2nd All India Konkani Music Festival
Date: 7th – 8th February 2004 Venue: Alfred Rose Nagar, EDC Grounds, Patto, Panaji
At the first sammelan held in Feb 2002, varied forms of Konkani music were showcased. For the second sammelan , the focus will be on creative projects, presentations that also introspect and educate.
7th Feb 2004
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm Inaugural function 2 hours
Bondo, Goa’s ace percussionist will present “Drums of Goa”, an orchestra of drums, ghumats, madhallem, tablas and other percussion instruments, demonstrating the root sounds of Konkani music.
7:30 pm – 9:00 pm Chris Perry- Alfred Rose Tribute 1 ˝ hour
Talented and well known singers will pay tribute to these maestros of Konkani songs and tiatro by singing their classic songs accompanied by a documentary narrative.
9:30 pm – 11:00 pm Jitendra Abhisekhi Tribute 1 ˝ hour
The classical tradition will thrill the audience as noted artistes perform the songs of Pandit Jitendra Abisekhi. This production will be a retrospective and tribute to Pt. Abhisheki.
8th Feb 2004
10:00 am – 12:30 am Interview/ Seminar 2 ˝ hours
An interview will be conducted with a noted music exponent, to explore and study various facets of Konkani music.
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm Host performance 1 ˝ hour
Prior to the festival, seminars with various faculty will be held to enhance the production quality of local artistes. The host performance will present these creative efforts.
4:30 pm – 6:30 pm Folk music 1 ˝ hour
A study-presentation of traditional folk culture in Shigmo, Intruz and Weddings of the Konkani people.
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Cantar- Tiatro music 1 ˝ hour
Various facets and the history of the tiatro culture will be presented through songs and skits by well known actors and singers.
9:30 pm – 11:00 pm Celebrities performance 1 ˝ hour
Konkani celebrities of national repute will perform at the climax of the festival to entertain the music lovers.
These four new music albums are bold attempts at new Konkani musical experimentation.
Jose Lourenco talks to the producers about their experiences in making the Brave New Konkani Music.
The Margao-based Kalangan institution headed by Rajendra Talak has produced a Konkani album titled ‘Lharam’. Talak recorded the album at Suresh Wadkar’s V2 studio in Mumbai. The music was crafted by Ramrao Naik, Kalangan’s faculty head and by noted music director, Ashok Patki . The songs which revolve around love and devotional songs of Meerabai are sung by Arati Naik of Margao. Speaking about the concept and purpose of this album , Talak felt that Meerabai’s songs had been performed in most Indian languages and our own interpretation of these classics was needed in Konkani.
Talak has produced an earlier audio album Daryachea Deger and a film titled Shitu, under the banner of Shrusti Vision. He felt that more interaction was needed between people working on Konkani music albums so that they could help each other in production and marketing . “ Wherever I meet people, I also recommend the albums of my fellow producers to buyers,” he said.
Novem Voros produced by Tomazinho Cardozo’s group Simonia Productions is an attempt at a newer Konkani sound aimed at appealing to both communities in Goa. Tomazinho who is a noted tiatrist and the driving force behind the Kala Mogi group of Candolim has produced albums of stage songs and folk music in the past. Novem Voros has lyrics and melodies composed by Tomazinho, with Mukesh Ghatwal arranging the music. The album was recorded at Shyamsunder Productions in Panaji and duplication was done in Bangalore.
The songs revolve around love, social and political issues with some comedy as well. “ Our album has many new young singers whom I am trying to promote” said Tomazinho. Talking of future projects, he said he planned to produce Konkani songs on the theme of national integration.
Tuje Vinnem is the labour of love of Deep Karapurkar, a Margao-based businessman. His Konkani album features noted singers Shaan and Shankar Mahadevan among others and the music is composed by Ashok Patki. Deep set out to produce an album which would be an upbeat, foot-tapping celebration of Konkani music. “ In Goa, most Hindus have moved to Hindi film music and Christians have taken to Indi-pop. This is because there is a lack of popular, racy Konkani music in the market today. We have to give the younger crowd the faster music that they want. But melody and quality must not be compromised. These remixes and Indi-pop albums are sold in huge volumes , but have no lasting value. I am very happy with this album, the singers have done a great job, though some were singing in Konkani for the first time. They gave some great creative inputs in the production process and were very professional.”
The album features songs composed by Dr.Manohar Sardesai, Uday Bhembre, Saish Panandikar and Shridar Kamat among others. On being asked about using local singers, Deep said “ A large investment has gone into making this first album and success had to be ensured by featuring noted singers and directors. Local artistes must take some risks and produce some albums on their own on a small budget. That way they will get better studio exposure and move forward. Corporate houses must also support music production in their social activity, else the vacuum will make the Goan youth adopt other cultures”
Shrungaar, a Konkani album of love songs in a variety of pop, disco and slow beats is Siddharth Yaji’s maiden production. Yaji, a businessman from Margao has been active in the Konkani music field. He promoted his orchestra ‘Margao Melodies’ for four years and often sings Konkani songs at shows. His album feature songs sung by Jai Mangaldas and Kavita Krishnamurthy. The poetry of Uday Bhembre, Bhikaji Ghanekar and Kavindra Phaldesai feature in the lyrics of the songs. The recording was done at Trinayan Studios in Mumbai.
Reflecting on his maiden album, Yaji felt that anyone working on his first album must listen to feedback from other knowledgeable persons and keep improving the production. He accepted that this album had more of a film-pop style and said that in his next production he would use more Goan traditional instruments and also include the popular cantar style of Konkani music.
All these albums were recorded digitally in studios that have over 100 channel-mixing facilities. The costs of production ranged from seventy thousand to three lakh rupees. Studio charges account for around 25 percent of this cost and the rest goes into the fees of the artistes, music director and arranger and other production costs. The cassettes from 50 to 55 rupees and the compact discs from 95 to 125 rupees. The retail outlet’s margin is around 25 percent. The producers need to sell about 3000 copies in both formats to break even. The time taken for production of these albums ranged from one to four months.
The albums are marketed through music outlets in Goa like Sinaris, Rock n Raaga and Vibes. Publicity is achieved through advertisements, press reviews, radio advertisements and stalls at music festivals and exhibitions. Some producers have also gone in for overseas marketing , targeting the huge Goan diaspora all over the world.
On the issue of recording live instruments versus synthesized sounds in an album, the producers were not averse to using both , provided a very high quality of melody and production was maintained. “ It depends on the mood of the album. Since ours was a spiritual mood, we used sitar, flute, tabla, etc all live. A spiritual mood needs traditional instruments. But pop tunes can use synth sound to get a racy mood,” said Talak.
“There are fewer musicians available today for playing wind instruments” lamented Tomazinho Cardozo, who is a trustee of the Konkani Sangeet ani Natak Akademi. “ The Academy proposes to have music scholarships for students learning the saxophone, trumpet,etc to continue the legacy of Chris Perry and others. Otherwise even our tiatros may end up using recorded music instead of live wind and percussion instruments. We also need to produce albums featuring songs by various artistes, so that even one or two songs of different budding artistes can be promoted. Sometimes it is not economically possible for an upcoming singer to record a whole album. ”
Speaking about the forthcoming 2nd All India Konkani Sangeet Sammelan to be held in Panaji, Deep Karapurkar felt that the first Sammelan had been a showcase of Konkani music, but the second one must focus on new creative productions and deeper study. Yaji owed his inspiration for recording his album to his involvement in the first festival. Tomazinho Cardozo and Rajendra Talak who were both involved in the first Sammelan were enthusiastic about the festival and felt that it would go a long way towards promotion and inspiration of new Konkani music.
Konkani Music Festival 2004
ALL PHOTOS ARE COPYRIGHT-FREE. MAY BE REPRODUCED WITH CREDIT TO THE PHOTOGRAPHER.
ALL PHOTOS ARE COPYRIGHT-FREE. MAY BE REPRODUCED WITH CREDIT TO THE PHOTOGRAPHER.
KONKANI MUSIC AND OUR IDENTITY --- by Jose Lourenco
Goa’s beautiful and diverse landscapes and equally varied and romantic history have given the world a kaleidoscope of people, traditions and culture. But with the relentless onslaught of western culture as well as the ever-increasing influx into this youngest but highly popular Indian state, many Goan youth sometimes end up asking whether there is a clear-cut Goan identity. Such a sliding into a seemingly faceless people happens when we forget what our roots or core values are. And one of the greatest causes of this loss of identity is the neglect of our own music.
Scattered in the villages of Goa are numerous folk music forms which though still practiced by the village folk, are largely unheard and almost forgotten by the general populace. Hundreds of old music albums composed and performed by tiatro and classical Goan artistes have vanished through indifference and neglect. Lyrics of old classic songs and notation of music are barely available. Songs from the great Konkani movies of yesteryear are difficult to come by and if you want to pick up a comprehensive song book with the lyrics and chords of old Konkani hits, that’s simply not available. All over Goa, on dance floors and wedding galas you will barely hear those lilting Konkani songs being played. Rarely do families gather around after supper to sing together. Despite the tremendous success of dance bands albums featuring original compositions of these talented musicians can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Cassettes and CDs documenting folk music forms are non-existent and the vast repertoire of Mangalorean Konkani music is not stocked in music shops in Goa.
Tiatro is flourishing today and is undoubtedly one of the most commercially successful form of Konkani music in the past as well as present. Chris Perry , one of the greatest musicians Goa ever had, originally performed in tiatro before he went on to create his own brilliant and much loved style of Konkani music, blending Latin and jazz influences into our own Konkani soul. Today a lot of music is available on tiatro soundtracks and independent artistes, but the mass-hits of the type Chris Perry and Lorna had are sorely missing. Formerly only the songs that received lusty applause and encores went onto the vinyl records, but today such a popular merit criteria is not practiced. A record can be performed and recorded in a matter of a few weeks with the help of sophisticated equipment. The synthesizer and sequencer have replaced the soulful blowing instruments. But still Konkani music is throbbing in tiatro.
Why do the youth tend to freak out on bhangra , hindi-pop and hip-hop rhythms on the dance floor with the traditional Goan dance forms making only a token appearance for weddings and on pleasure boat cruises ? Because there is simply no material. Our popular Goan artistes have failed to focus on the ethnic pulse and keep it beating in sync with the racy trends of the youth. It would be impractical to hope that youngsters would just suddenly get a kick out of old Goan Konkani folk rhythms. That folk music was a refection of those times, when life revolved around nature, relationships and social scenarios. Today’s music should also revolve on the same things, of today. The roots need to be the same, but our folk music has to be developed forward, revitalized to reflect the current generation. So that what we create today remains as a legacy of our time. Or else there will exist a huge gap between the old times and the future.
In his seminar on the Quest for Konkani Music, Pandit Bhasker Chandavarker spoke of the need to form a Centre for Research and Education in Asian Music to delve deep into the roots of music in Goa and the historic influences from the Iberian region, Africa, Mozambique, etc. The keyboard first landed on the Indian subcontinent on the west coast through Goa and subsequently changed the face of Indian music as embodied in the harmonium. All influences need to be taken into consideration without bias, he said, as they have all enriched our culture. The Konkani Bhasha Mandal with the support of a lot of enthusiastic Konkani music afficionados plans to indeed set up such a Music Academy, called perhaps Konkani Sangeet-Natak Akademi, since theatre is really a vehicle of all aspects of a culture including music.
The work of such an academy would encompass documentation, research, preservation, and promotion of all forms of Konkani music. Documentation would be in the form of audio, video, script, lyrics, music sheets, commentaries and more. A lot of newer forms of music could also emerge with the renaissance of Konkani music. We may have young people arranging Konkani musicals, in between tiatro and natak, a kind of opera style musical on the lines of Annie, Sound of Music, etc. Wind instruments could return with a vengeance to fuse with the dhol, gumot and madhallem and produce a potent Goan music form. The solemn chants of the ‘guduleam gani’ could enthrall the world the way ‘acapella’ (music with only voices) and the philharmonic choirs did. Dance bands could cut new Konkani pop albums with accompanying videos racing to the top of the international charts. The vistas thrown open are endless and mind boggling.
All the efforts of our stalwarts in the Konkani field will be wasted if the populi do not embrace the cause of our identity wholeheartedly. We are a diverse people growing in different directions, but we should not end up looking back and finding there is no identity back home. Music has the potential to be the catalyst to fuel the Renaissance and with the invigoration of Konkani music there will dawn a new era of entertainment, bubbling identity and the exhilarating joy of being a Goan.
This article was published in the days of the First All India Konkani Music Festival in February 2002 at Fatorda, Margao. The Konkani Bhasha Mandal held several meetings and eventually on 27th September, the Konkani Sangeet ani Natak Akademi was launched at the hands of the Chief Minister of Goa , Mr. Manohar Parrikar and noted film director Dr. Jabbar Patel, at Kala Academy. The Second All India Konkani Music Festival (Akhil Bharatiya Konkani Sangeet Sammelan) is poised to be held at the specially named venue "Alfred Rose Nagar" at the EDC Grounds, Patto Complex, Panaji, on the 7th and 8th February 2004.
Konkani Sangeet Sammelan - Moving forward by Jose Lourenco
Konkani Bhasha Mandal held the First All India Konkani Music Festival in February 2002 in Margao. The two day long event brought together various genres of Konkani music like classical, folk, cantar and other popular forms for the first time. At a pre-festival seminar, the renowned musicologist Pandit Bhaskar Chandavarkar spoke on the quest for Konkani music. He affirmed that where there was a Konkani language, there was bound to be Konkani music. The organizers of the festival then traveled around Goa and the neighbouring states to meet and eventually present a large number of folk artistes, tiatro singers, classical maestros and other celebrated popular artistes at the unique and unprecedented Konkani Sangeet Sammelan.
The festival was inaugurated by Padma Vibushan awardee, Dr. Kishori Amonkar in the presence of the Hon. Chief Minister of Goa, Mr. Manohar Parrikar. The musical treat that launched the festival was a mingling of Eastern and Western tradition in a performance orchestrated by Fr. Peter Cardozo. Eric Ozario’s lively troupe Maand Sobhann from Mangalore was next, with lively songs and energetic dance sequences.As evening fell, the soft strains of classical music wafted in as Pt. Prabhakar Karekar , Ajit Kadkade and Usha Amonkar performed to a large audience of connoisseurs.
The next day began with a very interesting interview of Dr. Kishori Amonkar by eminent writer and thinker Mr. Uday Bhembre. Valuable insights were gained as Dr. Amonkar stressed on the need for purity in classical tradition and on the damage caused by abruptly changing teachers and mentors in music institutions. Colourful troupes took over after the interview, as diverse folk artistes presented the dhalo, gof, dekhni, mando, fuggdi and more , a veritable showcase of ancient tradition. There was the amazing Siddhi troupe of dancers from Yellapur, Karnataka, who have their genealogical roots in Africa but share the legacy of Konkani culture. That was followed by talented local artistes who presented classics as well as their original compositions.
As dusk fell, tiatro , the much loved Goan entertainment took center stage with veteran singers like Rita Rose, H.Britton, M.Boyer, Wilmix , Sharon, Prince Jacob and other stars delighting the crowd with all time hit cantaram. Wilfey Rebimbus and his group from Mangalore took the tempo higher with their high voltage show. And finally it was the turn of Goa’s superstar Remo Fernandes to celebrate his Konkani roots with an unprecedented jam on flute and guitar with traditional ghumot players . It was a mindblowing finale that capped a music festival that also warmed the hearts of the crowd with stalls of ethnic food, music instruments, traditional Goan household items and more.
The media was ecstatic in their coverage and editorial views of the event and the television networks replayed the feast of music for many weeks. It was a matter of fierce pride and rediscovery of the rich wealth and variety of Konkani music. In the days that followed , the organizers at Konkani Bhasha Mandal contemplated Pandit Chandavarkar’s suggestion of forming a Konkani Music Academy. Finally on 27th September 2003 the Konkani Sangeet ani Natak Akademi was born, a trust affiliated to KBM, devoted to the preservation and development of Konkani music and theatre. The Academy is led by respected artistes and scholars in the various genres of Konkani music and theatre.
The KSNA held several interactions with music lovers and decided to hold the Second All India Konkani Music Festival in Panaji on the 7th and 8th February 2004 at the EDC Grounds, Patto Plaza, Panaji. The first festival owed its success to the dazzling showcasing of the various forms of Konkani music. The Second Festival goes a step further with a deeper study of these genres. This biannual festival which brings together artistes, scholars, music lovers, media and associated music industry people is bound to be a feast for the eyes, ears and the heart of the Konkani people.
Konkani Sangeet ani Natak Akademi - Celebrating the Konkani culture
by Jose Lourenco
Konkani Bhasha Mandal is a socio-cultural and educational institution carrying on its activities since 1962 aimed at development of Konkani language, literature and culture. KBM organized the highly successful First All-India Konkani Sangeet Sammelan in February 2002 at Margao,Goa. The vast range of Konkani music covering classical music, folk music, tiatro, fusion and more was showcased over two days and well acclaimed by the audience and local and national media.
At a seminar preceding it, Pandit Bhaskar Chandavarker proposed that a center be established to carry out research, education and promotion of Konkani music and theatre. After the festival, discussions were held with personalities from the field of Konkani music and theatre and KBM initiated the formation of a trust named Konkani Sangeet ani Natak Akademi to carry out these objectives.
The Konkani Sangeet ani Natak Akademi has organized various committees of personalities active in the respective fields to work on the areas of music, theatre, folk music and administration. The Academy is based at Konkani Bhavan, Shankar Bhandari Marg, Aquem, Margao,Goa . Our email address is : ksna_goa@rediffmail.com
The objectives of the Konkani Sangeet ani Natak Akademi are as follows:
1. Imparting of education in Konkani music and theatre
2. Producing and staging musical and theatrical performances
3. Doing and supporting research in Konkani music and theatre
4. Publishing books relating to these activities
5 Holding seminars, conferences, workshops,etc
6. Producing audio,video recordings, documentaries,etc
7. Preserving films and records pertaining to Konkani music, theatre & films
The Konkani Sangeet ani Natak Akademi was formally launched at an inaugural function on Saturday 27th September 2003 at the Kala Academy, Panaji, Goa. Shri Manohar Parrikar, Hon.Chief Minister of Goa was the Chief Guest for the occasion. Well known theatre personality Shri Jabbar Patel and noted Konkani writer Shri Pundalik Naik graced the event as Guests of Honour.
The formal function was followed by a two hour capsule of music, dance and theatre . Maestro Fr. Peter Cardozo conducted a Bhakti-sangeet performance, presenting musical forms that were distinct and yet harmonious. Classical music followed with performances by singer Aarti Nayak and danseuse Sachika Almeida. Tiatro’s popular appeal was showcased by noted artistes Tomazinho Cardozo, Prince Jacob and John D’Silva. A song and dance vista of the rich and diverse Konkani folk culture was directed by Purnanand Chari. The theatrical interludes were directed by Sridhar Kamat Bambolkar.
Konkani Sangeet ani Natak Akademi - An overview
It is envisaged that this institution will have a strong academic and research-oriented base, from which education, development and promotion will be carried out. The Academy will document and study the various forms of Konkani music and theatre, and thus eventually provide a large, well organised depository of information which can be accessed by artistes and the public. Documenation, preservation and restoration of valuable old audio and video recordings, films, books and memorabilia will ensure that the rich legacy of Konkani culture can be accessed by future generations.
Education on the various aspects of Konkani music and theatre will be brought about through classes, seminars and workshops conducted by eminent artistes and musicologists in these fields. Scholarships in music will be instituted.
Publication of song lyrics, music sheets, plays, film storyboards, biographies will popularize Konkani songs, theatre and movies and provide wider exposure to the artistes. Folk music and dance will be documented extensively as many of the ancient folk forms are fast fading away. Folk culture urgently needs to be recorded, preserved and studied as it provides a rich historical perspective.
Production of musical and theatrical performances that are of high aesthetic and entertainment value will be supported by the Academy to enhance quality standards and encourage innovation in creative thinking. An annual award ceremony could also be hosted by the Academy to showcase and recognize outstanding works.
The inter-related content needs of the artistes need to be facilitated. Translation of scripts, songwriting, music composition and arrangement, archive searches and other such industry-related services must be made available. Interaction between the various professional sectors of the music and theatre industry has be encouraged and hosted.
Our special thanks to:
Jose Lourenco, Konkani Sangeet ani Natak Akademi and Cecil Pinto
for this exclusive item and pictures, and we take this opportunity to wish
the organizers all the very best. Long live Konkani!
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