For the last
few months, stories of a band considered to be the showstoppers of a bygone era were generating a lot of
buzz amongst social circles in Goa. At pubs and social gatherings, people
wanted to confirm if what they were hearing was truly happening. They would
chip in with tales of how this group was famous in the ‘80s, for moving beyond
the norm with their attire and hairdos, use of sound equipment and style of
music, setting the tone for bands to come. These were the days of the beat
shows and festivals, where bands reigned supreme.
This is the story of Blue Turtle, who had their last show in
1989. Their next show was held almost 30 years later, in 2018.
Held at the popular Southern Deck in Benaulim, their show not
only pulled in the older generation but youngsters as well. “It was the first
weekend of the new year so we thought we’d kick off with Goa’s first rock band
and we are glad that we made this show happen. They used to open for all the
top rock bands that used to travel to Goa,” says Ankith Kedar of Strobe
Nightlife.
The night brought back memories of concerts held in that era and
was also a reunion of so many Goans who were youngsters at that time.
“The nostalgic
moments came rushing back. The Blue Turtle fans came back in large numbers. It
was pure joy to see that spirit still rocking to the Blue Turtle rockers,” says
Colin Savio Coleho.
“While most of the
Blue Turtle members are still into music and perform even now, I was amazed to
see that Vernon Velho has not lost his touch one bit, despite hardly drumming
for the last 27 years. He still has the finesse he had almost three decades
ago,” adds Colin.
Besides Vernon, the
other band members are Kevin Vaz (keyboards), Simao De Goa (Vocals), Avril
Rodrigues (bass), Ashley Rodrigues (guitar) and Edwin Fernandes (guitar).
“We are doing it for
the love of music and friendship,” said Kevin Vaz before the show.
“I felt like a total
teenager before the gig. I was all nervous but magically there was a
transformation from the very first drum beat on the stage at the gig. We all
felt the same energy again,” says Edwin, pointing out that the comeback gig was
in the pipelines for a long time but got delayed as most of them were abroad.
Besides the thrill of
playing again, Ashley says that he could not believe and still cannot get over
the overwhelming response from their old and new fans. “To see young children
present and cheering for us was very humbling,” he adds.
While they played a
couple of new songs, they also played some of their old songs like ‘Smoking’ by
Boston, ‘ Rock you like a hurricane’ by Scorpions, ‘In the name of the Father’
by Revolution Saints and so on. “We played the exact same songs… partly for
nostalgia and partly to see if we could try the same songs. It went well, adds
Edwin.
It was when the
members of the group moved overseas to pursue their respective careers that the
group disbanded but the members still share what they called their brotherhood,
which has brought them to this moment.
While Edwin adds that
they cannot wait to get back on stage, Ashley says that they are looking at
having full fledged concerts.
The mention of
concerts led to a discussion about the shows of the late ‘80s and ‘90s and they
expressed sadness about how those type of concerts do not happen anymore. “Oh
how we miss those days of true music and playing live. The beat shows were a
total showcase for talent those days, states Kevin, adding that what he misses
most are the traditional Goan musical celebrations.
Speaking about their
choice of genre, Ashley points out that in those days, Rock music was
attributed to bands from Bombay, Chennai and the north east: “Goa was known for
Pop. No one believed that we had sprung out from this beautiful land and set a
trait for Rock. Being young and energetic we put together a stage act of dress,
energetic moves and synchronised performances. The audiences loved this and we
enjoyed every moment.”
Concluding
with the reason behind their name, they say that the turtle symbolises the vast
journey they cover, while ‘blue’ is the endless ocean to discover.
