The pianist is focused on his instrument. The musical notes commence softly. There is silence in the club/ restaurant as everyone listens to him as he navigates his way around the score. Certain members of the audience would smile as they recognised the score as that jazz standard they first heard as a young man. Jazz was always popular in the state.But more people listen to it and more importantly commercial interests are paying attention to this emerging trend. 

Colin D’cruz veteran musician, said there was no doubt that jazz was now the hot thing in the state. He said people were increasingly listening to it in fashionable bars and there was a jazz club now in Panjim named after Braz Gonsalves with many more being planned. He went on to say Goa was now the jazz hub of India. He said “It’s buzzing here. I have never seen bigger crowds at shows. This is happening when part of the country is in various forms of lockdown. I play at Olive on Wednesday’s and Pizza Delizia on Saturdays. Tables are full and people are struggling to come in. People have realised that other forms of music like pop involves a singer with a laptop whereas jazz has to be performed live”. 

Several musicians from other states and even borders have shifted here to play jazz. Colin said he had an American saxophonist Mtafiti Imara who had shifted to Goa to play jazz. A professor of music at the San Diego University, it was his opinion that he had more opportunities to play jazz in Goa than in the USA. At one point in time he would play 300 gigs in a year and that had now reduced to two or three. He came to Goa to experience the thrill of a live show. Colin said he was getting call everyday to play jazz but he was very clear about the promoters agreeing to his fees in addition to corporate events where he would play jazz and other genres. 

Laura Santana, a famous jazz singer in Delhi said she was aware that a large number of domestic and international musicians had shifted to Goa and it was a good sign. She felt perhaps in a couple of years it would mature and Goa could emerge as an important destination for jazz lovers in the country. 

Anuj Poddar the man behind Pizza Delizia said there was without a doubt a certain class of people who liked to listen to jazz. He said “There is a small but very discerning audience. They come every weekend because they love the genre. They love the jazz standards. We are very new to the scene just four months old. Our audience is 40 plus and upper middle class. There are 3 to 4 places conducting jazz events. We organize a Latin night too but our billing from the jazz night is way more. We have 300-400 seating and it is always booked on Saturday. ” 

Queenie Fernandes, a young singer who has been singing jazz for two years said there was definitely a growing market for the genre and what was interesting in listening only to jazz and it was very encouraging. 

Another singer Daniella Rodrigues said there was no doubt that interest in jazz was certainly picking up. She said “ New restaurants in Anjuna and Vagator are now calling for jazz bands to come and play there. There is certainly a lot going on and I am happy. I think it is a bit early to claim it was now a hub for jazz in the country but give it time. Importantly young people are listening to jazz, earlier it was the older section but now the young are certainly mixing it up. I have a regular gig on Monday at Cantares. I get around 3 to 4 gigs a week to sing jazz. It is all very encouraging.” 

Tony Dias has been a musician for a very long time and has seen it all. He said “It all depends on the clientele and what they want to listen. Not everyone is into pop. People now don’t want to listen to taped music. They want a live experience and there is nothing better than a jazz performance. There is certainly a niche for jazz and musicians are being hired to play that genre. We get a lot of people flying in from Mumbai and Delhi who want to listen to jazz and they just love it. We are a state that depends on tourism and the music we play will always depend on what the clientele wants. And jazz is now certainly the flavor.” 

Time will tell how this one will play out. Till then take five.