By Daniel F. de Souza dannyboy04@rediffmail.com (Goa)The Konkani Day at ‘ Alexyz e os Amigos’ at the Fundacao Orient premises on Monday evening was a evening to cherish and remember for a long time to come. The pace for the evening of Konkani song and music was set by versatile Tomazinho Cardozo the popular tiatr celebrity together with his talented and musically oriented wife Irene Cardozo. Tomazinho who has carved a niche for himself on the Konkani stage with his several prize winning tiarts at the Kala Academy tiatr competitions was the right choice to make a presentation on the evolution, roots and development of the Konkani songs and music in Goa.
Tomazinho Cardozo presented the growth and development of Konkani music in Goa in its various genres encompassing the religious music, folk music, mando music, tiatr music, Dulpods, Konkani rap music which made its debut on the Konkani stage in the 1940s, and it’s slow but steady progression to its present state of fusion music blending admirably with the western musical influence. With the backing of young and talented Rabin Pietro on the keyboards Tomazinho along with his wife Irene rendered various vocal renditions of Konkani music of yester years from Young Menezes to Minguel Rod, Alfred Rose, Chris Perry, besides a glimpse of folk songs, Mandos, dulpods, etc. Irene singing in the second voice with a soft touch added much beauty to the evening.
Renowned musician, novelist and Konkani writer Bonaventure Pietro, chipped in with a special rendition of traditional songs sung at the time of wedding ceremony and ritual of ‘Ros’ and ‘Zomin Jevonn’ or wedding lunch etc. Tomazinho’s informative narration on Goan konkani music and song and intermittent rendition of selective tracks to substantiate the text including Mandos and dulpo, which also included some fusion tracks, patriotic and others, with Indian classical touch from his own audio albums were lapped up by an appreciative and elite audience. The husband-wife singing duo of Tomazinho and Irene has always regaled Konkani music lovers for a long time, and on 25th Feb they were once again at their best.
The second part of the ‘Konkani Day’ was again a musical jam-up with the Pietro’s and acclaimed konkani stage artist Rita Rose who specially came down to Goa from Mumbai to regale her fans. Bonaventure Pietro set the ball rolling for reviving Alfred Rose’s memory with an especially composed song on the late singer. Rabin Pietro then followed with two fiery solos of late Alfred Rose ‘Kalchi Koddi’ and ‘Diana’ making the audience hunger for more. The musical score for the songs were sequenced and scored by Rabin himself. Later Rita Rose who along with here husband the late Alfred Rose has taken Konkani music to Goans settled across the globe rendered two songs composed by her husband. The first was a foot tapping solo and later ‘Jivit Goykaranchem’ together with Irene and Rabin Pietro. Fans of Alfred Rose and lovers of Konkani music could have asked for nothing more as the evening came to an end with a loud bravo for all those who helped to make the evening a memorable one. The resident delegate of Fundacao Oriente Paul Varela himself was overwhelmed with the response the programme received from konkani song and music lovers. And in his brief speech admitted that the presentation made by Tomazinho Cardozo helped him a lot to gain a first hand knowledge and insight into the rich and vast repertoire of Konkani music. The show was compered by Alexyz himself in his inimitable style.
Speaking on the sidelines of the programme a beaming and happy looking Rita Rose confided to me that she was very much happy to be part of the week long event ‘Alexyz e os Amigos’ under the auspices of the Fundacao Orient. ‘I am thankful to Alexyz and his friends for having specially invited me to perform at this event. It gives me much pleasure to get back to the stage and fulfill the wishes of my numerous fans who like to see me perform more often’ said Rita with a look of satisfaction written all over her smiling face. It is pertinent to point out that it was the late Melody King Alfred Rose who first introduced the concept of Konkani musical shows onto the Konkani stage in the late seventies performing with his entire family. He even went on to the extent of presenting a ‘Rock konkani musical show’ on a minus one audio track a musical concept that was unheard till then on konkani stage.
When asked if she has plans to come back with a musical show with her musically inclined children Schubert, Engelbert and Alria ? she said ‘ I would love to do that in future, and I want to do that, but, I have to work it out with my son who at the moment is busy with his professional assignments in Mumbai”.
It may be recalled that in January this year, Rita along with her singer daughter Alria Rose was specially flown down to Goa to perform in a Konkani musical show which had Goa’s renowned Mumbai based musicians and music directors. She and Alria performed at Taliegao and on the shores of the Baina beach in Vasco. Alria Rose like her legendary father Alfred Rose is a talented singer and has tremendous power in her voice and is already a hit with the audience wherever she has performed. She should enrich the Konkani stage with more participation in the near future, not only in special musical shows, but also tiatrs whenever possible. This would not only bring glamour to the Konkani stage but inspire many youngsters to follow in her footsteps.
In the meantime, the lovers of konkani music and konkani stage are keeping their fingers crossed that the Chief Minister Shri Digamber Kamat who is an ardent lover of Art and Culture will spare no efforts to recognize the lifetime services rendered to Konkani stage and music by Goa’s one and only true Melody King the late Alfred Rose by naming the Open Air Auditorium at the Kala Academy Panjim in his memory for not only having many firsts to his credit including writing and publishing Konkani novels, but by taking Konkani music to dizzy heights in India and at international level. Late Alfred Rose deserves it for the sheer and undeniable fact that there has been no one else like him on the konkani stage so far, and so far I see no prospects either. The void Alfred Rose has left behind will be too difficult to be filled in the near future. And the fact is, we have to live by this sad truth! I hope better sense prevails and justice is done where it is most due. Will our Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Digamber Kamat rise up to fulfill the just demands of the Aam Admi? Perhaps time will tell.
Together with Ulysses Menezes of