TIATR LOVERS IN FOR A GOOD TREAT.

TIATR LOVERS IN FOR A GOOD TREAT.

By: Daniel F. de Souza.

It’s Easter time once again. It’s time to break the long spell of fasting and abstinence. It’s also the time of the year in Goa when the Konkani stage gets ready for a new season and new releases. This Easter time is no exception though.With the exception of perhaps Rose Ferns and Menino de Bandar who are both continuing with their same shows viz ‘Maim Tuzo Upkari Hanv’ and ‘Taxi Driver’, all the other playwrights are getting set and giving final touches to their new ventures scheduled to go on stage at Easter time.

The showman of the Konkani stage Prince Jacob is going to bring forth something very colourful and enchanting with his new release ‘Rong’. The show was earlier released in Mumbai last month and has had a good response from Mumbaikars. MaRIO Menezes who takes prides in calling himself the ‘Director with continuous hits’ even though his show last season ‘Tumi Tumche Dolle Ugddat’ did not come anywhere close to his earlier known hits, has declared his new show a tiatr entitled ‘Ghorabeache Vantte’. Don’t be surprised if after the first two shows, you get to see an advertisement that loudly claims it as ‘Declared Hit’! A small piece of advice to my good friend MaRIO though…. he’s got to pay a little more attention to the comedy this time, for with the exit of Ambe and Agostinho his original pair of comedians, this department in his last show was found to be vulnerable.

John D’Silva the playwright known for his high standard script, is driving on a success wave last two seasons, and this time he has got to maintain the tempo and the lead. He is releasing his new tiatr ‘Ekvott’ with his original cast. But, the surprise inclusion is John’s youngest son Benhur Shaan who is taking a bow for the first time on konkani stage . Oh what a name that is! Let’s hope performance-wise he lives up to his name. The Prince of centuries Pascoal Rodrigues is out to tempt tiatr lovers this Easter season with his latest venture ‘Tallni’. Incidentally this is his 44th stage production. The dramatist pair of Anil-Olga is also releasing their new show this Easter season, ‘Ghavo Tuka Dukh Mhaka’ . The artist to be watched however is Fermino of the ‘Nagappa’ role fame. The earlier productions of this pair have had good runs and this show should obviously go a step further in all respects.

Cyril Almeida and Soccoro de Santa Cruz are releasing their joint venture ‘Koddu Soth’ which promises to give powerful songs and comedy. Comedian Ambe who is now wearing the crown of a playwright is releasing his new venture a tiatr entitled ‘Kallem Mazor’. Whether the ‘Black cat’ will bring him bigger and better luck this time, one cannot predict. But, I am sure Ambe is going through a stressful time on the eve of his release, with his mainstay artist Felcy still convalescing from a knee injury she suffered recently in a bus accident. We wish Ambe all the very best. I hope and pray Felcy makes a fast recovery and gets back to the stage as early as possible.

Comedian Agostinho, who had a dream run last season with his tiatr ‘Sir’ is coming up with his new venture ‘Police’ that is set for release on 23rd March. I really admire this man who has the presence of mind to bring forth interesting and contemporary plots in the plays he has produced so far. His title this time is surely a winning one and good enough to arouse curiosity thereby drawing crowds to the theatres. I want to share what a little bird told me recently, believe me, Agostinho is going to depict the ‘man-in-uniform’ in good light! The Policemen can breathe easy now. ‘Sun Tea Gharachi’ is the new show of Jr. Reagan schedule for release in early April. The director has roped in big names like Wilmix-Sharon, Osvy Viegas, Fatima, and Anthony San. Ives Tavares who has earlier given hits such as ‘Bhitorlea Monacho Munis’ and ‘Don tonndancho munis’ is now venturing out with yet another new tiatr with similar title ‘Dusreachem Padd ghalpi Munis’. The show goes on stage on 28th March. On Easter Sunday A.M. Productions is releasing ‘Duddvank Man Devak Okman’.

Comedians Domnic and Luis Bachchan are continuing with their show Rupem Bhangar Maginai’ till the month of May. So is the case with Rose Ferns too who has declared that his show ‘Maim Tuzo Upkari Hanv’ will run till May 2008. International Jet speed political singer William de Curtorim will make his presence strongly felt this season with his show ‘Panch Bailancho Ghorkar Bhurgeank Posta Serkar’ . The highlight of this show will be 4 hit political solos coming from William himself. ‘Anthony Sylvester’s traditional tiatr ‘Don’t worry Be Happy’ will also continue in the new season and go beyond the monsoons.

One playwright who is calculating his time to strike with his new release in style is none other than Mariano Fernandes, the most successful director last season. Known for his super-cast line-up and good morale stories, Mariano who is back from a long overseas tour to the Gulf is coming out in early June with his new tiatr ‘Sorg Sonvsar Ifern’!

The discerning tiatr lover has a wide choice to make his weekend pleasant beginning this Easter Sunday. Make your choice, and book your tickets in advance, but, please do not buy tickets in the black market. Say ‘no’ to black marketeering, say ‘yes’ to advance booking! Happy Easter and Happy viewing to you all.

Norman Cardozo – the man who revolutionised background music in tiatrs.

Daniel F. de Souza.

The konkani stage has seen many great musicians over the last many decades who have given their valuable talents to enrich Konkani music and thus making it popular among music lovers. Good music is essential for the success of any tiatr and so is a good music director. One musician who has worked his way up to the top in Konkani music with determination and perseverance and won him the enviable tag of Music director is non other than Norman Cardozo. Today Norman’s name is a part of most of the Konkani music albums produced in Goa.

Norman’s mother Flemina Cardozo sharing the glory and honours as she proudly holds the Gulab Award 2002 alongside her son.

Recently I had the opportunity to speak to this soft spoken, rather shy and very warm hearted musician who has trotted across the globe on professional assignments from the Gulf States to Europe, and far across the Pacific to Canada with his keyboards, taking konkani music to the world. Born in the picturesque village of Nuvem, in Salcette Norman had his primary education in Mae dos Pobres school there. Thereafter for his secondary schooling he was sent as a boarder to St. Joseph’s High School in Calangute. Having finished school through St. Joseph’s, Norman came back to R.M.S. (Damodar) Higher Secondary in Margao to continue up to XII STD.

Recalling his younger days Norman recalls fondly “ My parents were tiatr goers and I would accompany them during my childhood years. But, somehow I would push my way up to the stage and get enchanted watching the drummer at work from close quarters. On returning back home I would try imitating the drummer’s stunts using empty tins and creating all types of sound! My joining St. Joseph’s High school in Calangute helped me to further my interest in music. It was here at the age of 12 that I picked up the guitar and learned to play the same. Gradually, I was fascinated seeing the ‘Harmonium’ in the school chapel and I would make time to explore the same. I began exploring the chords from the guitar on to the harmonium. It was quite tough in the beginning without anybody’s guidance, but, with perseverance I managed to locate the chords on the harmonium. This thrilled me that I could handle two musical instruments effortlessly. ” For a musically inclined youth his age, it was not unusual to try his hands at different instruments. Taking advantage of the opportunities his school campus offered him, young Norman later began shifting his eyes to the Keyboards. It was a gradual shift no doubt, but, it was surely going to make a tremendous impact on his career which Norman did not realize in his teenage years.

Like any youngster his age, Norman was raring to go as a musician. He found the opportunity after he finished his SSC. Norman immediately joined a local beat group ‘Genesis’ as their vocalist and lead guitarist. He did a two year stint with ‘Genesis’. It was however, in the late 80’s that opportunity came knocking in the form of an assignment to play for a tiatr band in playwright Pascoal Rodrigues’ ‘Rozar’. He was taken in as the lead guitarist. More openings followed with other tiatr assignments as a guitarist, and he merrily obliged. But, the real good break came Norman’s way when Mario de Vasco entrusted him to provide music and background music in his new venture ‘Dumph’ on the keyboards under the guidance of Maestro the late C.P. Dias. Keyboards for live tiatr music were a still unheard of concept then, and hence the change did bring in some innovations and people accepted Norman on the keyboards for his talents.

Going down memory lane Norman said “ My brief encounters in music and the slow progress did not quite impress my mother. She was worried for me and my future. She coaxed me to take up a job overseas. On her advise I took up a job in Qatar on the rigs and worked there for 4 years. But, honestly while bodily I was there, my heart and soul was in Goa and into Konkani music. I filled the void by listening to Konkani music through audio cassettes and CDs and kept the desire alive”.

It was only on his return back to Goa from Qatar in 2000, that through Lawry Travasso he got introduced to playwright Mario Menezes, and from there on his career as full time musician literally took wings. There has been no looking back since then for this talented keyboardist. “Mario Menezes wanted some different background music in his play, he had confidence in me and gave me a free hand to experiment, at the same time demanding performance” remembers Norman. Mario’s show ‘He Chukhik Bhogsonnem Asa?’ took Norman to new heights in introducing out of the way and exceptional background music on the keyboards in tiatrs. Norman had arrived.

Norman Cardozo has bagged the prestigious ‘Gulab Award’ twice for konkani music in Mario Menezes show ‘Mhoji Maim Mhoji dusman’ (2002) and once again for Donald’s tiatr ‘Pallam’ in 2007. So far Norman has provided and scored music independently for nearly 30 odd Konkani music albums and equal number of VCD films too. Besides, he has played the keyboards for innumerable audio CD albums. During his musical evenings with drummer late James Rebello and his wife Vera at their Restaurant Picket Fences in Seraulim, Norman was spotted by nightingale Lorna, and that was beginning of another fairytale. Thereafter Norman has accompanied Lorna as her solo accompanist on the keyboard dishing out Chris Perry’s music during her long tours to entire Gulf, U.K., France, and Portugal, in Europe and in Canada too. He is a regular and frequent flyer to the Gulf for shows all throughout the year.

Lately Norman came in the news for a once in a lifetime event when he got the opportunity to play together with Elvis Goes’ cultural troupe at the Kalangan in Mangalore for the ‘Nirantori’ show organized by Eric Ozario, which catapulted Konkani music in the Guinness world record. ‘Ours was the only troupe in the show that performed with our own orchestra. We performed non-stop for one hour and did 15 songs without a break. I sincerely believe there was a ‘Hand of God’ a-la-Maradona in this event, by way of which I got my name featured in the Guinness record. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity’ said a beaming Norman in conversation with me.

While he is at the height of his career, Norman has not forgotten his formative years and reminisces “ In the beginning Edwin D’Costa of Nuvem has given me a lot of guidance, encouragement and imparted basic knowledge in music. I am thankful to him.” Among the present day younger singers on stage Norman holds, young and up-coming Alria Rose as highly talented. ‘We need talents like her, she is confident and can fire on all cylinders like her legendary father the late Alfred Rose. Wish to see her more on the stage.”

Before parting ways with him Norman had this message “ My message to the youngsters is, if you have a liking for music, go into it in a proper way, learn the Solfegio, and at the same time develop your natural ear for music. Work hard, believe in yourself and be committed. ”