NESHWIN ALMEDA
neshwin@herald-goa.com
November 18, 2016, when the band took center stage and all the members of Clube Harmonia de Margao across three generation took their positions to commence ballroom dancing on the wooden dance floor, nostalgia hit every member present, remembering their weddings, birthdays, Christmas and New Year dances, the games they played as kids and all the fun they socially had at Sao Joao and Carnival celebrations. Lots may have changed in Margao and in Goa but the Club members are so proud to have grown in an environment itself.
“I was born and bred at the Club and remember every day of childhood and my teens at the Club, it’s all memories you see and happy memories, from my father giving me the looks when I had my first dance with my wife Fernanda at the Club, our parties and Christmas gatherings, listening to the band Johnson on the violin and his Jolly Boys. I can speak continuously about the Club,” explains Dr Carmo Gracias, the current Chairperson of the Club Committee who heads the committee with Arlindo D’Miranda, the vice Chairperson of the Club.
Dr Carmo who has spent over six generations at Clube Harmonia remembers how Johnson and the Jolly Boys played great music and the minute Johnson began fiddling with his violin, it meant searching for partners and wooing the girls to dance, while pranksters who didn’t dance, stole the whisky drinks of the men while mothers and fathers looked closely for partners and proposals for their kids.
Noted historian and former Mayor of Margao city, Valimiki Faleiro explains to us how Teatro (Clube) Harmonia de Margao was started in the shutdown printing press of the Barreto Miranda family in Borda which is now opposite current day B.M.Hall and then there wasn’t even a link road running through Borda.
“It was only in the 1936 the club thought of moving premises and in 1951 that the Club bought property and later in 1953 a foundation stone was laid and the club moved to its current location at the heart of the city. And the Club for me at Borda was a place that was setup in a printing press that had a lots of knowledgeable printed material,” explains Valmiki while trying to make us understand the history of the Club.
Similarly the current President of the Club, Ameet Pinto who’s at the helm of affairs and wants to revive the excitement at Club Harmonia on the sidelines of the 99 years celebrations asserted, “Way back then the Club was known as a great place to come and hangout and play badminton, table tennis and carom. But sadly over the years, the commercial wedding hall and party hall upstairs became priority since revenue generating for the club and members felt there was no space for them to hangout. My committee is working very hard to make this a spot for its 500-odd members and their families and we’ve completely revamped the activities at the Club premises.”
Ameet and his young team have been organizing gigs with young bands, competitions and activities for children, Friday discussion forums with intellectuals on health and environment and much more. The idea is to once again make members feel at home at the Club, explains Ameet.
Ameet, with his young team, which recently took over for a period of two years has been successful in hosting a string of events and gigs and has introduced the Margao Tinto and Footloose Evenings which include live music and great dancing besides a string of activities, all packed between the heavy schedule and bookings of the Club.
“This is a place that parents brought me to and a place filled with so much nostalgia, this is where I learned to dance, a place where I recently got married and met most of my friends across Margao or had fun at Carnival, Christmas and New Year’s. So it’s great at such a young age to be on the committee and now give back to the Club,” explains noted lawyer and General Secretary of the Club, Jonathan Costa.
Similarly Ian Menezes, the assistant general secretary at the Club stated that it’s a little sad that the younger generation choses to be or rather prefers other spaces to hangout and have fun and have stayed away from the Club which has been a tradition across families. He hopes the younger generation returns to the Club across this centenary year celebration and the club goes a long way in reviving itself as the social hub of Margao.
Treasurer of the Club, Brian Fernandez explains to us how every single day from 5pm to 8pm across his childhood he was at the club to play badminton, carrom and table tennis.
“We lost the badminton court to the new constructions which got the Club a huge dining space and a building for the upstairs hall. That’s when my trips to the club became less frequent and slowly the Club became commercial. But we’ve reinvested in a table tennis and carrom space with an air-conditioned setting. Our next goal is to get a kids play area started and, maybe a gym besides revamping the dining space and hopefully that will allow our members to come more often and hangout at the club,” asserted a very positive Brian who looks back with much excitement at the friends he made and the games he played at his family club.
“The thing now is youth want video games, gaming arenas, big TV screens and the Club needs to be dynamic and introduce these facilities. Though Club Harmonia is very traditional and known for its rustic dance floor and setting, we need to change. We plan to have free Wi-Fi and do more match screenings. The weddings and the dances is important but upgrading the club to meet the needs of youngsters is also vital,” explains Dr Anand Colaco, the vice president of the Club, who remembers the many years he has danced and the many parties across generations that he attended not forgetting the laughter, the champagne, the toasts and joy he shared at the club with his family.
