Valentine’s Day is a day dedicated to love and romance. Music is an important factor that finds its way to the hearts of lovers and in this case, brought two people together for life. These couples from Goa have been performing as musical duos and are happy to be united with their common interest, music.
Andre and Tania De Souza
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It was love at first sight for Andre de Souza and Tania. The two singers met when they went in to record the song, ‘Your Eyes’ for All India Radio in 1994. “We knew each other since 1994 and we got married in 1996. We met for the recording and used to perform once in a way. We actually started performing in 2008 as a duo, after the children grew up. Our first assignment was the Goan Festival in London on July 26, 2009,” says Andre.
Andre feels that music is blending and performing together is a vibe. “We have composed original songs as well. Our daughter Nicole and son Noah, are also performing outside Goa and outside India. Noah sang with the band Pure Magic while Nicole sang with the Colonial Cousins,” he says, on how important music is for the family.
Lulu and Filipe Fortes
Orlim-based Lulu and Filipe Fortes have been creating waves in the Goan music industry for almost four decades. They met at the Taj Aguada, when Emiliano Da Cruz formed a band in the late 1980s. After getting married, they shifted to South Goa and formed a trio with Emiliano’s brother, Augustine.
“We started playing at the Ramada which had just opened and then we formed a band called Companeros and performed all genres of music and gradually added folk dances, which was the first at a resort in South Goa,” says Lulu Fortes, who performs at concerts across Goa. They got married in January 1990 after one year of courtship and the founding members of Big City Band performed at their wedding. “Luis was the main guy there and he had done one song which was well appreciated. It’s been 35 years and counting,” says Lulu, a romantic at heart.
Sharon and Darryl Rodrigues
The musical duo, Darryl and Sharon wouldn’t exist if Tony Dias had not played cupid. Tony Dias took Darryl Rodrigues from Goa to form the band Aqua Snow in Bombay where we invited Sharon, the daughter of Braz Gonsalves to join the band. “Aqua Snow was a very famous band in 1990, we got married in 1993. We used to perform together for most of the time in Bombay. When we moved to Goa, we were together in the band Syndicate. After Covid, we started the duo, Darryl and Sharon,” says Sharon. They are now proud parents to Jarryd, Zefan and Xarah. As a couple, one song that is close to their heart is ‘The Wind Beneath My Wings.’
Agatha and Melvin Rosario
With her powerful voice, Agatha is not just a firebrand on stage as the lead singer for the band Forefront but is also deeply in love with her husband, Melvin Rosario, also a member of the same band. “It’s a complicated story. Before we got married in 2022, it was 18 years of courtship. We met through the band, it started with friendship, and then developed to love. He was in the band prior, I joined the band in 2002,” says Agatha. They had a quiet, private wedding with very close friends and family in attendance.
How do they keep the romance alive? “Mostly we make each other laugh, keep things lively instead of bringing the sad things in. I think I’m the live wire an extrovert in the relationship. We don’t have any favourite song but we are fans of Bob Marley, and his reggae songs,” informs Agatha.
Yvonne and Braz Gonsalves
Braz and Yvonne Gonsalves are an example of couple goals. At the age of 91, Braz recently performed a concert at Take 5, Candolim with Yvonne, his wife of 58 years.
In the late 1960s, Braz joined the band of Goan jazz legend, Chic Chocolate. “Chic Chocolate left his band and asked me to take over. He introduced me to his family and I immediately fell in love with his daughter, Yvonne. We got married and we moved to Delhi for 2-3 years as I was playing in Lagoona. Yvonne has always been a great supporter and a great jazz singer. She has always encouraged me,” says Braz.
They are parents to Sharon and Laura.
While their wedding was planned well in advance in 1967, unfortunately Chic Chocolate died in May and the mourning family had a small wedding at home. Chic had already booked the Taj Mahal room for their wedding in November. However in 2017, the daughters made for grander celebrations by inviting the entire family for the golden jubilee where Yvonne’s sister and other family members performed ‘As Time Goes By’, their special song.
