Time to groove to the tunes of a trumpet

Dolcy D’Cruz

‘Pem Pe Re Pem’ is a Konkani song that tells the story of a girl and her love for her trumpet. But beyond the narrative, it carries a piece of my own journey, one of listening closely to my heart and trusting the music to lead me forward, even through the playful, unexpected characters that appear along the way. Because for many of us, music doesn’t just exist around us; it lives quietly, deeply, and forever in our blood,” says Velrose Periera, a noted actor and singer who released her new song just four days back.

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An energetic and feel-good Konkani song that blends vibrant coastal rhythms with playful storytelling, the song also feature Prince Jacob as the father and John D’Silva as an aunt and rap artiste Waking Grunt. Its infectious groove, humour and heartfelt energy have helped it connect with audiences far and wide.

The daughter of tiatrist Avers Pereira from St Estevam, Velrose was encouraged by him to take up the trumpet, an instrument rarely seen in a girl’s hands in Goa. Even in this song, she initially hesitated to say “Pai,” as her father has always been her biggest support. Today, that support also comes from her husband, Glenn Martins, and her father-in-law, Roque Martins. “Both Prince Jacob and John Da Silva are pioneers in the industry, yet their humility stands out. They don’t see any project as small or big, if they see potential, they say yes,” says Velrose.

‘Pem Pe Re Pem’ has a very important element of tiatr to it as it includes references to actress Antonette de Maina as a tiatrist and also her enthusiasm to play the trumpet in the tiatr. “I wanted to appreciate and give tiatr the importance that it deserves. Oftentimes, tiatr has been looked down over the years. I do hold a soft corner for tiatr because I started with tiatr. But also my dad has been a tiatrist and I’ve seen him perform on stage. And he has one of the most beautiful voices. Over the years, we forget that all these remakes we make, myself included, or reimagined songs are songs of tiatrists like Rita Rose, Alfred Rose, Chris Perry who used to play for tiatr. I someday hope that there will not be a gap between tiatrist and bands. We can work together and vice versa,” says Velrose with optimism.

Just after performing at Viva Goain Toronto, Canada, Velrose was inspired to write her own song.

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“I felt the urge to write a song on my own, something I hadn’t done before. I composed the song and wrote the lyrics, then sent the melody to Rosh Fernandes, a very talented music producer. This process went on for about three to four months, until we finally found the right hook,” she says.

Rosh is an award winning music producer and sound engineer from Kumta, Karnataka. He has worked as a sound designer for feature films such as ‘Alshi Redde’ and ‘Fondacho Mister’. Currently, he is working as the sound designer for the upcoming Konkani film ‘Amen’ along with Prajoth DSa. Some of the popular songs he has produced include ‘Sobhai Tuji’, ‘Sodcho Na’, and the recent trending track ‘Baila Bayamma’.

He says, “The first thing that struck me about ‘Pem Pe Re Pem’ was the rough tune itself which was celebratory and was meant to make people move, smile, and connect. Velrose was the most fun to work with, and that energy translated seamlessly into the creative process. I envisioned blending Afrobeat rhythms with a subtle coastal flavour inspired by Goa. The composition was already strong, so my focus was on enhancing its groove, textures, and overall sonic character. Every element was carefully placed to keep the song lively, rhythmic, and accessible. For me, ‘Pem Pe Re Pem’ is about joy and movement, and I truly hope my production helped bring the song to life in a way that listeners can feel and celebrate.”

Amit Naik, popularly known as Waking Grunt in the music scene needs no introduction. He has been belting out hits after hits, all with Goa at its core. For this song, he even took on the role of the famous village ‘poder’. He says, “When Velrose approached me for a rap verse in her song, I insisted in listening to the track first before giving my confirmation. I understood that it was on a different theme. I wrote and recorded a demo of my rap verse, Velrose liked it, but the music producer, Rosh, suggested keeping it simple. Both of them liked the revised version and kept the final rap, sweet and short.”

He further adds, “Unfortunately, the video shooting was on the same day as my semester exam at GEC. I couldn’t be there to shoot with Goan acting hunks Prince Jacob and John D’Silva. I went to Velsao a few days later to record my video. I didn’t hesitate to play a Poder and I am glad that the audience approved it wholeheartedly. Hats off to the Rosh, Velrose, the filming crew (Voddem Films), actors and dancers for making it all perfect. Josephern is a good at what he does. I feel comfortable when he is behind the camera as we have been part of many music video shoots so far.”

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‘Pem Pe Re Pem’ is one of Velrose’s unique songs and she is proud of it and even more grateful to her audience. “I’m very grateful that the Goan and Mangalorean audience liked it. This song is actually inspiring me to write more songs now. I am thankful to the entire team behind the song. Waking Grunt, is already in the hearts of Goans, because his rap is very authentically Goan. Special thanks to Xavier Gracias and family, Rosh Fernandes, Robert Cabral and Jaime Gonsalves,” concludes Velrose.

The cast and crew:

Chorus Lyrics: Rosh Fernandes

Rap Composition & Lyrics: Waking Grunt

Featuring: Prince Jacob Fernandes & John D’Silva

Video: Voddem Films

Director and cinematographer: Josephfern D’Souza

Editor: Euban Pereira

Gaffer: Joson Fernandes

Video Team: Ravindr Dias, Sami Khatib

Dance Group: Biz Style Dance Company Goa

Choreographer: Jherico Fernandes

Co-Choreographer: Reynal Fernandes