Preethi
Coutinho needs no introduction when it comes to Western Classical music in Goa. She was the first
Goan girl who trained and answered her Licentiate of Trinity College London
(LTCL) in singing. Currently a vocals teacher at the Kala Academy, Panjim, she
inspires others to take singing more seriously and with great pride. She was
the leader who formed the cultural troupe ‘Oll’lechim Mogrim’ four years ago
and since then, there has been no turning back. “The aim behind getting
together the members, mostly youth, was to present Goan folk songs, especially
the Mando, in a musically and artistically rich manner. The album
‘Goenchem Mande/Dulpodam’ will be released on November 9, 2017 at Woodland
Hotel, Margao. On the occasion, we will also perform a mando, ‘Suskar
Mhuj Kallzacho’, which has also been featured in the album,” says Preethi, who
hails from Orlim.
Preethi comes from a
musical family as her sister, Deepti, and brother, Salil, are also musicians.
Earlier, they performed along with their parents in the St Michael’s Choir. She
was also part of the Santa Cecilia choir of Rachol Seminary under Fr Romeo
Monteiro.
“The mando is
perhaps the most common and popular folk song among the Goan Catholics. It
represents the meeting point of Indian and Western musical traditions. The
music has elements of both Indian and Western culture. Unfortunately, very few
sing the mando observing all the tenets proper to this 19th century
dance form that evolved in Goa among the Christians. So, in order to maintain
the rich repertoire of Goan Mando and to take it to an artistically
refined level, I took the initiative to form this cultural group that would
perform Goan folk music, beginning with the mando,” explains Preethi.
The CD features three
original mande, ‘Moga Tuje Vinnem’, ‘Pular Rautam Tuka’ and ‘Suskar Mhuj
Kallzacho’, with the respective original Dupodam. “Each mando and dulpod
has a duration of 15 minutes each. The lyrics have been written by Ida
Coutinho and I’ve set the music. The CD has been recorded and mixed at Audio
Masters Studio, Aquem-Margao, under the expertise of Aurvile Rodrigues,” she
adds.
The singers in the CD
are Preethi Coutinho, Salil Coutinho, Jeffery Viegas, Alisha Passanha, Chesilda
Furtado, Ruchita Gomes, Deepti Coutinho, Janice Gracias, Stacy Cardozo, Minelli
Furtado, Herman Pereira, Jude Silverdale, Luis Coutinho, Princewel Fernandes
and Dulcio De Melo. The musicians are Judyline Fernandes (violin), Fr Seby Vaz
(guitar), Fr Arvino Fernandes (double bass), Filipeneri Fortes and Aurvile
Rodrigues (ghumott).
‘Oll’lechim Mogrim’
was formed in 2013 to participate in the 48th All Goa State level Mando festival,
organised by the Goa Cultural and Social Centre, where they bagged the first
place in the original category for their first performance itself. The entire
group is divided into 20 participants for the senior category and nine
participants besides musicians for the teenagers category, both trained by
Preethi. At the 50th Mando Festival held last December, the troupe
bagged the prestigious Mando Award.
In order to make
available their melodious voices and thus contribute to the enrichment of the Mando
genre, the group members decided to showcase their original mando works,
which bagged them the top notch at the 48th, 49th and 50th Mando Festivals,
in a CD.
“When we won the Mando
Award at the 50th Anniversary of the state level Mando Festival
organised by the Goa Cultural and Social Centre, we were thrilled and we wanted
to treasure that moment. We decided to produce a CD with our original Mandos
which can be used by the future generation. The songs are not available on any
other platform except for live performances and through the CD, teenagers can
listen to these mandos and dulpods and revive it. There are many
children too who are interested in Mando,” informs Preethi.
Preethi doesn’t just
teach her students but she also gives them a platform to sing. Her vocal
students make up most of the teenagers category that performs at the annual
competitions. For the Mando groups, the senior and teenager categories,
the participants come from different parts of South Goa especially the villages
of Orlim, Varca, Carmona, Chinchinim, Ponda, Tilamol and the city of Margao.
Besides ‘Oll’lechim
Mogrim’, ‘Goenchim Noketram’, a Goan folklore and musical troupe will also be
releasing an audio album, ‘Goa – Tuzo Mog Mhaka’ on November 19, 2017. The
26-member group is celebrating ten years of performances with a blend of
various musical styles of countries that they got to experience through the
songs.
‘Goenchem
Mande/Dulpodam’ by ‘Oll’lechim Mogrim’ will be released on November 9, 2017 at
Woodland hotel, Margao
