Anthony DSouza with his daughter Rita D'ouza
Anthony D'Doua
In the history of
Tiatros, many Trios were formed but among them all according to my knowledge
only two remained in the history books as the most powerful, one of them was
the Trio of Kid-Young-Rod which was the first Trio in the history of that great
magnitude and the second immediately following the first was the Trio of
Conception-Nelson-Athony. The first later on was splitted when one member of it Minguel Rod was high
jacked and formed a new Quarter comprising Alexinho de Candolim-C.
Alvares-Minguel Rod & Jacinto Vaz.
But this Quarter did not last for long since Minguel Rod returned back
to his original Trio. After their reunion, they rendered a nice trio song which
was the perfect Zupatti to those who splittd them. Some of the words of this
trio are as under:
“NESSON DUSREACHEM
KAPODD, HATH PAEM KAMRUN BOSLEAT MAKODD
KITEAK POROT EK ZALET MHONON KID-YOUNG ANI RODD”.
The
first Trio was formed during the golden period of Goa when Portugal was ruling
Goa efficiently while the second Trio was formed soon after when the rotten
period of Goa began on 19.12.1961 under the Bharati domination of Goa. The worst disastrous period of Goa started
following the invasion of Goa by Bharat serkar without taking into confidence
the people of Goa.
Annoyed by the
disastrous rule of Bharat serkar, the second Trio was formed in 1962 to carry
forward the political campaign against the corrupt rule of invaded Government.
The first Trio song of this Trio was “Brasilak vochoya” where they indicated
that Goa is gone into the hands of corrupt people who will do nothing good for
Goa and further making a prophecy that even the jobs for Goans will be denied
in favour of non-Goans. For this reason this
Trio suggested to Goans to go to Brazil
because then Goans were well conversant in Portuguese. Later on this Trio
started its political campaign against MGP headed by that Rostad, the first Chief
Minister of Goa, Dyananda Bandodcar who happened to be a curse on Goa and Goans
because he fought for Goa’s merger with Maharastra and for Marathi as official language of Goa.
ONE OF THE POWERFUL
MEMBERS OF THIS TRIO WAS ANTHONY D’SOUZA whose full, real name is Antonio Inas
Joao D’Souza and who was a few days was spending some days in Candolim at Muddo with his
daughter Rita D’Souza married there. During this time on one fine day, on
14.1I.17, I took an opportunity to interview him for which both he and his
daughter easily agreed. I Thank them for
this kind gesture.
According to Anthony D’Souza,
it was the great Tiatrist Alexinho de Candolim who first time introduced him in
his Tiatro at Mapusa Bairao Hall, organized by Mapusa Police Station where he
rendered his own two duets which he rendered with one Minguel Noronha. For this
he was paid voluntarily Rs 100/- by Alexinho de Candolim, this amount was too
high at that time and it really surprised him even though he was reluctant to
accept it.
He was born in Cortalim, Primeiro Vaddo, at his father’s
place on 28.03.1936 and brought up at St. Jacinto Island where he did his
schooling at Parochial School and where he turned out to be an exceptionally
talented Choir boy singing well not only in the local Church but also in the neighboring villages
and even singing the Veronica song. Hence, from early age he acquired name and
fame for him as a very good singer that attracted everyone’s attention towards
him.
During Portuguese time
in Goa in the late fifties he joined with another great Tiatrist Nelson Afonso
to sing duets as Nelson was playing the role of a girl. During that time from the
Stage Anthony D’Souza was fighting for justice against those who were treating the Mundkars and the poor very
badly. In one of his duets he sings thus, in 1958:
“ANTHONY; TE XEKDDE SOMPON
KOBAR ZALET GHORIBANK KORIT TIM KETTAM
BATTACHO VALOR KITLO TO
SANG HANGACH RAVON GHETAM.
NELSON AS BHATTKAR'S DAUGHTER: TUZO PAI AMGUER
ZOU FODDUNK ETA TEDNA KITEM TEM DAKOITAM
ANTHONY: PAI TUJER
KURADD MARUN CABES TUJEM AKTAK KORTA
TATA”.
After the invasion of
Goa he, Conception and Nelson Afonso formed their famous trio and during their
first singing at Mapusa they were arrested along with KID boxer for his solo,
they were arrested because they rendered “zupatti” to government of india for
making a hell of Goa.
He had hunger for fighting
for justice especially for Goa and since MGP of Daananda Bandodcar was doing
injustice for Goa he directed his tirade against MGP by composing piercing “zupattis”
to MGP and Bandodcar. So much so, Bandodcar was more afraid of this trio than all the 12 members
of UGP. in fact the trio songs composed by Anthony were more piercing and were
unbearable for Bandodcar to absorb. This Anthony D’souza and his trio was
largely responsible for campaigning and educating the masses against MGP and Bandodcar. This trio was responsible for safeguarding
the interest of Goa more than many and partly because of this Trio campaign
from the Stage against merger of Goa with Maharatra, we the genuine Goans won
the Opinion Poll. Besides, this Trio
brought more honour, more respect and more dignity to Tiatros and Tiatrists
which was not existing earlier. It is
partly they who were responsible for wooing the upper segment of Goans for
Tiatros. His one trio song “XIKKO MARLO PANALA ANI DOPKO DILO FULALA”, in
praise of the victory of Opinion Poll was so powerful that such a song I never
heard before nor later. His other interesting trio song was on the death of
“SALAZAR” which openly declared the greatness of Salazar who ruled Portugal for
a long time. From the three, one member
of this Trio is surviving that is, Anthony
D’Souza who was more firebrand among the three and this being the case he
should be felicitated on behalf of Opinion Poll Victory group for helping the
victory of Opinion Poll. It is something
different when we pay our fitting tributes to the person concerned when he is
alive rather than after his death.
THOUGH ageing he got
reasonable memory of the past events but feels hurt that his songs are not aired
at All India Radio Panjim. He asked me
why this injustice to him even though he produced 4 Konkani Albums namely
(1)Fr. Savio. (2) Mother Teresa (3) Gandhi Jyanti and (4) AlvernazAlmao. The same query I put in front of all his admirers requesting them to do something for this because we cannot ignore his one wish when he did so much for Goa. He is very thankful to Manfa Music for
helping him to produce his Albums. So too he is grateful to Churchill Alemao
for his assistance.
According to his
approximate estimate, he composed 500 songs, namely Solos, Duets, Trios
etc. According to him, “To Bautto Dhormancho” Tiatro written and directed by
Alexiho de Candolim was the best while “Doia” Tiatro by Aristedes Dias was
something unique of which type nobody can write now, so too the Tiatro “Divorce” of
Aristides Dias only. Commenting on the vulgarity shown in the Tiatros in acting,
singing and in expressions, Anthony indicated his total dislike for this
vulgarity which he said during his time was not in existence. He further said, by just standing on the
Stage, the ace comedian Jacinto Vaz used to produce peals of laughter in the
audience. But current artistes
especially the tin-pot comedians who are of questionable parentage and those without
proper parental car, guidence and discipline are the real culprits in this vulgarity
because they lacked parental care at home when they were young. The following of these dirty comedians are
also the dirty audience who applaud this type of vulgarity.
The other disgust of
his was against Parricar for taking courage to cancel the Holiday on the Feast
day of St. Francis Xavier. Seeing the injustice going on in Goa and corruption
at all the levels and spreading communalism in Goa thereby hurting the
sentiments of the minorities, his blood boils but time is not in his side to
take up this issue forcefully on the Stage.
Thinking over this, his revolutionary self is getting aroused once again
but his time to raise his voice on this topic is finished. However, he still feels that some Tiatrists
will take up this type issues very forcefully.
He is all in praise for
the yesteryear Tiatrists who according to him were gifted with all the
qualities to be Tiatrists and precisely because they had such sterling
qualities they kept this Tiatro Art still alive. Elaborating further he said
during those days and even during his time there were not many facilities available
as they are available now. He quoted during those days in the absence of
electricity Tiatros were staged with Petromax and in the absence of elegant Halls
Tiatros were staged in the Mattou; during those days the Tiatrists were
travelling to participate in the Tiatros thru the Caminhao and at moments even
on Cycles with meager payment. The
earlier Tiatrists made Tiatros as their hobby while it is a business now and for
that matter a lucrative business for many of the Tiatrists who built their
empires either small or medium ones. Most of the current Tiatrists are
financially stable.
As a strong political
thinker, Anthony D’Souza took lot of interest in Goan politics even to the extent by contesting the elections for the Seat in the local Panchayat where he
completed three terms successfully.
Though he completed 15 years in his local Panchayat as one of the Panch
members but he never did any mischief nor bribery nor harassed any of the
locals as it is done by many of our Panch members who otherwise think that they
are feudal lords when actually they are tin-pots. He is very much disgusted with
the BJP rule where he said he was totally disturbed to see the way the BJP
formed its government in Goa when they did not receive the majority. He said he prefers Congress rule for the smooth
functioning of secularism properly in Goa adding further that Parricar is a
splitter.
According to him, the
best singer among the current ones are Xavier Gomes and Lawry Travasso while
among the former M. Boyer, M. Dod de Verna and Luciano Dias.
Though old age is
reflecting on his health yet I wish him good health and all the best. With my head down I pay my highest respect to
this great Tiatist of yesteryear who has served Goa, Goans and Konkani language
as very few did. Will we get another
like him? I doubt because such artistes
comes to this planet only once in centuries.
And if I do my right forecast, I think such a Tiatrist we will never get again.
A. VERONICA FERNANDES.
