ceylon/BBC ]
* [http://clown.ithil.org/~bill/19930801AM.mp3 Vernon Corea's speech at Emmanuel Church]
* [http://sundaytimes.lk/020929/plus/2.html News article: A Live Wire Fades Away -Sunday Times, Colombo]
* [http://www.dailynews.lk/2004/09/28/new42.html News article:Vernon Corea's 2nd Death Anniversary - Daily News, Colombo]
* [http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2004/07/18/fea20.html The Golden Voice of Radio Ceylon: Feature in the Sunday Observer, Colombo]
* [http://www.dailynews.lk/2004/11/16/new50.html British Newspapers Pay Tribute to Sri Lankan Broadcaster - Daily News, Colombo]
* [http://www.lastingtribute.co.uk/famousperson/corea/2607219 Lasting Tribute - Obituary of Vernon Corea]
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2002/oct/15/guardianobituaries.broadcasting Obituary in The Guardian]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/empire/yourstories/ BBC Radio 4 Empire Stories: Vernon Corea]
* [http://www.dailynews.lk/2005/12/27/fea02.htm Eighty Years of Broadcasting in Sri Lanka]
* [http://worldmusiccentral.org/article.php/20050919130024454 Sri Lanka Remembers The Legendary Vernon Corea: Feature in World Music Central]