Remembering an
innovator
If not for the 1997 Bollywood hit Amar, Akbar, Anthony, not even the neighbours of the legendary music composer Anthony Prabhu Gonsalves who passed away at the Goa Medical College on Wednesday, would have been aware of the creative genius of their fellow native. The truth is even after Goan film buffs had watched the movie the second time in the late 70s, not many were aware that the Anthony in the movie was in fact a tribute to a Goan from Majorda. It was several years later that this was known.
The veteran musician was regarded as one of India’s top violinists during his era, though he remained largely unsung in his own village, even unheard of in Goa during the peak of his carreer . He worked with legends like SD Burman and Laxmikant-Pyarelal and it was music composer Pyarelal, who decided to dedicate the song to his music guru in the film.
The multi-faceted musician has to his credit the arrangement, composition and conduction of masterpieces for over 250 Hindi films, with over 1,000 songs to his credit. Last year, a 58-minute documentary directed by Ashok Rane on the genius was screened at the International Film Festival of India as a tribute to his contribution to Indian classical music. The documentary shows the musician and his contemporaries, students and daughter reminiscing his musical voyage. It has captured priceless footage of Gonsalves caressing his first love – violin. Gonsalves’ musical arrangements in ‘Hum aapki aankhon mein’ in Pyaasa and Ayega aaane wala in Mahal are considered among his best works. The Goan musician was the first to write Indian classical music in a western notation style when great musicians like Pandit Ravi Shankar declared that it was not possible. In that sense, Gonsalves was a pioneer.
Like many musical greats, Anthony had his first brush with music when he was a members of the village church choir. He left for Mumbai in 1943 as a child, but soon made a mark for himself after he orchestrated music for songs like Jyoti Kalash Zhalke.
While we Goans are regionalistic in the sense of safeguarding our identity, there’s little that has been done to project Goan masteros and those who have performed pioneering works. Take the case of pioneering hypnotist-scientist-freedom fighter (who even participated in the French Revolution) Abbe Faria. Except for a forgotten statue of Faria in Panjim over looking the Mandovi, there’s neither an institution nor any celebrations in his honour, though a similar statue of the state’s first chief minister is clean and spruced up annunally. While we do not forget to honour politicians (though itis said to be a refuge of scoundrels), an effort to start an Abbe Faria museum in his ancestral house at Candolim — which fortunately still stands – fizzled out.
Notably, it was a non-Goan who identified the genius in Gonsalves and felt that it merited adequate acknowledgment. Of course, there are several musicians living today who are regarded top class, but woefully neglected, with some even reduced to penury. It would be only a fitting tribute that the state government works to start an academy in honor of this great Goan in the musical firmament.
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people’s edit
The great Goan
carnival unfolds
Freddy Agnelo Fernandes
The election dates are set and the monkeys are up and about jumping from branch to branch, tree to tree. I am not so sure if they are in heat and looking for a mate or just suitors, buffet tables or freebees?
At the moment it looks like the MGP is still not sure who will make a better bed partner -, the Congress or the BJP- and are probably looking to astrology to guide them to contentment. The UGDP and the GVP too are undecided whether to tie the knot or not, even though they are still rolling in the hay. The Congress is being torn apart by its own heavy weights and they are reluctant to declare their candidates just yet. But once they do, expect all hell to break loose within the Congress. The BJP on the other hand is acquiring minority rights, trying to field minority candidates to woo minority votes to rectify their misfired (or rather backfired) Hindutva ideology. Not to be outdone by the Congress, the Trinamool Congress has ‘Free Willy’ in their sight. It’s a pity that after a lot of promise, the GRA too has had marital problems in their early marriage and are contesting the elections separately. This time round a lot of solo artists are planning to give the parties a real run for their money, if not run them out altogether. In Goa, elections are like the Carnival – there are personalities, there is flair, both are extravaganzas, both are watched with equal zest and zeal, mass participation, a lot of money flowing and clowns a plenty on all sides. The carnival has really begun in Goa- masks, make up kits and the different costumes are available in plenty to hide their obvious aberrations from the public eye. They will all try to display passion and gusto to cover up their obscure vision and an unending trail of soon- to- be- forgotten promises will follow.
King Momo and his brigade of jokers will line in and zoom on at every possible doorstep and street corner to perform various acts that will impress the local populace with their guile and deviousness. Money has already started flowing out of every political well, like oil flowing from the Gulf. Business for bars& restaurants has started booming, free food is being served and liquor too has started flowing like water from a stream, even though a large amount of liquor has already been seized by the authorities. The slogan is ‘eat, drink and be merry at our cost’ but be certain that Goa and Goans will pay and pay very dearly, as we have been paying all these years. It’s time for Goans to seriously think, not only of their future but also about the future of their children and the generations to come. Think straight and think hard because if this opportunity is lost, be assured we will have nothing left to fight for in 2017.
