By A. Veronica Fernandes
Shortly after his father’s death, about 62 years back, the late Jr. Rod acted in his father’s Tiatro “Open To Close” in Mapusa. The great yesteryear’s Tiatrist Anthony D’Sa especially came to Goa from Bombay to help stage this Tiatro with the assistance of Goa based Jacinto Vaz. Jr. Rod as a small boy of around 8, rendered a beautiful song in that Tiatro, wearing a Chimney Pot Hat, in his father’s style, eulogising his father’s contribution in the promotion of Konkani Stage and lamenting over those who cheated his father. Some important lines of this song I state here:
Aikotoch Pai Radiar tosso Gramaphonar tallo tuzo, Tum assai so dista jivo, pun amchea noxiban Pai tum na favo Kitlech Pai tuvem Tiatro boroilet bookar, Pun tanchim solfam sarkim nant mapar Toxech kitlech tuje Tatro amkam mellonknant sabar,
Haddun dixeat tor vhodd zait upkar.
During this Tiatro, his mother, baby sister and small brother were introduced to the audience. Seeing them, many in the audience cried while Jr. Rod singing his sorrowful solo, also cried especially when describing the hard life they were facing after the death of their bread winner.
A few years back, we brought him to Kuwait for our Show and kept him at my place. I found him to be a perfect gentleman, a soft spoken Tiatrist but a Lion on the Stage. His love for Goa and Goan causes was supreme and he loved Kuwait Goans for their enormous contribution in the promotion of Konkani and other Goan causes.
From Sixties to Nineties he gained the supremacy of Konkani Stage by singing very good decent solos, duets, comedy songs and staging some old Tiatros of his father.
His real ascendancy to the zenith reached when he partnered Rom Tony and Remy in forming their Trio known as Rom-Rem-Rod.
May his soul rest in peace.
