One of Goa’s most prestigious music festivals, the Monte Music Festival, organised by Fundação Oriente is back with three days of musical extravaganza. The 23rd edition of the annual festival will be held on January 31, February 1 and 2 at the courtyard of the Chapel of Our Lady of the Mount, Old Goa. This year, the celebrations are even grander as Fundação Oriente Delegation in India celebrates three decades of its presence in the country.
This is the third edition of the festival under Dr Paulo Gomes, director of Fundação Oriente, who has been assisted by the team at Fundacao Oriente and as promised for the last edition, Monte Music Festival will not require passes for any of its concerts. However, one will require to avail the shuttle service from Gandhi Circle, Old Goa.
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Recognised for its fine selection of multi-genre performances including noted Goan, Indian and international artistes, this year will be a fusion with Goan and Portuguese strings and voices. “On the first day, we start with sitarist Asad Khan and Portuguese guitarist Ricardo J Martins and Goa’s very own Ekchar closing the opening night. On the second day, we will start with Krishnendu Saha and his disciples. Krishnendu is an Odissi dancer followed by Sharat and his friends from Delhi. It’s a world violin recital. On the third day, we’ll start with Manganiar from the Thar desert region of Rajasthan. And then we will close the festival with Cuca Roseta, the Portuguese singer that will sing Fado, some Jazz and her original songs. She sings in Hindi and Konkani too. Along with her, she will invite some Goan musicians to do a fusion in two or three songs,” informs Dr Paulo.
Two important guests visiting the country and who will witness the music magic at Old Goa will be Carlos Monjardino, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Fundação Oriente and João Amorim, member of the Board of Directors.
On February 6, Fundação Oriente, in partnership with the Portuguese Embassy in India and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), will take the Monte Festival to New Delhi. “In Delhi, on occasion of the 30th anniversary of Fundação Oriente and the 50th anniversary of the re-establishment of the diplomatic relations between Portugal and India, we have Ricardo J Martins, a Portuguese musician with his Portuguese guitar, along with Sharat Chandra Srivastava, an accomplished Indian violinist, will perform together on the same stage. It’s a Portuguese guitar and violin recital, from Portugal and from India,” concludes Dr Paulo. The violin and Portuguese guitar recital will be held at the ICCR auditorium, New Delhi.
January 31 | 7 pm: Ekchar
Goan musicians with
Indo-Portuguese music
Ekchar is the coming together of seven Goan musicians who have made a mark in the Goan music industry over the last couple of decades. They synergise their musical strengths to perform varied genres of music from over 40 countries. They perform both Portuguese (Fado, Folk and contemporary) as well as Konkani (Mando, classics and contemporary) music, thereby providing a unique Indo-Portuguese musical experience to their audiences.
February 2 | 7 pm
Cuca Roseta
Cuca Roseta is one of the most acclaimed and respected voices of Fado and has released seven albums. Cuca Roseta presented her mass audience worldwide with two remarkable pieces of work. A tribute album to Amalia Rodrigues, ‘Amalia por Cuca Roseta’, which received huge praise from the media. and secondly, her recent album ‘Meu’, a record wherein the fado singer declares herself as the author and composer of all the tracks ‘Mandovi-Tejo’ alludes to the important Goan and Portuguese rivers, which reflect the culture of Portugal and Goa. Fado and Goan rhythms performed by one of the most notable artistes of the present day, and allowing for space to interact with some Goan musicians.
January 31 | 5.45 pm
‘Between strings’ by Asad Khan and Ricardo J Martins
Sitar and Portuguese Guitar recital
Asad Khan is a Sitar player and composer, a Grammy-recognised global musician, and the sixth-generation young artist from the traditional Indian musicians lineage. He is the first Sitar player to perform at the Noble Peace Prize Concert, offering global recognition for his work on the track ‘Mausam & Escape’ from the Oscar winning film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’.
Ricardo J Martins, one of the most brilliant Portuguese guitarists, recognises the Portuguese Guitar’s enormous capacity as a solo instrument, playing both the Lisbon and the Coimbra Portuguese Guitar. In April 2018, his song ‘Corre Corre Corridinho’ won the Best Instrumental Music category at the IPMA (International Portuguese Music Awards). In 2021, he launched his new CD – ‘Escapismo’ featuring the participation of big names in Portuguese music.
February 1 | 5.45 pm
Krishnendu Saha
Pravaha – A Blessing
A beautiful Odissi recital by one of the most promising Odissi dancers of India and his disciples
of Nrityormi School of Odissi.
February 1 | 7 pm
World Violin Fusion
Sharat and Friends
As a member of two of the biggest Indian
bands, Mregya and Parikrama, Sharat Chandra Srivastava, an accomplished Indian violinist, is known for his innovative fusion music. Taking forward the legacy from teacher to disciple of his grandfather, Guru Pt Joi Srivastava of the Senia Gharana, Sharat will be performing a Hindustani Classical violin jugalbandi with his son Raghav Chandra. In this fusion set, Sharat is joined by a team of fantastic musicians: Mayank Bedekar on tabla, Amer Tirkey on guitar, Jagtinder Singh Sidhu on vocals and Sine Fakhroddin on percussions.
February 2 | 5.45 pm
Echoes from the Desert by Manganiar
The Manganiar are a Muslim community found in the Thar Desert region of Rajasthan who are known for various compositions describing stories focused on humans, nature and salvation, they along with the Langha community are known for their folk music.
