MARGAO: When Goa’s younger generation listen to stories from the era gone by, they are told about the glorious music and dance forms of yesteryears, that sense of ‘joie de vivre’ at functions held in magnificent ancestral houses or about authentic dishes that were always served at weddings that were celebrated with great pomp and gaiety.
A group of young Goans have come together and created something beautiful, where one gets to relive these nostalgic moments in a riveting and innovative format.
“Through specially curated experiences, we present our Heritage Home Concerts. We give discerning travellers and the next generation locals an intimate peep into the music, dance, cuisine and Indo-Portuguese heritage of Goa,” says Schubert Fernandes, Co-Founder and Producer of ‘Sounds From Goa’ (SFG).
“We start with a walk around the traditional Goan mansion – Solar Loiola Pereira in Benaulim, where we help guests understand the architectural styles and semblances. We then introduce their taste buds to a selection of very distinct Goan and Portuguese sweet and savoury snacks and beverages, the history and unknown details of these delicacies, all explained,” he adds.
“Then there’s the concert in the grand hall, where we take them down memory lane with
renditions of songs that exemplify our heritage such as the Mando, Dulpods, Dekhni and Fado,” says Schubert.
For those who have attended these concerts, it’s a powerful
experience with the beats of the music reverberating throughout the house, the people gathered around are tapping their feet
to the extremely-well performed songs and are mesmerised by
the dancing.
The live performances are by Entre Nós, which consists of Nadia Rebelo (vocals), Omar De Loiola Pereira (vocals/acoustic guitar) and Selwyn Menezes (violin/ mandolin). They are supported by Elton Quadros, who plays the Ghumot while the dancers are Marilyn da Veiga and Wonodolf da Costa as well as Sereno Godhino and Anushka Estibeiro.
These concerts have also been held at Villa 52 in Assagao, Solar Andrade in Panjim and the majestic Figueiredo Mansion in Loutolim.
“Our concerts are held mainly in my ancestral home (Solar Loiola Pereira). So, my family and I receive the audience into our very own personal space. Part of the home concert experience is the tour around the house where I talk about how it came to exist, evolved over time and share stories about the furniture, rooms, articles in the house etc,” says Omar, SFG’s co-founder and music director.
“Our focus is on the Indo-Portuguese perspective of Goan folk and traditional music. We include songs that are an intrinsic part of the Goan ethos – whether in Konkani or Portuguese. We talk about our songs during our concerts, why we sing them, what relevance they have in our tradition, the influence western music has had on Goan music, etc,” Omar adds.
Emphasizing on the dances at the concert, he explains how it’s not only about the performances but also speaking about the costumes and the significance of these dances in Goa’s tradition.
“Most of all, for Schubert, Nadia, Selwyn and myself, this is an expression of what makes
us Goan. For me, these are songs the elders in my family sang to
us when we were kids, before
we ourselves started singing,” Omar reminisces.
“For Nadia, the Fado is what transforms her and the way she emotes the Fado, she draws in her audience to her even though most of them don’t know the language but they connect with her anyway. For Selwyn, it’s the Mando. One of the Konkani songs we sing is a composition of his called ‘Anvdetam tuka’ with lyrics by the eminent Konkani linguist Umesh Sardessai and it is significantly influenced by the Mando,” Omar adds.
He reiterated that the aim of the concerts is to preserve, present and promote what they are proud to call the legacy of their ancestors, Goa’s culture and identity.
