Live music in restaurants in Goa is a given. It is part of the appeal of going to a restaurant. Enjoying the great food and listening to a band singing popular hits either in English, Hindi or Konkani. But that may now be a memory with more and more restaurants taking a hard look at their bottom line and making changes. Increasingly restaurants are looking at hiring one man or two piece bands to provide the entertainment. Reactions to this trend varied from singers and bands based in the State.
Natasha Abreu, a singer based in Goa said it all depended from place to place. She said, “The budget is important. That decides everything. Budgets slipped during the Covid crisis. Earlier it would be common to see a five piece band but now they want a solo artist or a two piece band. Sometimes the client will get a budget for a band but then try to get away with a one or two piece. It is a tough market out there and very competitive.”
A singer who did not want to be named said she was being paid anywhere between Rs 2500 to 3000 per show in a restaurant. She said the budgets had been reduced due to outsiders signing up for low rates. She said usually she had a plus one on an instrument. Some hotels she said were doing very well but were not willing to hike prices. It was a tough life she said.
There were exceptions like Petula Colaco who said she was in the business for 23 years and performing every day. She said the places she was singing in were adding musicians and payment was not a problem. She was paid around Rs 10,000 per show. She said she was singing in English, Hindi and now Spanish. The restaurants she sang in were located all over Goa. She said she sang jazz, pop, blues, retro and pop.
Natasha Pereira voiced similar sentiments. She said she was performing every night in different places. Sometimes she said with a two piece or a four piece band. She said there were several bookings for parties at villas and yachts. Business she said was good and they were getting calls after calls.
Vanessa Fernandes is a karaoke singer. She said there were positives and negatives in the present situation. She said she was getting gigs but big bands don’t get to perform together as much anymore. Many restaurants preferred a solo performer because it was cheaper. She said she would usually sing and then encourage guests to sing. She would get paid around Rs 4000 per gig and if she brought equipment it would be Rs 5000. She was generally happy with the state of affairs and would not work every day.
Agnelo Mascarenhas, the manager and husband of Meramar Mascarenhas said some people wanted bands and others would prefer a solo artist. It always depended on the budget which would change from client to client. Villas preferred solo artists and that could mean Rs 10,000 at the very minimum which would keep increasing as per the clients demands.
Andre D’Souza who is a veteran in the business said he would either perform solo or with a female performer. He said he had not seen many bands perform these days and this trend was popular. If it was a duo, he said and was on contract for say 52 weeks, he would charge Rs 10,000 per show. Otherwise, he would charge Rs 40,000 for a one off.
Another veteran on the scene, Colin D’Cruz said in this market he preferred to stick to his price and not negotiate. He preferred to play once a week and would charge Rs 25,000 for a four piece band. He said he preferred quoting the highest rate and he was quite choosy where he played.
A long-time observer of the business who did not want to be named said Covid had destroyed lives and industries and the bands were still paying a price for it. Coupled with that the tastes of people were changing and many were now open to solo artists meant bands were not able to survive
