It was with deep sorrow and chagrin I got the sad news of the sad death of one of the renowned yesteryears Tiatrists, Remmie J. Colaco, on 22nd of this month, at the very ripe age of 87. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
It was somewhere in 1957-58 when I was young, I first saw the late Remmie J. Colaco playing the role of a female beggar cum concubine in the Tiatro "Doia" written and directed by the late Aristedes Dias, in my village Candolim. Though this Tiatro was one of the best in the history of Tiatros for this reason it was staged even in rural areas twice during those days but because of the excellent role played by Remie, its beauty reached to the highest peak. Because of his feminine facial looks, he was given the role of a female and his charming voice too resembled that of a female.
Then at the later stage I saw him in number of Tiatros written and directed by other playwrights. Himself he wrote and directed many Tiatros but the best that I liked among all were “Ghorachem Sukh” and “Zolmancho Ghaum”. Zolmancho Ghaum was staged in mid sixties which arises the patriotic feelings of real Goans towards their birth place Goa. Saluzinho was the star in this Tiatro that played the heroic role to impress upon everyone the importance of "Zolmacho Ghaum".
The other Tiatro of his that deserved highest compliments was “Ghorachem Sukh”, Part I, in early seventies. It was a very good family story revolving around the discipline of family life where Souza Ferrao, Cyriaco Dias, Antonette Mendes and Jacinto Vaz played their roles extremely well. There are no playwrights currently among us who stages such Tiatros based on genuine family life.
As a writer and director of Tiatros he had his excellence but for his solos he had his genius as very few had on Konkani stage. His solos on Goan politics of post December 1961 Goa were just superb but more than that his solos on family life. He rendered some very romantic songs also in the form of duets with Mohana. His solos on educating young girls how to maintain their dignity was class by itself. Many of his solos were based on this theme. As a very strong devotee of mother, he composed best solos as none did and will never be in future either, on the greatness of one’s mother. His two solos “Ankvar Moriechem Dukh” and “Sankistao” will remain in the history as unique. His comedy “Duos” with M. Boyer were just fantastic and will remain unparalleled in the history.
He was a freedom loving man and always eulogised democracy. When in 1975 Indira Ghandhi introduced Emergency Rule in India he was very much distressed and to show his dislike for this dictatorial Rule, he immediately after the loss of Indira’s Congress in the 1977 general election he composed and rendered a beautiful song in praise of democracy denouncing Emergency Rule and Indira too.
As a strong supporter of Christianity he condemned in one of his songs deportation of one Spanish Missionary Priest from Maharastra by Indian Government with the instigation of Maharastra Chief Minister V. P. Naik. This missionary priest was falsely accused of doing conversion in the rural areas of Maharastra while infact he was working for the upliftment of the rural and tribal people. Being a true Christian, if Remmie was active when Parrikar cancelled the Good Friday Holiday, he would take courage and strongly raise his voice from the stage very forcefully against Parrikar's cancellation of this Christian holiday.
Remmie J. Colaco during his long inning on Konkani Stage raised many issues for the good of Goa and Goans. Much before many of the current activists and politicians could take up issues of Goan interests, Remmie J. Colaco took up these issues from the Stage purely for the love of Goa and Goans.
In his songs he served Goa, Goan causes and his religion Christianity more than any of the so called Goa lover politicians.
His songs dwelt mainly on Romantic themes, political and family life. Some of the verses of some of his songs on different topics I give here below:
His romantic mind one can know by reading one of the verses of his romantic song which goes as follows:
Maria choltai tum halon ani dolon,
Kai borem distai tum fula porim fulon,
Nouro polleta tukam fattim vollon
Taka vissorxi tum dusreak bhulon,
Ch.
Noreak vissorxi, jurament dilai to negar veshi,
Taka lozen ghalsi, xirap buzon tum ankvar ursi.
The second romantic song – a duet - goes thus:
Aiz zoddlo ami sacrament kazaracho,
Tum sangat mozo morosor fuddaracho,
Aiz thaun tum bhoddvo mojea adharacho,
Samball kor mojea ghora dharacho
Ch
Devan amcher ghatlem besaum, mog ami kelolo dekhun khoro,
Amcher vaitt vigna eit zalear dhonia tunch kor poro,
Dogaim ghorib ami, magtaum fuddar amcho zavunk bhoro,
Devan amchea ekvottacher bhorim follam dilea puro.
In the following verses of his solo you can know how he cautions the young spinsters:
Bhoini bhurgech ponnir hanson nachon uddo,
Ankvar ponnar chedde ghalit tukam vheddo,
Tujea rupacher cheddeanchi nodor poddo,
Tum sobit ful soboitaleim vaddo,
Atam noxiban mevla tukam nouro,
Tujea hatin dila fulamcho turo,
Azun chedde tuzo korun assat paro,
Bhulonakaim tankam tukam ekloch puro
Ch
Bhailen ghovacho mog kelear khoro,
Tednanch fuddar zata boro.
The following is the great solo on greatness of our Mothers.
Sounsar ho lamb rund torui amkam pavona
Sounsarant etaum bhava ami kedinch ravona
Visvasi munis sodlear amkam mevona
Familik passun kedinch pationk favona
Ch
Pai tuji apurbai kortoch, murgottai uttien dhortoch,
To passun vissorta mae tuji mortoch
Dusre ponnir kazar zatoch, bhurghim vhoddlim zaun vaddtoch
Gorantlim bhair ghalta dusri bhail mevtoch
II
Bhau aple bhoinink moi mogan khelloita,
Apurbaechi bhoinn mhonn sangatan gheun bhonvta,
Vhaddon vhoddli zaisor, boro moipas dakoita,
Pun doth dinvchea vellar magir bhoinnink fottoita.
Ch
Bhoinn mhonchem apurbai vhoddli, Bavachea mogan lasteli,
Soglea ghanvank tachi vhoddvik sangteli,
Bhav sinknar mhonn nachteli, tachea fustar mouza marteli,
Bhavachem mevona zatoch bodmas zateli.
III
Sounsar ho nirbhagi, kallzak ghalta ghae,
Sounsarant bhava mojea tum sodanch chotur jie,
Sorgar assa rochnar, fokot taka bie,
Tachea fattlean sounsarant eklich mae assa tika patie
Ch
Kallzak gheun sosnnikai, lhanvikaen cholonk zai,
Sounsarant kedinch mijeas korinakai,
Maink tuje visronakai, assosor ti bienakai,
Soirm dhairim soglim fott patienakai.
When Dayananda Bandodkar was misruling Goa by being an uneducated Chief Minister, to criticise his misrule, Remmie composed one beautiful song "Sankistao" the fame of it went far and wide as never happened before, few relevant verses of it I quote here below:
Eka ganvan eke Igorjen ekloch khuim padri also,
Eka Aitara to duent zalo mis sangong zaina tosso,
Igroz bhor lokh mis aikonk aslo to babdo mis sangtolo kosso,
Dekhun Sankistavank apoun haddun tanne sanglem ki lokak sermau sang mhonnon osso.
CH
Vigar boron na aiz mis aschena tachem,
Mis aikona tor patok nhoi tumchem,
Konnachem bag sandlam, tem Sankistin dhorlam, choukosi korun eun vorchem,
Porvam Munglaradis Fest SamPedr Sampaulachem
Ervam Budvaradis kazar Ladru Marichem,
Tachea kazarak kitem haddkoll assa zalear vigarak eun sangchem.
II
Utram aikon Padvigarachim, khuxeal zalo Sankistaum,
Mhonno laglo Sankistaum aslolo aiz thaun padri zalom mhonn aum,
Chintlem tanne Sermau sangtoch ojaptolo mhonn apeak ghaum.
Ani nettan ghelo, lokak poun bhielo, ani aikat koxo sanglo sermau
Ch
Vigar boro na, aiz patok nhoi tumchem,
Porvam Munglaradis Fest Ladru Marihem,
Tachea festak kitem haddkoll aslear Sankistin eun sangchem,
Ervam Budvaradis kazar Sampedr Sampaulachem,
Vigaran sanglam tumi kazarak eunchem,
Kiteak eta to Berestar, mhoineacho poilo Sunkrar, sogleani kumsar zaun kominhau geumchem..
The following verses indicates his prophetic thoughts in favour of Konkai:
Kolo ani Vanxel zaleant bhedi,
Xinvachea bhottak ghalunk mudi,
Dekhun poiat bhas mudra korunk uchamboll kedi,
Ami zannot teo koleancheo budi
CH
Aikat tumi bhas Konkani, bhitor rigon assa amchea rogtan,
Tika marunk, mudar korunk, ami mat konnak dhinvchena kontan,
Vavron nettan, sogle ekvottan, ami zuzoya sangatan,
Amchem boll dakoumya, Konknni bhas jikumya, hangach nhoi pun Delhi Parliamentan.
The following are the important verses of his well known song Ankvar Moriechem Dukh:
Sonvsarant patki ami torui axetam bhogunk sukh,
Sonxi nezo konnaichean matui pottak hea laglear bhuk,
Zo konn bhulta hea sonvsarak, fatt korun sorgak to adarta vhodli chukh,
Kiteak upkarta sounvsar, chintlear Ankvar Moriechem dukh
Ch
Putak tichea marit velo dongrar team judevani,
Tachea fatlean aponn bonvli roddon dukhamani,
Kitem boglem nam zait pollun putak toplolo tea baleani,
Sangat oslem dukh sonvsarant bhoglam khoimchea Maiyamni.
II
Kosolich chukh nastanam Jesuk kelo guneavkari,
Fafsili kudd tachi marun rogtamcheo keleo zori,
Sangat konn avoi sonxit dolleam mukar aple putak oslem korit tori,
Punn hem soglem dukh sonsun ravli eklich Ankwar Mori.
This was our genius Tiatrist the late Remmie J. Colaco.
Will anybody fill the void created by him? I feel never.
May his soul rest in peace and may God give courage to his family members to bear this great loss.
It is a loss for them, loss for us Tiatro lovers and a big loss for the Konkani Stage.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
