Scully D’Souza always had a deep-rooted love for music, which only grew stronger as she
found the right platform to showcase her talent. Today, this young talent has
taken the Konkani music stage by storm. The 20-year-old was encouraged by her
parents and grandparents to showcase her singing talent on stage and the people
of Goa loved it. Currently performing in Mariano Fernandes’s tiatr ‘Tujhe
Bhangar, Tujeach Angar’, Scully’s first days on stage go back to the first
edition of Goencho Avaz, the renowned all Goa Konkani singing competition by
Herald Group. She was a runner-up in the competition but won the hearts of the
audience with her talent.
Born in Goa to Jose Timotio from Aldona
and Silvana from Sangolda, she considers her grandparents, Cassiano and Bella
Dias, her pillars of strength. Since has been living with her parents in
Muscat, Oman since 2002, and comes down for vacations once in two years, also
flying down for musical shows due to her love for Goan culture and Konkani
music. “My parents are my role models in all aspects of life. My dad was and
will always be my inspiration and my hero. He was the first one who thought me
how to sing in Konkani. When he passed away, I had lost direction of my life
and my voice for two months. However, I remembered him telling me that no
matter what happens, never stop singing. I’m sure he is proud of me and I am
always going to keep Goan music alive because that was his dream for me.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
“He only composed one song, ‘Amche Goa’, one week before he
passed away. That’s the reason why I want to keep that as my signature song. I
make it a point to sing it at least once on every Konkani stage. I sang it
first on the Goencho Avaz stage in 2016. I am grateful to Dr Martin D’Costa and
Savio Monteiro for allowing me to pay tribute to my dad,” says this Sangolda
based singer who was also crowned Miss Teen India 2015.
Speaking about her experience at the first edition of Goencho
Avaz, she says, “Goencho Avaz 2014 was my first step in the Konkani music
industry. I had just joined the competition to gain some confidence. I never
thought that I would actually win the runner up position as I wasn’t very
confident with the language. After bagging the title, I got called for a lot of
musical shows and to be part of bands here in Goa as well as in Muscat. Goencho
Avaz opened doors to many opportunities for me. People in Goa came to know more
about me as a singer and I had the opportunity of getting closer to the Goan
audience.”
“I have performed for quite a number of musical shows in Goa and
abroad. The most memorable ones include the show when I got to perform with our
very own nightingale, Lorna in 2016, and at ‘Kor Kantar Taleigao 2017’,
organised by Robert Cabral and Jimmy Fernandes, where I got the chance to do an
act with Prince Jacob and comedian Ben. I have also acted in a Konkani album
that will release soon; it has been directed by Bryan Fernandes and Hugo,” she
adds.
Currently, Scully is part of Mariano Fernandes’s tiatr ‘Tujhe
Bhangar, Tujeach Angar’ where she is singing three songs. “The first song is
‘Amche Goa’, which was composed by my father. The second is called ‘Kissing
Korta’ composed by Bond Braganza; the third song is ‘Nach-bai-Nach’ composed by
Elick Vaz. This is my first long term project and my first tiatr in Goa and I
could not ask for a better director or co-actors. I would like to thank Robert
Cabral and Mariano for believing in my abilities and talent and making me part
of this tiatr. Besides this experience that is helping me brush up on my talent
and learn and develop, I have found great friends in my co-actors. We have now
become one big family,” she says.
Scully has worked very closely with Norman Cardozo and his
musicians, who have given her the confidence to explore her singing talent
further. “Maestro Norman Cardozo is one of the most important personalities who
has been there for me since the very first day when I got into the Konkani
music industry. He was the one who gave the music for my dad’s song. He is not
just a music director, he is family to me. The entire band consisting of John
Fernandes (drums), Cannon D’souza (bass), Samy Braganza (trombone), Nolvert
Cota (trumpet) and Antonio Azavedo (saxophone) raise my spirits and help me
perform with zest when I am on stage.”
Scully
has completed her Bachelors in Business Administration specialised in Marketing
and Finance through Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi and is also a
graduate in Piano from the Associated Boards of Royal Schools of Music, London.
She is currently pursuing Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
qualification. “I work for the London Training Institute in Muscat as the
Marketing and HR Coordinator. I am also a part of a Goan band in Muscat called
C2R, which comprises Rocky Gomes, Croyden Menezes, Cliff D’Silva and Nithin
John. My next move is settling down in my homeland Goa real soon and starting
my own music school,” concludes Scully.
