Musicians from every corner of the world have been landing up and performing in Goa ever since its attractions were made known to the world. Many people including musicians chose to leave their luxurious lifestyles back home to enjoy the simple ‘susegaad’ lifestyle that Goa is known for. Goa is a tourist destination not just for its beaches and scenic beauty, it is a live music haven too. Hundreds of live music venues dot every tourist belt across Goa. According to veteran musicians living in the state, if a census was done, Goa would emerge as a place with the most live music venues in the country for sure. Small wonder then, why so many musicians from all over the world choose to make Goa their second home, some of them even setting up a permanent home in Goa.
Having international musicians perform alongside local artistes has raised the entertainment bar in Goa, often resulting in world-class acts at even low profile venues. One great place to actually be a part of this global melting pot is the seasonal Saturday Night Market at Arpora. Thousands of local and international visitors are entertained by a series of acts that change by the hour. A big stage/sound/light set-up keeps every performer in the spotlight. What started as a small flea market evolved into a mind boggling event with thousands of stalls catering to the whole world. Goa has always been all about the ‘vibe’.
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For the international musicians based in Goa, it has been an interesting experience. For Matteo Fraboni, Italian drummer who has been based in the country for three years, Goa has been an interesting experience. He said the audiences in Goa mostly expect to listen to the classics and there’s not so much interest in listening to more modern avante guard jazz music. When asked what he thought about the local musicians he was remarkably candid. He said, “There’s a lot a talented musicians who has a nice baggage of traditional music, especially in the jazz community. What is lacking is the exposure to international standards to make the musicians understand their actual capabilities and what are the gap of preparation with the international acclaimed artist. Most of the time, it is a matter of pride, because the locals think they already know”. When asked what advice would he give any international artist interested in coming to Goa he said, “To come prepared to deal with a different reality of musicians in such a wonderful location as Goa is.”
Nicolas a French musician said the beauty of the landscape and the climate during the dry season attracted him to Goa. He said as someone played all kinds of music styles from jazz, Latin to rock and reggae, he found the versatility and culture of the Goan musician vey admirable. Any musician would like appreciate playing in front of an appreciative audience, when asked how he found the local customer, he said, “The audience response is very enthusiastic and curious”. To the point. When asked what advice would he give to any international musician planning to come in Goa, he said, “Open you ears, guys”. He said there were excellent jazz musicians like Colin D’cruz, Darryl and Sharon Rodrigues, Steve Sequeira, Jason Quadro, Anthony Bringel and many more who knew how to jazz and they would not feel out of place.
For a veteran in the business who has seen quite a bit of the evolution of the scene in the state, Marina has been in Goa because as she says she loves the country of her ancestors and Goa has a special place in it. Speaking about the standard of jazz musicians in the state, she said there were so many people who came and went and left their mark on the scene. The local musicians she said were very good and she felt right at home in the State. The audience for jazz was growing as the days go by she felt. Many wanted to hear the standards and were not open to the more modern sounds. It would she felt take some time but she felt happy performing in front of the audience. With regards to advice she said it was important to come with an open mind and it would then be a walk in the park.
For Annie an artist who did want to be identified said she was attracted to India and its culture and that was why she came to the country and eventually Goa. She said the place had a vibe all its own which attracted her in the first place. The ability to sing jazz live during a week solidified her motivation to stay. With regards to the standard of jazz musicians she said the fact quite of few of the musicians could read music helped and there were very good musicians in the state. With regards to the audience she said there was a specific audience that listened to jazz. Many of them had travelled abroad and had listened to jazz from an early age and had attended shows abroad. The general level of appreciation of jazz she said was good and would get better as the years go by. When asked what advice she had for international artists she said it would be a leap into the unknown because she said Goa had elements in its culture that was European but the Indian culture was also there. This made for an interesting mix. She however said no one who made the move had regretted it.
Goa is surely attracting more musicians from all over the world. This will eventually make the state a powerhouse of talent in the world of jazz in a few years’ time. One hopes for the best.
