Celebrate the history of the tiny state with a Konkani gig by renowned Goan musicians, including 'The Nightingale' Lorna
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When an artiste leaves for his heavenly abode, his work keeps him alive; Chris Perry is one such musician. The legendary composer, an exceptional trumpeter and singer from Goa passed away in 2002 but his disciples have kept the legacy alive. The musical presentation — to uphold Konkani culture and music, by the Goan Outreach Association tonight -- will pay tribute to the genius, through two of his students, Lorna Cordeiro and O’luv Rodriguez. The association is run by a trust, who work for a humanitarian cause, by providing education and medical assistance to underprivileged children. Like Perry, most musicians performing Konkani music suffer due to lack of recognition. The event aspires to change the scenario or make a start, at least.
How it began
Allan Vaz, another exponent of Konkani music, took charge of the logistics and artiste management of the concert when approached by the association. Vaz, a celebrated singer with two albums (Go Goa and Goenchim Festam) to his credit, ensured Cordeiro came on board. “I had performed in the previous edition (in 2013) of the festival. Initially, I had doubts about the venue being a mall (Phoenix Market City), but I agreed later thinking there would be no restrictions in terms of sound, unlike open spaces,” he says. Vaz contacted Lorna’s keyboardist and confirmed her attendance. “She is a crowd puller and a legend in Goa. Her presence provided the perfect start to the process,” he shares. Lorna performed Jazz with Perry’s band for nine years. Some of her popular tracks are Pisso, Bebdo and Red Rose.
In the last concert, the performers had thrown in English songs to break the monotony. “But this time, we decided to stick to an all-Konkani show. There is a choreography section in between, by Tobby Fernandes, which will also be on Konkani songs,” shares Vaz, who is thrilled to perform the popular track, Meera Meera (it is a song sung by a boy who is waiting to meet his girl at a location but she doesn’t turn up. He pleads her to meet him.
Allanâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088Vaz performing with his band
Need for shows
Though the history of Konkani music lies in Kantaram — based on drama, topical and social issues; Vaz believes the sound will hit global ears if the Goans start accepting Pop music. “Goans residing in Mumbai are yet to wake up and understand the medium. The youth aren’t into Kantaram. There will be more of teenagers in our concert as O’luv’s songs have a Rock/Pop spirit. But, as a community, we have a long way to go to sell our music to the people,” he adds.
O’luv stressed on the need for good producers. “I did an entire album spending out of my pocket. I cannot recover costs. One friend will buy the CD and 10 others will copy, which is not done. Most albums are circulated in Goa whereas my music is also for people who don’t follow Konkani. I can make anyone dance,” he claims.
Perry as a guru
The 45-year-old released his first Konkani Pop album, Kor Kantar, in 2004. Within a few months, he became a household name. “I will be starting with the crowd favourite, Love You Goa, from my last album that released two years back. Then, I will move to the title track of Kor Kantar. It means be happy, don’t worry and just sing a song,” shares O’luv, one of the last students of Perry.
O’luv fondly remembers his guru and the lessons he learnt. “He would play an audio cassette on a tape recorder and say that if people rewind your songs, it means you are not perfect and you need to be clear,” he shares. Not many are aware that Perry used to hit his students with a pencil. “He never used them for writing though,” laughs O’luv, adding, “But I also got hit by his trumpet when I was new in his group. He used to say, ‘Go in front, sing louder, come on! People are watching you.’” He will be performing the iconic, Cu Cu Ru Cu, in memory of his teacher.
If you are one of those who misses Goa and its music, you don’t need to get on that bus or train, Goa is coming to you.
On Tonight, 6.30 pm onwards
At Phoenix Market City, Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, Kurla (W).
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