Known as India’s finest and only opera diva, Mumbai-based Celia Lobo died on Tuesday morning. Born in 1937, Celia Baptista grew up in a musical family in an atmosphere surrounded with operatic music. In the 1960s, she became a part of the Bombay Madrigal Singers Organisation (BMSO), which staged operas in Mumbai. After the shutdown of BMSO, Celia, who continued performing, took to writing, directing, vocal and speech training in the 80s. Her students include noted musicians and singers like Sunidhi Chauhan, Shiamak Davar, Shweta Shetty, Sunita Rao, Shailesh Shandilya, Neeti Mohan etc.
She was married to Col Trevor Lobo and was a mother to three children, Deirdre, Carolyn and Ashley. Deirdre Lobo is an acclaimed international concert artist, vocal coach and consultant, based in Colorado, USA, while Ashley is an international choreographer.
Celia was an opera Diva, master voice teacher, musical theatre director, who touched the lives of many musicians. In 2015, Deirdre founded the Celia Lobo Academy of Voice (CLAV), and One Voice Institute of Music and Art (OVIMA Global) in 2020. Through these institutes, she connects with musicians, actors and voiceover artistes on a global scale.
In a heartfelt note on social media, Deidre describes her mother as an extraordinary woman who achieved a lot in her lifetime. “India’s only opera diva and soprano extraordinaire; dedicated teacher and mentor to many in western music, Indian classical, and other genres of music,” she posted.