SANGODD IN CANDOLIM AT XUIMER.

On 15^th of this month at Candolim Ximer, near the beach, the annual SANGODD was held at 4.00 pm with lot of people coming to watch it, not only from Candolim and ambient areas but also from elsewhere. 

All 3 local attractive girls sing an attractive Trio with their attractive voices.

Normally since my childhood Sangodd was held at Orda, Candolim  to mark the feast of St. Peter.  Sangodd is a musical display where solos, duos, trios and choral songs are rendered by the popular local singers. During my younger days, Orda Sangodd was very popular as it is now. The Stage setting is done on the cluster of country boats – Voddim – around 6 - all these Voddim tied and secured to each other very tightly and on these the Stage is made where artistes and musicians perform. 

Both the Congottkars  Salvador & Pascoal sing their duo

                                       John de Silva & his partner performing a comedy role
                                             

The Candolim Ximer Sangodd is performed  from one place where the Stage is set on the Voddim and opposite side facing the Stage people seated on the Chairs watch it with rapt attention just like they watch the Tiatro with very powerful Mike  system having all the Hi-FI Electronic gadgets.

One of the local girls seen rendering her solo

As earlier, the local gentleman and businessman, an  ex member of the Local Panchayat, Mr. Lawry Fernandes  wielding lot of influence in the locality as he is involved in organising activities in Candolim, came forward to organize this year’s Sangodd too putting in lot of efforts, energy and money as well.  However, as an added booster two businessmen one is Lakhanpal and the other Hotel Silver Sand were kind enough to Sponsor this year’s  Sangodd,  in addition to Lawry Fernandes as the third Sponsor.

Benny de Aldona sings his solo on generation gap

In all there were 26 songs in this Sangodd comprising solos, Duets, Duos, Trios and choral; 13 of these songs as per my information were composed by Salvador Silveira from Calangute and rendered them by the locals who trained by Salvadior only.

Suchin Candolkkar singing his solo "Laddu & Pedde"

In addition to the locals and amateurs, some professional artistes also participated in this Sangodd thereby increasing its interest in the audience.

Huge crowd seen watching the SANGODD

The professionals who performed in this Sangodd are all paid handsomely but from their dress code they failed at least a few them when they used the same dress for their different items. The greatness of Stage artiste lies on his dress code too that gets him attracted to the audience and thereby  enhancing the quality of his performance that gives an added booster to the whole Show. Going to participate in the Sangodd is not like going for swimming in the Candolim Sea.  Sangod has great attraction and importance culturalwise and those people who attend this great cultural item they only know its greatness and importance of Sangodd and not those ignorantly belittle its greatness.  So, those artistes mainly the professionals who thinks it is the function of hoi-polloi then they are mistaken.  In this case I feel these very artistes are from hoi-polloi background.   I  pity their their 'NENNARPONN'.

Seen above is Lawry Fernandes the dynamic man behind organizing this SANGODD

The musical score provided by Roy and his troupe was excellent. The compeering of the proceedings  was done by Anil Pednekar and Salvador Silveira.

                  Seen seated at  right with mike in his hand is compere Anil Pednekar

While concluding, I congratulate Lawry Fernandes to take the initiative to organise this Sangodd that gave limelight to so many singers and entertainment to many more who watched this Sangodd even without caring for the incessant rain.  

The music provided by Roy and his jolly musicians as seen above. 

                       Seen  below is the youngest artiste singing a song "BANDRA FESTAK

A. Veronica Fernandes. 

SAD DEMISE OF EX-KUWAIT GOAN ANTONIO LAWRENCE FERNANDES.

Reading the Obituary column of Herald dated 11.08.19, I was hurt to see the photograph of one well-kown ex-Kuwait Goan, the late Antonio Lawrence Fernandes who died in Siolim, Bardez, on 11.08.19 and interred on the next day at 4.00 pm, at Siolim Soddiem Church Cemetery where the Church was so packed with his friends and relatives and also his well wishers that there was no room available even to stand, in fact it was neither in the Church nor in the Cemetery. Rarely I witnessed such an enormous attendance of any Kuwait returnee. This proves  his popularity in his locality and elsewhere too because I saw people attending his funeral coming from all over Goa. 

He was the once renowned Goan footballer,  who in the late fifties donned the colours of Goa’s mighty outfit “LUBE”. Because of his attractive soccer skill he was selected to play for Bardez XI in the stiff competition from Portuguese “Pakles & Khapris” towards the end of fifties. He mastered the beautiful art of playing beautiful soccer at St. Joseph’s High School, Arpora which was then like the renown soccer Academy of Goa producing talented players with whom he blossomed into a perfect footballer. During those days Antonio  Lawrence maintained a very good personal relationship with all his team mates.  His best colleague players on the field were all from Candolim playing along with him for Arpora School namely the Machado Bros. - the defender Andrew and the ace dribbler and forward Babazinho and the best medio playing as centre half who was excellent in the aerial duels,  Jose Marie, all of them   used to play havoc with their opponents.

Then he migrated to Kuwait where he got opportunity to play “A” grade soccer along with the top British and other European footballers at Ahmadi in the KOC Oil Sector where he was employed. Because of his soccer prowess he acquired name and fame for him leading him to wield vast influence in the community.

His main achievement in Kuwait as the president of the United Goans Football Center was to initiate and start  the  competitive soccer tournament for the first time in the history not only of Goans but also of Indians too, at Sour Grounds, Kuwait City. No doubt he was immensely helped in this very tough activity  by his colleagues Tony Gonsalves from Divar, Joe F. X. Desouza from Assagao, Diogo Gomes from Bastora and many others because in a country like Kuwait where as a foreigner from Asia you encounter lot of hurdles and discriminations. Moreover there was no government support directly because for Kuwaitis, Indians playing soccer means a big joke.  However, it was thru this tournament initiated by UGFC under the leadership of the late Antonio Lawrenco Fernandes that gave an indication not only to the Kuwaitis but also to other nationalities including the FIFA that for Goans from India soccer is the staple diet.  By organising this soccer he and his colleague helped the  Goans to build a very good friendly relationship among themselves and excellent opportunities for many of our young boys to get employment because of their prowess in soccer. 

I think the local stalwarts in his locality and also in Goa who are on the job of promoting soccer they should honour him even if it is too late, let this be done posthumously.  Thru soccer he helped to internationalise not only the soccer image of Goa and Goans but otherwise too.  It is a pity that so many of our Goans while working in the foreign countries create wonderful activities which are not only ignored in Goa but also neglected. It is a pity even our Church leaders after receiving so much of help from Goans abroad for their  activities forget them. There is no appreciation in Goa for the good work that our Goans perform in the foreign countries. In his homily during the  funeral Mass the local priest lauded the good work Antonio Lawrence did even for his Church but if something concrete has been done in his honour that would give some satisfaction for him.

 A.Veronica Fernandes.

I OPPOSE HONOURING OF 5 FORMER CM's OF GOA.

This is in reference to the news appearing in the local media saying that the " late former  Five Chief Ministers of Goa to be honoured”.  I, strongly disapprove and I also condemn this move by the Goa government that got no responsibility to honour all the late CM's who does not deserve it.  The huge amount of money the Goa government  will spend for this unwanted "Tamasha" is coming from  the Tax payers pockets.  Since this is the case, I command the Government of Goa not to proceed on with this move on the strength of the tax payers money. However, if the Goa Government still wants to go ahead with this useless show for all the five useless CM's then let the members of the ruling party  spend money from their personal account. However, inspite of my strong opposition and similarly of all the like minded  Goans, if the Goa Government holds the felicitation in honour of the 5 "MOST ORDINAR CM's OF GOA", I will call the Goa Government as "CHOR".  Using my money as a taxpayer for these bloody disgracefully stupid people will be construed as a big robbery.  

What superlative acts  they performed for Goa during their tenures starting from the first CM  D. Bandodcar?  He was a curse on Goa because he was the major architect of the destruction of Goa by trying to impose a foreign language – Marathi – on Goa and to liquidate the  existence of Goa by merging it with Maharastra.  He was the greatest enemy of Goa and Goans. A naturalized Goan whose one end of family Chord is tied to  Maharastra from where his elders came and settled down in Bandoda Goa while the other end is tied to Goa where he made money by Masca Polishing his Portuguez Masters from whom he enjoyed enormous benefits and finally he turned against them.  Do such Judases deserve honours and that too from the  money collected from a man of my sincerity and calibre?  

This Dayananda Bandodcar gained goodwill and attachment from a section of Goans whose ancestry was based in neighbouring backward, uncultured, uncivilized areas of Maharastra and they were all non-Christians poverty striken.  They developed a bit financially, culturally, literally, spiritually, morally and educationally only because they jumped into Goa, the land very well administered by the God fearing and morally advanced Portuguese. In Goa these "Bhaile" who came to Goa were welcomed gracefully by the Goans who were  morally upright and because of their  Christian religious doctrine to be soft on the Bhaile out of pity, all those Bandodcars gained  a strong foothold on the land called "Saibachem Goem".  He was a hero only for his chamchas and only Hindu Bahuzan Samaz, this samaz he found not existing among Christians. He was so communal that he created during his entire rule a feeling into the minds of the minority that they are less Bharati, this community was made to feel alleniated from the main stream. 

Regarding his daughter Sashikala, what was her sterling feat during her Chief Ministership?  How her brother Siddartha died or who killed him? To close this case it was said she deserted her MGP and joined her protectors. What a disgraceful woman who even deserted the very party created by her own father along with his associates.

As for Luis Proto Barbosa, it will be a worst crime for the Goa government to honour him when he trampled under his corrupt feet all the good disciplines of democratic process and formed the PDF government by associating with MGP stalwarts. Even the bribe taking for the jobs and services in the government was rampant during his rule.

Dr. Wilfred D’Souza no doubt a good man but suffering from superiority complex based on Bhattkarshai and wanted to be treated like a feudal lord.

And Parricar I have no words to describe my dislike for him though he pretended to be good. He hurt the minority and whom he insulted too.

Government must not spend our money on this unwanted tamasha.

A.Veronica Fernandes.