Come February 3, Braz Gonsalves who created a name for himself as an international jazz saxophonist will be turning 90. A jazz legend in every sense, he will be celebrating the day along with his family, wife Yvonne and two daughters, Laura and Sharon, with a special private concert. The evening will have two concerts that will feature Braz with musicians from India and abroad, and the live performance will be recorded for ‘Raga Rock – The Jazz Odyssey of Braz Gonsalves’, a documentary film by Nalini Elvino de Souza, founder of the NGO Communicare Trust and artist Maria Meireles, a singer and music conductor from Portugal.
“I am, happy that I will be performing with really good jazz musicians. It gives me great joy to hear and play with Jarryd, my grandson. As a child Jarryd was learning to play the piano with his father, Darryl, who is also an accomplished musician but he took up the saxophone in his own interest. He came and asked me to show how to play the saxophone and learning the piano really helped him pick the instrument fasters,” says Braz, when asked about what he looks forward to the most on his special milestone of turning a nonagenarian.
Born 1934 in Neura, Braz was one of seven brothers. He jokingly says, “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers but I am the only one who took up music.” Son of a noted maestri, Braz lost his mother at the age of 7 while his youngest brother was only a year old. His father was teaching music at St Anne Church in Telaulim, while Braz was studying at the Parochial School of Music in Nerul itself. “He was a maestri for the 30 years in the church and he travelled every day from Nerul as I was the only one living in Nerul. After my mother’s death, my maternal aunt took all my brothers to Vasco-da-Gama. However, the music school was very important to me. I had the rudiment of music with solfeggio. We were trained well to play for Latin Masses for the feasts and other Masses. I began with the violin and then took up the saxophone,” says Braz, as he reminisces about his childhood.
With no great aspects of earning a living as a musician in Goa, his father encouraged him to move to Bombay as a teenager. “Dhobitalao was a great place to meet musicians. I joined my elder brother, who was already living in the Club in Bombay and met Goan musicians who were playing there. It was important that they see your talent, if you can read, write and play well. However, before starting my career In Bombay, I also played for a circus in Meerut. On returning to Bombay, I met Anglo Indian drummer Robin James who asked me to join his band as a saxophonist that was led by his mother Dorothy Jones. They also gave me the opportunity to perform my first solo, ‘Love is a many splendored thing’ on All India Radio when I was just 18 years old!” says Braz.
Bombay was not the only stop for Braz, he travelled to Delhi, Srinagar and Calcutta, performing with different bands ranging from six months to six years. One of the most innovative jazz musicians India has ever produced, his fame as well as his company of other legends of his time like Louis Banks and Pam Crain took him around India as well as Europe, which he says were some of his most memorable moments, pioneering Indo-Jazz fusion.
In the late 1960s, Braz joined the band of another Goan jazz legend, Chic Chocolate. “They were very high class musicians and since he was a great music writer, he started working on Bollywood movies. He left the 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 celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 2017.
He performed three concerts in Macau as the only musician among Japanese and Filipino musicians. Braz was the first Goan to perform at the Macau International Jazz Festival in 1977. Here he was introduced to Luis Villas-Boas, founder of Hot Club, the first jazz club created in Portugal in 1948. He performed there in 1978 and from there moved to different parts of Europe in the 1980s.
Braz gave up a professional career spanning over two decades as a jazz exponent and dedicated himself to the Church and gospel singing groups, making a permanent move from Bombay to Goa in 2006. “I joined the prayer group of late Fr Lawrence Mascarenhas. He had a powerful healing touch and he changed our life completely. I released many Gospel albums after coming to Goa,” adds Braz. In 2013, he was awarded for his contribution in the field of music by the Art and Culture Department.
On February 3, the evening will begin with a Braz taking the stage alongside pianist Masha Soeiro (Russia), bassist Andre Pepe (Portugal), ace drummer Adrian D’Souza, carnatic singer Ramamani, Indian percussionist Ramesh Shotham, Braz’s daughter, Laura, Braz’s grandson Jarryd Rodrigues on the alto saxophone and vocalist Maria Meireles (Por). Masha and Andre have come in especially from Portugal, Ramesh has come in from Germany while Laura has flown in from Canada, to be part of the celebration. The second part of the evening will feature the afro-jazz band, ‘The Many Roots Ensemble’ led by Jarryd Rodrigues.
“This is a private party and the musicians are coming from different places. Some of them are going to meet each other for the first time while others will be reuniting after nearly 40 years,” concludes Nalini, who has been working on the documentary since 2019.
