The screen replaces the balcão for the latest wave of Goa’s serenaders

Goa’s tryst with music is one that is immortal. It’s one that dates back to the time of the serenades at by candlelight at the balcão, as the man in question would try to do so under the guise of anonymity, as the father of the girl would either be asked for permission in advance, and would rebuff said permission- asker, or the entire affair would be one that was completely clandestine in nature. Fast forward many generations later and today’s serenaders are completely different in nature. They perform before electronic screens, to women who accompany them to a venue. However, the situation is not as bleak as the description suggests, opine people who have gone through the system.

Another question that has often been touted is that of Goa’s musicians not being on par with their national counterparts. Once more, the large-scale nature of these ventures is a statement that aims at pointing out that this aspect of Goa’s musical heritage, the ‘crooner’, is very much up and running.

One major stakeholder in the karaoke and live music scene in the state is Ashly Fernandes. “Karaoke helps singers who have the talent but not the setup like a band or backing tracks to practice. It gives them a platform to perfect their singing and perform in a friendly entertainment environment,” he opines.

One recent module of the new wave is the first season of the recently concluded competition, titled Karaoke Mania. Recognised very clearly as Goa’s front-running competition with unparalleled winnings, it has drawn participa     nts from all quarters, and unearthed a pool of talent that was hitherto unknown. One such tale is that of Luke. The eventual winner of the volume, his tale is one that is fairly heart-rending.

“I grew up always dreaming of a career in music. However, from a parental standpoint, in many cases, music is not seen as a viable career in itself. This shunted me in several directions, aviation being one. I eventually ventured into the field, and making the grade as a qualified pilot, I kept struggling to secure a job in the line, all the while never giving up my dream of being a musician someday,” Luke says emotionally.

With much of his savings having been depleted to keep his career in aviation alive, the fees being staggering, he turned to music and enrolled himself in the competition, knowing that there was an outside chance that he may just go all the way. Luke proceeded to do just that, thereby rebooting his musical dream. “For me, this is just the push I required to take that step forward; that extra boost,” he says gratefully.

The question is, will this new platform help keep the age old Goan alive. Ashly certainly seems to think so, adding “Many times, I come across plenty of singers at my shows, who perform as a hobby, yet wind up being better than many professional singers.”

The bottom line thus is, that whatever be the case, and whatever the new-age medium, Goa will always have a song to sing.