CHRIS PERRY & LORNA CORDEIRO..

One of the main reasons for the popularity of the ongoing Konkani movie “Nachum-ia Kumpasar” is the songs rendered with her golden voice by the golden girl Lorna Cordeiro and all but one or two of these songs were composed by the golden mind of the golden composer Chris Perry with the golden musical score provided by his own genius only.  I heard Lorna’s first time recorded Konkani Album and also I saw her live singing on the Stage when she first time appeared on Konkani Stage at Mapusa in the Tiatro “Nouro Mozo Devchar” written and directed by her guide and mentor Chris Perry. During that time it was like a wave of Lorna when her voice appeared in Konkani Album.

Would Chris Perry attain such a name and fame without Lorna? And would Lorna attain such a majestic popularity without Chris Perry?  My both the answers are: I doubt. 

Chris Perry was an excellent musician, an excellent Trumpeter and an excellent Solfist but by core he was an excellent Tiatrist.  Only after finding of Lorna his Tiatro self came to the fore aggressively and came it to the fore not with crawling but with sprinting surprising everyone and silencing all other Tiatrists of that time. That he was such a magnificent composer of songs with appropriate tunes and with appropriate musical score was proved without any doubt by listening to all his songs rendered thru the angelic voice of one and only one Lorna. I don’t think these songs would create such a mighty effect if they were rendered by some other singer.

In this musical activity their chemistry worked very well and because of their perfect fusion there was revolution not only on Konkani Stage but also on Konkani movement as a whole.  Lorna’s voice even captured the minds, hearts and tongues of MG lobby and Marathi supporters in Goa thereby giving precedence for Konkani over Marathi which was very imperative during that time when the language issue was playing into the minds of Goans.

By signing a long term contract with her and later on denying her freedom to move her on her own way by citing her contractual obligation, did Chris Perry do good for Konkani musical art and serve the Konkani cause?  To promote Konkani cause especially at that critical juncture when we were fighting for Konkani recognition to get separate Statehood for Goa, Lorna’s presence on musical platform was very imperative to sway the tide in our favour. She thru her songs had the capacity to attract Marathivadis towards Konkani. But Chris Perry failed to recognize this important fact and remained adamant by sticking to the contract.  Heaven would not fall if he had to bend  down his rigid principle.

By being lenient he could have allowed Lorna to move on her own way separately at least for the sake of Konkani. But no, on the contrary he remained rigid to his contract only as if Konkani cause was secondary and Konkani cause was not his priority.  It looked Konkani cause did not exist for him because even by working in Dubai his financial contribution for Konkani movement was nothing, at least to my knowledge while UAE Goans have contributed so fabulously.  His participation in Konkani movement in Goa was as observed Zero, he did not receive any Lathi beatings from Rane’s Ghantti Police at Panjim Azad Maidan for demonstrating in support of Konkani, his participation in the Rallies in Panjim in support of Konkani was Nil.  He never participated in Hunger Strike at Azad Maidan for Konkani cause either.  If he was a part of Konkani movement he would surely tone down his rigidity towards Lorna’s contractual obligation and allow her own freedom in which case Lorna would enrich Konkani movement further by aligning with another Chris. In this way she would attain success but without her I doubt Chris would.

By being closer to each other for a short period Chris-Lorna duo attained so much and if it was not for their split, we would get so much more.  But unfortunately we were not destined to get more contribution of Chris Perry and Lorna Cordeiro. That is our tragedy.

 A.    Veronica Fernandes,

Candolim, Goa.
Tel: 7507394349.

NEW KONKANI FILM "NACHOM-IA KUMPASAR".

On 22^nd of this month I had the opportunity to see the much appreciated Konkani Movie “NACHOM-IA KUMPASAR” at ESG Theatre – Maquinez Palace, Panjim. The attendance was full and the ticket price was Rs. 200/-

It is a worth see this movie by spending 2.5 hours and Rs.200/- as it contained a very good entertainment of  original recorded songs of Lorna and a very sorrowful tale of a young innocent school going girl named Dona played by Paloni Gosh.  She played very appropriately and excellently the role of a Crooner.  Being a non-Goan, her Konkani language and Konkani accent were perfectly Goan. In her pretty looks she resembled  a Goan as well but with her elegant party dress code as a Crooner she displayed all the ingredients of any posh looking Bollywood actress.  Her looks, presentation and excellence brought an extra colour to this film.  Her depiction of every action looked very genuine and the romantic part she innocently played with her new found man is worth admiring for its sheer genuineness. Kudos to the excellent direction.

While the role of her boyfriend named Lawry played by another non-Goan Vijay Maurya as a Music director was appropriate. 

The main story is explained and expressed more in the form of an Operetta thru all but one or two songs earlier rendered by Lorna thru her Konkani Albums starting from early seventies. Listening to these songs it looks the entire Movie is dominated by Lorna’s voice only but once only Lorna’s resemblance is depicted when Meena Leitao appeared on the screen.

When I watched this Film I saw it in its originality only without referring to any unnamed characters of course contrary to the noise that is made saying this story refers to so and so persons.

The three prominent comedians of Konkani Stage, namely John D’Silva, Prince Jacob and Neto gave an extra booster for this movie.

The director of this film Bardroy Barreto deserves highest compliments for producing such a nice movie.

 

A.    Veronica Fernandes,

Candolim, Goa.

Tel: 7507394349.

 

ROBBING AND PLAGIARISING OF TIATRO SCRIPTS & SONGS.

During these days lot of stories are circulated around saying Mr. So and so staged a Tiatro written by somebody else whose name the director has intentionally kept hidden and undisclosed.  Somebody else said another Mr. so and so robbed the script while yet one more Mr. so and so plagiarized somebody’s song.

Plagiarizing and robbing of script of Tiatros and songs is not something new.  As per the elders the great Tiatrist, the late Alexinho de Candolim borrowed best of Tiatro scripts from one Mr. Emidio from Khobravaddo, Calangute and staged as his own in Goa during those days, about 80 years back,  without mentioning Emidio’s name as script writer.  Emidio during those good old days was known to compose very good songs and script very good Tiatros. At that time Alexinho de Candolim was just in his infancy on the Konkani Stage and seasoned Emidio’s scripts had helped Alexinho de Candolim enormously to get knowledge and a push to promote his natural Stage art.  Once on move, Alexiho de Candolim became a genius in composing beautiful songs of which type, of high moral and of great wisdom nobody can compose now.

The late M. Dod de Verna and the late M.Boyer were close friends in Bombay, both were Tiatrists but Boyer was more popular.  In mid fifties M. Dod de Verna left Bombay and settled down in Goa and while in Goa he started acting in Tiatros where because of some beautiful songs he rendered, he became an instant success on Konkani Stage.  One fine evening at Mapusa when one Tiatro was in progress where M. Boyer was participating, Boyer started telling the audience that “M. Dod de Verna has robbed my songs and now singing the same in Goa”.  Many in the audience refused to believe Boyer’s statement and one of the members of the audience even told Boyer openly that “I will rather believe you robbing M. Dod’s songs but never Dod robbing yours”.

Recently there was a controversy over the Tiatro “Akantvadi Goyant Naka” by Tausif de Navelim.  When it reached to its zenith with regards to its popularity, news started pouring in that it was not Tausif who scripted this Tiatro.  I personally called Tausif to get the proper information on this topic and Tausif clearly told me that he and he alone is the author of this Tiatro and he only scripted this Tiatro.

A short while ago there was a Tiatro “Goy Goenkaranchem”, its first Show was staged at Mapusa where I attended.  After its second Show at Panjim, somebody said it was scripted by Michael Jude Gracias who otherwise is known to script best of Tiatros. For about 10 days there was total silence on this issue but suddenly after a lengthy suspicious silence, Gracias came with the clarification saying that he was not the author of the script of this Tiatro.  

In this same Tiatro,  at Mapusa, Marcus Vaz rendered one old solo of the late M. Dod de Verna who sang it on the Stage somewhere in 1959.  Due credit to M. Dod was not given by Marcos Vaz by disclosing the name of M. Dod.

Prince Jacob and his artistes also rendered in Goa songs composed by the late Kuwait based Rosary Ferns which were earlier rendered in Kuwait but never mentioned the name of the composer.

Immediately after his death, as it was given to understand then, some rogue Tiatrists robbed the scripts of some new and old Tiatros of Minguel Rod and later on staged them as their own creations.  This was openly disclosed in his song, by Jr. Rod, he rendered at Mapusa in his father’s Tiatro “Open To Close” which was staged by Jacinto Vaz and Anthony D’Sa following the death of Minguel Rod.   Anthony D’Sa had especially come down to Goa only because of this Tiatro and rendered 2 powerful solos, one of them was “Atanche Bhurge Sigretti voddat ani Pai-Maechea Tondan Dhunvor ghaltat”.

When Prem Kumar was at his nadir, he inducted in his Tiatro one Young singer from Bardez and gave one song composed by him to that Young singer to sing in his Tiatro.  This Young singer also started singing this same song in another Tiatro. Knowing this, Prem Kumar became wild, went to see that Tiatro and while the Young singer was singing, slowly  entered the Stage and gave a powerful slap on the face of that Young singer. Everyone seeing this scene was stunned.  Then Prem Kumar turned towards the audience and told,  “Hem anvem thapott marlam kiteak hem cantar mojem ani moji porvangi nastana tanem hem cantar dusreachea Tiatran mhontlem mhonn”.

In fact there is nothing wrong if you stage the Tiatro scripted by someone else and also sing a song composed by somebody else but to avoid controversy later on, it is always better to disclose the identity of the writers and thus remain neat and clean. After all, it is said, “give the devil its due”.

I have helped many Tiatrists to compose songs and script Tiatros but never demanded any reciprocal reward, either financial or otherwise, nor expected any gratitude.  On the contrary I thanked them for allowing me an opportunity to impart my knowledge, ideology and philosophy to them to educate the Tiatro fans.  That was my best reward, best gratitude, best remuneration and best victory. If any script writer or song composer wants anything in return for his job he must tell in the beginning itself instead of creating furore and uproar later on.

A.    Veronica Fernandes,

Candolim, Goa.

Tel: 7507394349.