It
is amazing how one culture can see intrinsic
value
in another; how music can be language in its
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own
right that binds things together. Let us take the
case
of Helga Sedli, who goes by the stage name of
Helga
V. A product of the Bela Bartok Conservatory
in
Budapest, Hungary where she has her roots; she
would
be the last person anyone would think would
spend
her time covering Konkani cult classics. Yet, on
her
recent trip to Goa, that is exactly what she wound
up
doing.
Speaking
on her trip to the sunshine state, Helga
says
“This was my fi rst visit to Goa and for that matter
India
as well. I have been here for a total of 12 days.
One
day in Mumbai for a performance, with the
rest
having been spent in Goa. The whole a_ air was
orchestrated
by Jazz Goa, because some of my other
musician
friends also having performed here in the
past,
including the likes of my friend, Marina Xavier, a
jazz
singer from Singapore.”
But
it is the developments that unfolded while in
Goa,
that are of greater consequence than the trip
itself.
Helga, having been invited by Jazz Goa, sat
down
with Goa’s bassman, Colin D’Cruz, to record
her
take on the popular Konkani ballad, Molbailo
Dou.
The song, which has several takes on it is a
hit
from the early days of the Konkani fi lm industry
and
was an integral part of the cult classic, Amchem
Noxib.
Diana D’Cruz, Colin’s wife, and the manager
of
Jazz Goa video graphed the rendition, which
also
showcases Goa across fi ve di_ erent locations,
spanning
from sunrise till sunset.
While
it may well be her fi rst trip to India, Helga
is
very well versed with the Asian way of life. 6
years
ago, she moved to Asia, which in her opinion
changed
everything about her life. “I started to
collaborate
with the local musicians, join live bands,
follow
their songs and start improvising. I bought my
fi
rst electric violin, and started to learn and play jazz.
I
found myself going deeper in the improvisation
that
is a hallmark of the jazz world,” she says
reminiscently.
It
was in Asia that Helga embarked on her fi rst
solo
project. Her fi rst album, called Folkolor was
made
in Bali, and is a work of folk fusion, which
is
very versatile, with all her songs coming from
di_
erent countries. “I spent time in Jakarta and Bali,
before
moving to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, last year.
I
have since moved my base of operations there, and
I
travel everywhere from Malaysia. This year, I plan to
travel
to other countries too, and work on my second
album
accordingly. A return to Goa factors into these
plans,”
she adds.
With
plans to return to Goa and work on more
local
music, one can barely wait to see what the
future
holds in store for Helga’s take on Goan folk.
The
video of Helga’s Hungarian take on the Goan
classic,
Molbailo Dou is viewable via the link: https://
youtu.be/B2wpJmVcqI4
