Rising to the
occasion, the Goa Feni industry came together to give the large crowds that visited the
three-day Spirit of Goa festival a glimpse of the future with the individual
Goa brands launching new products at the festival and in doing so, making huge
strides in the alco-bev market.
The three-day event revolved around Goa’s much loved Coconut and
Cashew in a variety of products, cuisine, beverages, handicrafts, etc that
showcased the traditional aspects. The festival also had live demos on
distilling of cashew and coconut juice into Goa’s much relished heritage brew,
Feni. Besides authentic Goan food, coconut and cashew were the key ingredients
in the cuisine and beverages prepared and served during the festival. A variety
of exciting programmes, entertainment, workshops and competitions were also
held for the audience. On all three days, brass band serenaders kept the spirit
of the festival alive in their own melodious way.
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On day one, the festival drew large crowds including tourists
and locals who danced away to songs from Lulu Fortes from Rhythm & Blues
with good old Latin and Konkani hits followed by Lorna Cordeiro , Goa’s very
own legend who lit up the stage with her presence accompanied by a large format
ensemble with mesmerising dances during her act.
The second day
featured the ‘Goenchim Noketram’ troupe with an 18-member ensemble that brought
out authentic Goan music from Dekhni to Mando and Classic hits. This live act
was accompanied by authentic Goan dances featuring various ethnic Goan
costumes. This was followed by an equally heavy 22-member ensemble put together
by Latin Connection & Sonia Jaffer’s Beaumont Dance Company.
The final day
featured a young talented group of Goan Musicians called ‘Coffee Cats’ who are
known for their unique renditions of some of the famous Latin covers including
Konkani classics. This was followed by Konkani Pop Star O’luv with a dance act
with a message of peace to the world. It also featured a full brass section on
stage along with veteran drummer Carlos and Mukesh Gatwal on the keyboard to
name a few. Chef Avinash Martins, one of Goa’s leading chefs, also had a master
class session during which, he integrated home grown concoctions into
creatively designed cuisine.
The
festival was organised by the Department of Tourism, Government of Goa, at the
D B Bandodkar Ground, Campal
