from Priyadharshi to "Priya", inspired by Sri Lankan Motor Racing legend Priya Munasinghe. His first cassette tape was released under Vijaya Ramanayake's Tharanga label, which was also the second cassette produced in Sri Lanka. His first song Andura Andura Mage was recorded in 1968. Lal Thenabadu, the late Sarath Dassanayake, Stanley Peiris, Sarath de Alwis, late Clarence Wijewardena Ranjith Perera and many other veteran music directors have composed his songs. Priya is also a talented composer and directed music for his own songs such as Adaraneeya Neranjana, Heta Dawase, Mata Wasana, Sanda Ma Gawai, Mage Samarum Pothe, Ekama Vidiye, and Gelawata Banda Wu etc. Most of these songs were created by Priya and Premakeerthi De Alwis who were close friends in the 1970's and became instant hits popular to date. He has also composed songs to other artists such as H.R. Jothipala, Milton Mallawarachchi, Mervin Perera, Anton Senanayake and famous Christian Baila music hit dedicated to St Anthony sung by Anton Jones. Priya has famous duets with Victor Rathnayake, Latha Walpola, Chandralekha Perera, Malkanthi Nandasiri etc. After the release of his first four songs in SLBC Priya reached the peak of popularity and became the heartthrob of youngsters in the 1970s. His first four songs: Sarathasa Niwa, Mata Wasana, Heta Dawase and Andura Andura Mage were recorded for the SLBC in 1972. The release of Sudu Parevi Rena Se brought Suriyasena up to one of the top singers in the 1970s bringing a controversy at the time where the Sri Lankan government prohibited broadcasting the song through radio channels for a period of time. His popularity was raised with the Sarasaviya Award for Kendan Yannam, a song from Sena Samarasinghe's 1984 film Aethin Aethata with Milton Mallawarachchi and Gratien Ananda. He was also a play back singer in many films including Mal Kekulu in early 1980s, song Bindu Bindu Kandulu Sala, a duet with Shayami Fonseka and music directed by Sarath Dassanayake and produced by Sena Samarasinghe. Further, he sang in many other films like Selinage Walawwa, Mudukkuwe Juliet, Hariyanakota Ohama Thamai, and Pina Paduna Da. In the film Ethin Ethata, he sang the duet "Kandan Yannan Ranmal Mala Dala" with Milton Mallawarachchi to the music direction of Sarath Dassanayake which won a Sarasaviya Award in the 1980s. In the film Suhada Sohoyuro he played a minor role. However, later Suriyasena gave up singing as a play back singer focusing