Making an impact through tiatr & songs

Pio Esteves

Antonio Inacio Joao D’Souza, popularly known as Anthony on the tiatr stage, was born on March 28, 1936 on the tiny island of Sao Jacinto, Vasco. Financial constraints prompted his parents, Jose Joaquim D’Souza and Albertin D’Melo, to move to a hut at Cansaulim and make it their home.

Blessed with two brothers and one sister, Anthony, the third in the family, would regularly attend mass at a church close to his residence and assist as an altar server. “During that period, mass was conducted in Portuguese and the congregation could hardly follow the religious service carried out at the altar,” he recounts. “But as I had a good and powerful voice, I would learn all the hymns by heart and sing with clarity. My singing skills sharpened first at church and then at the altar of God,” he adds.

“As poverty gripped my family,” Anthony continues, “my mother would go and collect tisreo from the banks of the river and my sister, late Eliza Rosa, would proceed to sell them in Vasco. Unable to sustain the family of six, my mother decided to move to Cansaulim for better prospects. As mom’s sister resided there, both would take off to Margao to sell fish on a daily basis,” he mentions.

The property where Anthony’s parents and his siblings resided at, in Cansaulim, belonged to late Santan Godinho, a landlord from Margao. “Initially, we lived in a small hut, but later the landlord prepared the property papers, but did not sell it among the brothers,” Anthony confesses.

As most of the parochial schools had only music classes then, Anthony would attend them. But he did not get the chance to complete his primary education.

One of his cousins in Cansaulim wrote a tiatr and staged it in the locality; he roped in Anthony for his powerful voice. “He gave me a song and I rendered it with gusto; the audience found it appealing. News about my singing spread like wildfire and at the age of 12, I was Invited by M Dod de Verna to be a part of his tiatr. Initially, he gave me the opportunity to sing several of the songs in his tiatrs. Later, my own compositions, especially duets, came along. But M Dod de Verna was the man who put me on the pedestal,” he humbly admits.

Most of the duets composed and rendered by Anthony were along with Minguel Noronha from Cansaulim, who used to dress up like a woman; they became instant hits.

Next, Aleixinho de Candolim penned and staged tiatrs and Anthony had a special place in his productions too. “When some tiatrists left this noted director in a quandary, Aleixinho de Candolim approached me, asking me to render duets with Minguel. The director was kind enough to arrange a cab for me from Verna church to Mapusa. Gradually, my popularity increased in Bardez taluka. When the same director decided to stage his tiatr in Cansaulim, landlord Cresencio Baretto did not allow it. It was later staged at Velsao to a full house,” he informs. Aleixinho also took Anthony to Dubai to stage his tiatr ‘Ho Bavtto Dhormacho’.  

“After Minguel Noronha expired, late Nelson started singing duets with Conception,” recollects Anthony. “Nelson welcomed me in their troupe and Trio Kings was formed.” “During the Portuguese rule, the leaders insisted ‘Aqui e Portugal, sempre ser Portugal’. When the village is ours, why should you call it Portugal?  Many happenings in favour of the Portuguese followed in Goa and it pained me. To highlight only the truth, numerous trios based on politics were composed and sung,” he reveals.

During a performance as the Trio Kings, Nelson passed away and Souza Boy was roped in. A little later, when Conception left, Jr Rod was welcomed as a replacement. To keep the Trio Kings moving forward, Joaquim and Jr Nelson (Tommy) followed thereafter.

While performing as Trio Kings with Joaquim-Jr Rod-Anthony, the political trio was well accepted by the audience. Anthony would compose all the songs and mestri late Alex from Mungul, Margao, would assist in arranging the music.

Eight years ago, Anthony had a major stroke and had to be treated at Apollo Hospital. Soon after recuperating, he proceeded to Kuwait with Joaquim and Jr Rod and performed in one of Samuel Carvalho’s tiatrs.

The extreme weather in Kuwait had an adverse effect on Anthony and eight days after his return to Goa, he got another stroke. He had to be fitted with a pacemaker, but his illness lead to various health issues thus putting an end to the Trio Kings on the Konkani stage.

Apart from compositions and renditions, Anthony has acted in several tiatrs like ‘Divorce’, ‘Doie’, ‘Bognnar’, ‘Mogacho Aunddo’, ‘Bhurgim ani Bhangar’, ‘Portugez Kolvont’ and ‘Kantteantlem Ful’; he was quite famous in roles of a police inspector. He also penned a tiatr, ‘Tigui Tosle’, and directed Aleixinho de Candolim’s tiatr ‘Ho Bavtto Dhormacho’.

Anthony has four cassettes and one audio CD to his credit. Awards received include the State Cultural Award in 2003-04. During celebrations of 100 and 125 years of tiatr, he was felicitated by the government. He also received the Jack Sequeira Award in 2008 and was felicitated by Kuwait-Goa-Tiatristanchi Sonvstha.

Despite renditions of songs in more than 2,000 tiatrs, Anthony’s only regret is that his songs are not aired by All India Radio. “Keep aside my political songs, by why are my decent songs on Mother Teresa, Fr Savio and several others not aired? It’s disheartening when I hear songs by my colleagues and I am left in the dark,” he laments.