This is with reference
to one song of the late renown Konkani Stage artiste Alexinho de Candolim who was such a beautiful singer and composer with his
sweet melodious voice he would easily mesmerise the audience, after his death in mid sixties
no other artiste appeared on Konkani Stage like him with such a mighty power of
composing mighty songs. Commenting on
this exceptionally talented songster, the late renowned son of Goa who was
considered a genius during those good old dasys, Mosg. Filipe Neri Mendonca
popularly known as Fr. Mendonca, the Principal of the first English High chool
of Goa, St. Joseph’s High School Arpora,
passed a comment referring to the singing prowess of Allexinho de Candolim: “Oh my goodness,
what Alexinho de Candolim is !! If this
man had a little educational background he would be surely a genius!!”. In
fact, Alexinho de Candolim’s political
views on Goa during the Portuguese rule were not liked by the Goan Freedom Fighters based in Bombay and for
this reason they tried to implicate him in doing something which he never did
from the Stage while in Goa for his heavy
criticism against his songs on the mischief done by the Bhattkarshahi
against the Mundkashahi, he was denied his rights of staging his Tiatros and
singing his songs on the nuisance committed by the upper class of Goans against
the lower. This nuisance was done in the
name of Censorship introduced for Tiatros by the Portuguese government of Goa
on the advice of top Goans who were the direct hit of the campaign of the then
Tiatrists. Portuguese Government and
Salazar rule were just scapegoat but the actual culprits were the Goan Portuguese
i.e. Goan Bhattkar and Goan Brahmins
mainly the Christians, who were doing rampant injustice to their fellow
Goans. Alexingo de Candolim was known to use the Konkani Stage to fight the dadagiri of Goan Christian Bhattkar
from the Stage in a such a manner that his one Tiatro “Amchea Xetachi Pavnni”
immediately following the ouster of Portuguese from Goa was just an example
depicting his tirade against the Goan disgraceful Christian Bamonshahi where in
one scene one Hindu Munddkar farmer taking advantage of the freedom given by
the Indian Government to speak freely, calls the Bamon Bhattkar who was the
Prsident of Communidade as: Tumkam fattim ami pachartalet mhonon “Bab” tor tech
ami atam tumkam pachartat mhonon “Dukor” jeam Dukrani fatim amkam ani amcheam
zantteank khup tras dilet.
My main purpose here is to raise my objection on
one great song “Kottecho Bikari” of Alexinho de Candolim which was recorded by him at Emisora de Goa in Fifties. This same song is now rendered by one lady
singer and it is viral now, the name of this lady singer is not indicated nor can be identified thru her voice. The
worst thing is that the originality of this golden song is totally mutilated without any respect to the origin l lyrics and made a mockery of this
great song of which type none among the current singers and Tiatrists will be
able to compose. While lodging my strong
Protest over this robbery, over this crime, I demand from the concerned persons
full explanation and from the concerned authorities including the Tiatro
Academy of Goa a way to stop such repetitions in the future in the name of Remix of Konkani
songs, those who are involved to Remix Konkani songs please don’t act like barbarians
and people from the “Zongoll”.
A.Veronica Fernandes.
