“Vale’, Gypsy King” – By Des Kelly I met him for the first time, when in 1973 I visited Ceylon for the first and last time, after migrating to Australia. Sunil Perera was 21 years old, and his Dad Anton who was responsible for the organization of the Original Gypsies, including Sunil and younger brother Nalin, met me and invited me to his home in Ratmalana to audition this young Gypsies band whose main jobs at the time, were to play music. Anton Perera was indeed a remarkable father-figure. He provided Sunil, Nalin and the rest of the boys in the band, not only a spacious area in his luxurious home simply to practice their music, but also paid them each a salary to play music and become hopefully a band of renown. They had been at it, for a few months, and he now wanted me to tell him whether they would be able to play professionally, overseas and in Australia, and whether they would be accepted favourably,…
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