Goa is a canvas on which dreams are etched. And when the grandson of an international
acclaimed artist who spent a lot of time in Goa, returns to paint murals of his
grandfather, his contemporaries and other icons, it does create goose bumps.
Francis Newton Souza’s grandson Solomon Souza is doing just
that. At 26, Solomon, of Goan- British-Israeli descent, is internationally
renowned for his street art portraits focusing on heroes and figures of repute.
As part of this project, he will be painting over 20 murals to pay tribute to
his grandfather and other unsung, unrecognised icons of Goa. Having completed a
few, the next few weeks will see Solomon painting many more of these icons
across Goa.
For the curator of this project Vivek Menezes, who has been
tracking Solomon’s work for years, the timing was propitious to welcome him to
Goa as part of the Serendipity Arts Festival. “I have always been interested in
the Goan context to modern and contemporary art. Solomon appeared in the viral
world, three years ago as a talented street artist in Israel. Having been
friends with his grandfather, I kept tracking him and when Serendipity
approached me to curate this project, I immediately thought of him” He
continues, “This was a kind of homecoming for Solomon. Strangely, a lot of
these legends including Souza have no museum or monument to their credit in
Goa.”
One such icon, spray painted by Solomon, in the village of
Aldona is of Chic Chocolate, the well known and respected Goan trumpeter, who
was one of Bombay’s best known jazz musicians. He was also one of the first to
bring Western rhythms to Hindi film music. Born Antonio Xavier Vaz in 1916,
Chic Chocolate hailed from Aldona and began his music lessons as a young child
in Goa but it was Bombay that gave him fame and recognition for his music
talent. Known as ‘India’s Louis Armstrong’, he started his own band ‘Chic
Chocolate and his Music Makers’ in the 1940s which was a popular act at The Taj
Mahal Hotel. Thanks to musicians like him who introduced swing jazz and western
elements to Hindi film music, these songs even decades later seem so evocative.
If songs like Shola Jo Bhadke (Albela, 1951) or Gore Gore O Banke Chore
(Samadhi, 1950) bring a swing to your step, it’s because of Chick Chocolate’s
contribution to Hindi films.
Present while the mural of his father was being painted, Philip
Vaz, a talented bass guitarist himself, reminisced, “My dad was a perfectionist
and although we lost him in 1967, at a very young age, we have memories of him
taking us for recordings. Those days, he used to be busy with his recordings in
the day and performances at night. He looked a lot like Louis Armstrong and
could sing just as well. When Louis Armstrong visited India, I remember my dad
taking us to Shanmukananda Hall to see him perform.” Nostalgic about his
childhood days, Philip, who now lives in Goa, hopes to start jamming with bands
soon.
He adds, “I was more self-taught and played by ear. My dad would
scoff at that. For him, it was important to know theory and read music.
Composers would keep troubling him to write the scales of the music to remember
the tune.”
Chick Chocolate’s legacy lives on through his children and
grandchildren who are all musicians. Daughters, Ursula, Yvonne and Kitu also
married jazz musicians. Yvonne Gonsalves, who is married to renowned jazz
saxophonist, Braz Gonsalves reveals, “My husband Braz played in my dad’s band
as a young man. My dad was very fond of him and considered him a fine musician.
During one of the breaks between performances, my dad brought Braz home and
that’s the first time we met.” “We are looking forward to the performance by
Braz & my son, Jarred who will be playing with Louis Banks during the
Serendipity Arts Festival, honouring my dad who has been a big inspiration for
us,” adds Yvonne.
The
beauty of nostalgia, is the memory that comes to light – insights that
resurface from the annals of time leaving us with a sentimental longing for the
past. In celebrating these legends, we in Goa can forever be proud of the
contribution of these stalwarts and their presence in our midst. These murals
offer not just a glimpse but are a permanent reminder of their legacy. For
Solomon, who is just getting to know a lot more about these personalities,
during his maiden visit to Goa declares, “It certainly will not be the last. I
am so intrigued and inspired by the characters I am painting.”
