20 Sep 2020 | 03:49am IST
FROM THE CHOIR TO TIATR, IT’S BEEN ALL ABOUT MUSIC
Alias Fernandes has continued the lineage of his family in the world of tiatr by marking his presence with excellent singing and acting
Team Café
He is a one man band involved in choirs and has also
gained a big share on the tiatr stage.
Hailing from Opa, Khandepar, noted for the Opa water
works, Ponda-based Alias Carlos Fernandes, popularly known as Alias on the
Konkani stage, was born on September 19, 1974. His dad’s cousin, F X Dias was a
regular singer on the All India Radio (AIR), while his uncle, late Francis
Fernandes would act in the village tiatrs and pen songs.
Initially, Alias had no inclination towards tiatr or
anything related to the tiatr stage. Listening to musical plays aired on the
radio and watching video CDs from childhood eventually generated an interest.
One of his uncles from Bahrain would carry those CDs to Goa and he would watch
them.
During his primary education in MIBK High School,
Khandepar, Alias had opportunities to render a Konkani song for assembly, but
due to stage fright, he stayed away from school on that particular day. After
matriculation, he pursued his education in ITI at Khandepar, wherein he had
opportunity to sing for the singing competition. “As it was a comedy song of H
Briton,” he said, “off stage my colleagues forced me to render it twice all
over again. The same song was later rendered with music for an annual event, I
TECH in the college.”
Since 1993, Alias has been actively involved in chapel
choir at Holy Cross Chapel, Opa. In 1998, he joined the church choir at St
Anne’s Church, Ponda under the leadership of Custodio Dias and continued for
almost 10 years. His tutor would train in tenor/bass voices and he was inspired
to learn the keyboard from late Mathew Fernandes from Ponda for 4 years.
“My brother, Olavo assisted me later in music,” Alias
revealed, and now, apart from assistance at the chapel, he now visits 5
different chapels in Ponda and the Mardol church to train the choir members.
When the Opa Youth Club celebrated its 10 years of existence,
Alias penned a one-act play ‘Uzo’ and staged it for the occasion. “It’s here
the audience realized my potential on stage as an actor,” he confesses.
In 1994, when Latur in Maharashtra experience an
earthquake, Alias was inspired to pen a song and soon thereafter two more songs
flowed from his pen. These songs were later rendered on Goa Doordarshan in
June.
In the month of August for Ganesh Chaturthi, Alias found
a place for himself in Carlos and Caetan Fernandes’ tiatr ‘Zhott’tti’ staged at
Khandepar. Later, as a singer and actor, he continued in five more productions
of the same directors staged in the Ponda taluka, including productions of
Martin de Ponda and Peter de Ponda.
In 1998, Tony Fernandes from Divar, who was part of
Carlos and Caetan Fernandes troupe, introduced Alias in Alfi de Divar’s troupe
for the annual Kala Academy (KA)’s tiatr competition. Participation as a singer
in tiatr ‘Pakham’ helped him to win the merit certificate for the first time.
Alias worked with the same director at the tiatr
competition for another 9 productions, winning two first prizes for duos and
merit certificates for singing. He also participated in Anil/Olga’s tiatr
‘Mojea vo Sojea’ at KA’s tiatr competition, winning first prize in the solo
singing category.
Apart from participating in the KA’s tiatr competition,
Alias also participated in the same institution’s annual singing competition,
thus winning first prize in the solo, duo and trio categories. In 2000,
comedian Caetan introduced him to Dominic Carvalho in tiatr ‘Tem Ek Sopon’,
thus making his first entry on the commercial stage.
Since then, entries continued for Alias in tiatrs by
Peter de Macazana, Comedian 64, late Jackie Gomes, Seby de Britona, late
Agostinho Vaz, late comedian Marcus, Wilson (Ponda) and John (Usgao), Derick
Cardozo, Philip de Moira, Freddy Mascarenhas, Peter Rodrigues, Agnel de Borim,
Peter Colaco, Succor and Joaquim Cruz.
To mark 50 years of Goa’s Liberation, Alias was invited
to participate in a show directed by William Fernandes and supported by the
Tiatr Academy Goa. In 2012, he made his appearance again in late Remmie
Colaco’s tiatr ‘Atancho Temp
’ reproduced and
re
-staged
by the same director.
In 2008, Alias joined comedian Dominic’s troupe in tiatr
‘Rupem Bhangar Maginai’ and visisted the Gulf with the show. Although he made
an entry as a comedian with comedian Dominic and Luis Bachan in the first three
productions, he continues as a singer and actor with the same director till
date.
In 2009, during the monsoon season, Alias joined Mariano
Fernandes’ troupe in tiatr ‘Sorg, Sonvsar, Ifern.’ He also featured in the same
director’s tiatr ‘Soglleank Nomoskar’, making the Gulf tour for the second time
and in tiatr ‘Hanv Khuxal Asam’, he succeeded in making the UK tour with the
troupe.
Alias also has his contribution in religious
presentations with entry in Fr Robin Rodrigues’ ‘Goenchem Noketr Padr Jose
Vaz’, followed by Fr Nevel Gracias’ Lenten shows, beginning with ‘Tim Sogllim
Ek Zaum’ and he continues with the latter director till date.
In 2012 Alias released his first audio CD ‘Vollkhunk
Visorle’. He has also made his presence felt in musical shows by comedian
Dominic, William Fernandes, Bab Andrew, Francis de Tuem, Saby de Divar and
Anil/Olga.
“During the monsoon season, people would look forward to
tiatrs by Mariano Fernandes,” reveals Alias, and he has assisted the director
by penning the opening song in three tiatrs. In tiatr ‘Hanv Khuxal Asam’ all
the artistes were paraded on stage with the help of the opening song penned by
him.
For what he is on the tiatr stage today, Alias gives all
the credit to his mother, Conceicao Fernandes for ample support and his wife
Ciena Fernandes.