The above is the Handbill of the first Tiatro in Kuwait on 14th Aug., 1958, staged at Ahmadi. Seen on top at left, is Edmundo Fernandes.Candolim, Bardez is a very popular village in Goa. It is a birth place of world renowned Hypnotist Abade Faria (Abe Faria) whose house where he was born is still there and it is under the possession of Goa Government. The Portuguese School where I did my primary education in Portuguese was named after this great Goan genius as “ESCOLA PRIMARIA DE ABADE FARIA’. Abade Faria made Candolim internationally known while Candolim is made popular in Goan and Konkani world by renowned Konkani Tiatrists, namely Alexinho de Candolim whose songs and Tiatros dazzled the Konkani world and Young Menezes another singer of highest reputation known to compose and sing songs full of proverbs with perfect rymings. Young Menezes was the real Jet Speed singer of whose type still there is no one on Konkani Stage. The Vaddo where Abe Faria was born is known as Pintos Vaddo where another smart Goan was also born, named Antonio Maria Fernandes. During the British rule in India, Antonio Maria Fernandes worked for British Army as a Librarian where he had total access to all the books from where he acquired top knowledge in many subjects. He was highly literate man and highly knowledgeable person of whose type during those days there was none in our village. When I was young, I was his favourite young boy and used to sit with him listening to his flow of knowledge on any subject. From his mouth I acquired lot of knowledge. It was said, he knew everything except one that is when he would die. He was the father of once renowned footballer of Goa, Panvel and Dempo, the late Titus who played along with me in Goa. Because he knew everything except one, Antonio was nicknamed as Ninety Nine after his coming to Kuwait soon after the independence of India.
Antonio Maria Fernandes was directly recruited by Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) as an Auto Electrician in which trade he was also good. He had 2 more brothers; one was the late Paciencio Fernades who after getting a job in Dubai in mid sixties took innumerable villagers to Dubai. The other brother was Edmundo Fernandes who till some years back was employed in Kuwait. Edmund was a good Tiatrist and when Alfred Rose & Rita came to Kuwait in 1975 thru Tony Cal, Edmund acted in both the Tiatros of Alfred Rose, namely “Bhangaracho Voti” and “Angounnechi Vokol”. During my last visit to Goa, I had an opportunity to talk to Edmund since he and I are from the same village and Vaddo too. I asked him about the origin of Tiatro in Kuwait and this is what he told me:
“My brother Antonio came to Kuwait in 1950 and immediately he brought me to Kuwait and got me employed at Bechtel Co., Ahmadi Oil sector, as an AC Technician. I came to Kuwait via Ship S.S. Dumra from Goa to Karachi and then to Kuwait covering this distance in 10 days, ticket fare costing Indian Rupees 200/- was sent to me by my brother only. During those days in Kuwait the currency was Indian Rupees. My brother Antonio was regularly coming to meet me from Ahmadi where he was staying in KOC Quarters, at Fahaheel where I was staying with the then prominent Goan Felix Monteiro from Bastora. Mr. Monteiro was a very good singer and composer and had great liking for Tiatro. Then my brother while conversing with Felix asked him whether he is interested in staging a Tiatro at Ahmadi and if yes, he agreed to do everything for staging this Tiatro. When Felix said yes, my brother Antonio went to KOC Labour Office, spoke to the top British Boss, submitted the application, got it approved and thus the first Tiatro in Kuwait was staged on 14th August 1958 at 9.00 pm, in the Open Air next to the then South Wheel Hospital. The name of this Tiatro was “BODMAS OKOL” written and directed by Felix Monteiro. In this Tiatro I rendered a solo “Veronica Ostori” which was very much applauded by the audience. Being the first Tiatro in Kuwait, the audience was packed to capacity and some of them had to just stand having no seat. The ticket fares were Rs. 5/- first class and Rs. 3/- second class. Then other Tiatrists followed also thru the assistance of my brother. Felix Monteiro later on staged his second Tiatro “NOXIBACHEM NOKETR” again with the assistance of my brother and he then followed by another 2 more Tiatros. Then my “ghaum – bhau” from Candolim Orda, John Dias staged his Tiatro “UNTYCHO MOG” in Salmiya in 1963.
Later on Tony Cal came into the picture in full scale as director and started staging his Tiatros and encouraged others also and promoted new comers. According to me, said Edmund, Tony Cal has played a pivotal role in the promotion of Tiatro in Kuwait. But the major credit for the origin of Tiatro in Kuwait should go to my brother Antonio Maria Fernandes and then to Felix Monteiro”.
In this way, I asked Edmund “can we call your brother Antonio Maria Fernandes as PAI KUWAIT TIATRIST? Good suggestion, answered Edmundo.
Unfortunately, Antonio Maria Fernandes died in Dubai about 30 years back while Felix Monteiro died in Canada recently.
In 1978 approximately, Felix Monteiro helped Dost Kumar another well known Goan Tiatrist to stage his Tiatro in the Church Hall, Kuwait City.
To add something more on Antonio Maria Fernandes, he was such an intellectually dynamic man that somewhere in 1958 at KOC Center where he was working, in honour of Portuguese Government of Goa he collected all the likeminded Goans in the morning at 9.00 on the National Day of Portugal and hoisted the Portuguese Flag and rendered the Portuguese National Anthem “Heroes do Mar”. When this news went to British Embassy looking after the interest of Portugal in Kuwait, it immediately sent a message to Portugal in Lisbon and Salazar personally applauded Antonio Maria Fernandes. When he went to Goa for good before the forced entry of Bharat into Goa, Salazar thru his last Governador of Goa, Vassalo e Silva, asked Antonio what he wants…… Then the history which I have recorded in my forthcoming book.
Antonio Maria Fernandes was a terrific daring man. 4 Days after the annexure of Goa by Bharat, some rascal Bharati military soldiers stationed at Aguada started acting like Dadas of Goa at our Tinto. They were hungry for foreign liquour, not only foreign liquour but anything foreign bullshit. They were the hungry, thirsty and cheap Bharatis from the streets in the land called Bharat descended on Goa with the excuse of liberating Goa. But in reality they did just the opposite. After consuming “Bann bhor Soro” at Casa Manica Bar, they refused to pay and on top of it started acting abusive with the owner of Casa Manica who 4 days earlier shouting at the top of his voice saying “Jai Hind. Nehru Zindabad – Salazar Murdabad. Jai Swaraj – Jai Hindu Raj. Antonio Maria Fernandes was nearby and when he saw the owner of Casa Manica was trembling with fear of the invaders, ran to the rescue of Goykar owner of Casa Manica, caught hold of one Sardarji militaryman by his hand, argued with him forcefully in pure Hindi and made the millitarymen to surrender, effect payment and disappear from the scene . That was his guts.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
