As Ranee & Raj, NImal Mendis appeared in 1968 with his singing partner Sandra Edema as guest artists, with his song “ Feel like a Clown ” on “Top of the Pops” in London and “ Beat Club ” in Germany that year. . The record was released all over Europe and in the States. However the 'B" side of the record, "Rainbow Land" was the "A" side in the States and it is a collectors item today. as Ranee Sandra Edema had a 'hit' in Sri Lanka when she was 12 years old with Nimal Mendis's song "Oh My Lover" later she made several records with Nimal in London. Nimal's songs were published then by Mr Joe Roncoroni of Marquis Music and as a independent Record producer he recorded the songs that Ranee and Raj sang together. Sandra was also performing in various venues in London with Fortune Ohlmus as a duo. Sandra was born in Kandy Sri Lanka and went on to the UK when she was 14 and lives there. She is married and has two children.

Nimal Mendis was born in Colombo Sri Lanka but went on to be a musician of the sixties in London and lived for many years in the UK with his wife Ranjani Mendis and his son Paul-Marie Mendis. His wife died in Sri Lanka in 2010 while they were on a visit. His musical influences are the Western Classics, The Blues and Rock, Sri Lankan Folk music and Indian Classical.
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NImal Mendis's first break in England came when his song “Kiss Kiss Kiss” was sung by Mary Marshall. The recording was handled by Dennis Preston who later was to become the father of the traditional Jazz revival in the UK. It was released on Columbia.

He has 22 songs published in Britain and have written music for films in Sri Lanka. “ Kandyan Dance” an instrumental was his second piece in the West. Recorded by Friedel Berlipp and his Orchestra in Germany it went on to be No 2 on Radio Luxemburg. It was also released in the States.

He has written the background score and songs for eleven Sri Lankan films.”Films and Filming“ magazine in the UK says of his score for Lester James Peries’ film “Godking” “ The score featuring such disparate styles as a baroque fugue and souped -up seventies orchestration has an ultimately moving theme at its heart“.

At present his song “Girls” translated by Duminda Allehendra and sung by Amila Sandaruwan with a video production done by the students of the Digital Film Institute of Sri Lanka has been uploaded on Youtube. Its the first Sinhala Blues song and has been having rave reviews . The link to it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lg8ZOrmOxw.

“ Black Pearls & Green Diamonds” has eight of his songs on an LP for Decca by “ One Two and Three ” a folk group in Britian. Record Producer Ray Horricks says this on the sleeve of the “Black Pearls and Green Diamonds” LP. “Nimal’s work combines an awareness of western melody and harmony with great originality in his story ideas, while there is a very exotic Easter flavour about his choice of words. When it came to making this album I found myself preferring his numbers to the many better known folk items the three singers have in their repertoire.

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