04 Jan 2019  |   05:18am IST

“Young Chico’s legacy will live on forever”

A tribute by Pio Esteves

Way back in the eighties if you had to tune in

to the All India Radio’s popular Konkani songs request programme ‘Manajogtim Gitam’, you would definitely get the chance to listen to the melodious voice of Young Chico, whose songs ‘Milena’, ‘Hanv Poddlam Mogan’, ‘Maim’ or ‘Novro’ were most sought after, besides being aired on the then popular ‘Radio Ceylon’.

Guirim-based Francisco Bringel, popularly known as Young Chico on the tiatr stage, was born to Emerico and Ida Bringal on January 26, 1952. At the tender age of 13, he took to Konkani stage by participating in village tiatrs and rendering songs mostly of late Alfred Rose.

Young Chico later joined an English beat group ‘Imaginations’ from his own village and continued with the group for some years, until he decided dedicating himself totally to the tiatr stage. His first entry on the professional stage came about in tiatr ‘Seza Pai’ in 1976, written and directed by late Vincent de Curtorim, popularly known as Star of Curtorim.

Thereafter, by participating in tiatrs of noted directors Jacint Vaz, M Boyer, Remmie Colaco, Fr Freddy J da Costa, Prem Kumar, C Alvares, Patrick Dourado, Anil Pednekar, Anthony Sylvester, Alfred Rose, Inacio de Canacona, Anthony San and others, Young Chico had ample opportunities to showcase his singing skills and win hearts of the audience.

Besides singing in tiatrs, Young Chico also received offers from various producers, who worked on the Konkani audio albums. He would also feature in numerous musical shows across Goa, besides Delhi, Pune, Calcutta, Mumbai, Kuait, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha Qatar. During one of the performances in Dubai, he mesmerized the audience with his thoughtful songs and the same crowd baptized him with the title ‘Man with a Golden Voice’.

Young Chico was also seen in the annual tiatr competitions organized by Kala Academy and was honoured by Kala Academy on the Tiatr Day, recognizing his valuable services towards the tiatr stage. He rendered his melodious voice in Konkani film ‘Adeus Moga’, which was directed by his daughter Bushka, besides singing in the film ‘Girestkai’.

With the passing away of a versatile Konkani singer, the tiatr fraternity is in grief and those close to Young Chico find it hard to digest the truth that he is no more. Anthony San, who shared the tiatr stage with Young Chico on several occasions, stated that along with F X Pereira both came together on professional stage in 1975. He said that in his own productions both would render the opening song and in his tiatr ‘Ekuch Ghor’ it was Alfred Rose, Young Chico and self who would take the lead on stage.

“Both of us had the greatest wish of going in for recording together,” revealed Anthony San. “And in 1979 the day dawned when in Konkani film ‘Girestkai’ produced by Das, we had the opportunity to record our voices together in Mumbai’s Navrang studio, with lyrics by Rosario Rodrigues and music by Emiliano D’Cruz,” he added.

On several occasions although Anthony San would win awards for singing, he would always appreciate Young Chico’s melodious voice. “He was very talented as he could sing in English, Konkani and Portuguese,” he mentioned, “and although he will be missed on the tiatr field, his rich contribution through songs and voice will keep him alive among us.”

“In my first audio cassette ‘Top Konkani Hits’ Young Chico’s renditions of my two compositions ‘Nouro’ and ‘Maim’ provided a big boost to make the album an all-time hit,” revealed Joe Rose, who was closely connected with this versatile singer. “On our several tiatr tours in Goa, Mumbai, Delhi, Calcutta and Gulf,” he added, “we shared many a jovial prank with the rest of the troupe in a lighter vein. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family in the words: Gone he is never to return, yet he lives and will never die. In our hearts will burn a flame, burn and burn forever.”

Hortencio Pereira, another artiste of the Konkani stage, was flabbergasted to note that his friend passed away. He was fortunate to sing duos with Young Chico in several dramas. “He rendered his voice in 4 of my cassettes and CDs,” he revealed, “after Alfred Rose, I had great respect for him as a singer. May Almighty God grant his soul eternal rest and courage to his family to overcome the unbearable loss.”

“In the death of Young Chico, the Konkani tiatr stage has lost a great tiatrist,” mentioned Wilson Mazarello, “and a singer par excellence.” “I know Young Chico and his family for quite some time,” said Fatima D’Souza, another tiatrist, “all the travels, jokes shared together and the stage space shared with him cannot be forgotten.”

On behalf of all the tiatr fraternity and tiatr lovers, Tiatr Academy of Goa (TAG) deeply condoles the death of this great personality and expresses heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family.