Goencho Avaz, the renowned All Goa Konkani singing competition by Herald Group and
Ulhas Jewellers is now in its fifth edition. The competition, which is open to
anyone in the age group of 15-25 years, is considered one of the most
influential milestones for budding musicians. Many of the former participants
have made great progress in their respective careers post Goencho Avaz,
branching out to various national and international stages, and are delighted
to come back and be a part of the event again, through their performances.
This competition is free and open to all
solo and duet singers, boys and girls who have completed 15 years and are below
25 years as on August 10, 2018. Duet is open for a male and female duo song
sung with interaction. The artiste will be allowed to send only one entry in
each category. The participant will have to sing any Konkani song of preferably
pre 1998, popularised by All India Radio. The artiste can sing the songs with
or without accompaniment. Singers shall be judged by a panel of judges on
pitch, modulation, rhythm, quality of voice, etc. The selected singers will
then perform at the finale in Panjim and Margao.
Ulhas Jewellers has been a name brand in
Goa for the past 90 years. Brothers Pritam and Vikram Verlekar, of the brand
Ulhas, now look forward to branch out to different ventures as they become
title sponsor of ‘Goencho Avaz’. Both brothers saw an opportunity to connect
with the youth and became a part of the family to promote young talent, and
help take these people to fame they deserve. Ulhas Jewellers that is based in
Margao wants to connect to the locals with their brand. Vikram Verlekar,
Managing Director of Ulhas Jewellers, envisions that his pieces are mixed with
the earthly touch of Goan soil, and a zing of our tradition. The first jeweller
brand in Goa and fourth in India to be Trustmark certified, Vikram, has taken
the name and turned it into a brand.“I have been associated with Goencho Avaz
for the last four years and it gives me immense pleasure to join hands with the
Herald Group and work as an associate partner this year as well. My reason behind
supporting this beautiful initiative was to promote the young and rich talent
of Goa. We wanted to create a platform for Goan kids to showcase their talents
and help them nurture the same for their betterment. We also wanted to connect
Ulhas to our Goan families, therefore we decided to associate with Goencho
Avaz,” says Vikram.
He further adds, “Goencho Avaz has successfully found talents,
not only from cities like Panjim, Margao, Vasco and Mapusa but also areas like
Quepem, last year. This year, we plan to go even further and reach out to
extremely remote areas. We want to support as many talented singers as possible
in Goa. Goencho Avaz has been very successful in bringing out the singing
talent across the state over the years, with more than 500 participants coming
for auditions and trying their luck to be in the finale. And every year, the
competition has seen growth with numbers in participation. The long-term plan
is to create opportunity for a better future.”
Cielda Pereira was the first winner of Goencho Avaz. She went on
to make a name for herself in the music industry. “There was no competition
like Goencho Avaz in the past; youngsters did not get the opportunity to come
forward. It helped me showcase my talent as a creative singer. I still remember
the day I won Goencho Avaz’s first edition. It was such a proud feeling for me
and the entire village of Betalbatim. The experience of winning the title for
the first edition itself was great. There are a lot of people from UK and other
countries who are following Goencho Avaz every year,” says Cielda, who has
constantly been motivating youngsters to participate in the competition.
Classy Cardozo from Canacona, daughter of tiatrist Succor
Cardozo, was the winner of the second edition of the competition. Classy says,
“Goencho Avaz has been an overwhelming journey for me. Right from the first day
of the auditions to going ahead and winning the title, everything has been
surreal. It’s a great feeling to know that I have become an inspiration to many
youngsters, who someday dream of winning the coveted title of Goencho Avaz.
Passion mixed with a little hard work can lead you to your dreams. I sincerely
thank Herald Group for organising such a great event that has given singers
like me a huge platform to showcase our talent. I am truly humbled by the love
and response I get for my singing wherever I go.”
Avina Furtado walked away with the first place at the third
edition of Goencho Avaz. Avina says, “This competition is a stage that gives
you recognition in Goa. Competitions are good for growth because one improves
by watching others. Each and every finalist of Goencho Avaz is equally well
known by the people during and after the competition. The title of Goencho Avaz
has led me to great places and given me great success. I have done many shows
and I’ve also sung in many albums in Goa and Mumbai.”
Reha Kimberley Correia from Canacona was the winner of the
fourth edition of the competition. Reha says, “Goencho Avaz is a platform for
budding singers who want to make their mark in Konkani singing. You get a lot
of recognition in the music fraternity in Goa as well as abroad. For me,
singing is the most natural thing in this world as it provides a true sense of
lightheartedness. As per my personal experience, this competition is unique as
the auditions are held in every corner of Goa. I congratulate the Herald Group
and Ulhas Jewellers for making this competition a great success. I also
congratulate Norman Cardozo and his troupe under his guidance. I have won two
major titles, Goencho Avaz and Kanconcho Avaz. The beauty of this competition
is that it provides information of the original song, the year, singer,
lyricist and the music composer. It’s about preparing yourself so that when
your day comes, you are perfectly ready to give your best. Just focus on
yourself and give your best.”
This
year, the auditions will be held at Quepem Municipal Hall, Quepem, on June 30,
2018; Ravindra Bhavan Conference Hall, Margao on July 1; Calangute Association
Hall, Calangute on July 5; Art and Culture Hall, Patto, Panjim on July 7;
Church Hall, Ponda on July 8 and Ravindra Bhavan, Vasco on July 13, 2018.
Audition at all the venues will be held from 2:30pm onwards. All participants
should be present at the venue and submit their entries by 4:30pm. As the past
four years, this year too the show will be compered by Agnelo de Borim.
