President Maithripala Sirisena garlanded a photograph of Sunil Santha during the musical show.

Several Ministers, MPs, artistes and distinguished guests including the singer’s son Lanka Santha and prominent musician Ivor Dennis also participated in the commemoration ceremony.

Sunil Shantha was a renowned and influential Sri Lankan composer, singer and lyricist. He was pivotal in the development of Sinhala music and folk songs in the mid to late 1940s and early 1950s. He composed the beloved soundtracks to Lester James Peries' Rekava and Sandesaya in 1956 and 1960. In a later comeback, he produced several experimental works.

Sunil Santha was born on 14 April 1915 on the Sinhala New Year's Day in Dehiyagatha, Jaela. Both his parents died before he was two years old, and Santha was raised by his grandmother. Shantha died on 11 April 1981 from a heart attack shortly after his son Jagath drowned under mysterious circumstances in a swimming pool.