GOA'S MUSIC FEST SEEKS TO REVIVE TRADITIONS OF A TINY MUSICAL REGION PANAJI (Goa): Goans made a name for themselves in India and beyond as ambassadors of music -- both Western and Indian. But in these days of electronic-noise and lip-sync, music enthusiasts fear the real art is neither getting encouragement nor due training to go ahead.
Music affinados -- together with an estimated 300 musicians who are volunteering to play for free or fee -- are putting up a major music fest in South Goa's Nuvem village, some 20 kms from here, in a bid to remind Goans of their musical traditions this month-end. Goans have been called a people of music and dance. Just a generation o\r two back, the Western music scene here was dominated by classical, semi-classical and dance music like the tango, rumba, waltz and polka. Groups like the old-world 'Johnson and His Jolly Boys' reigned supreme, playing violins and a range of other non-electronic instruments. As Jazz was brought into India, Goans who had a tradition of church choirs and music easily made the transition into jazz music, and soon Goans graced the core of many Western led bands. The mid thirties spawned an all Goan outfit- the Rumba Boys, led by saxophonist L A Abreu, clarinetist Johnny Gomes and pianist Mike Machado. They, unlike most bands of the time went in for their own arrangements of popular tunes. Soon Goans notched the top spots as musicians; their virtuosity was sought by the famous saxophonist and band leader Rudy Cotton (Cawasji Kathau) who gave many Goans a break, enabling some like Chic Chocolate, Sonny Lobo, Mickey Correa who blazed forth as the most revered musicians of their time. With the advent of prohibition in the fifties, restaurants and bars cut down expenditures, and as alto-sax and clarinet veteran Lawrence Rodricks says, "It knocked the stuffing out of the musicians cake". Soon Goan musicians sought their fortunes in Calcutta, Delhi or as chorus line players, soloists or arrangers in the Hindi film industry. Maestros from Goa like Anthony Gonsalves, who pioneered the introduction of Western harmony into Hindi film music. Gonsalves is now ageing and leads a retired life in a Salcete village. Gonsalves' friend, Chris Perry who passed away recently at the age of 73 years, will be the main musician to be paid tribute to, at the Nuvem concert later this month. Perry is credited with infusing Swing into Konkani music, giving it a totally different dimension, an influsing a modern, Western style of playing it. In the 1950s, music was undergoing rapid transformation, and the swing soon involved soon into Bebop and in the sixties it was rock and roll that swept up everything in its path. A lot of the old Goan musicans could not make the transition and fell along the path way forgotten. Their scores were not needed anymore, now brass and horns were replaced with electronically charged gadgets. "Goans did not dominate anymore and the Goan boom had ended. Now all we hear are the memories. Our knowledge of our own great legends was forgotten in the rush of change," rues entertainment organiser Victor Hugo Gomes, who is putting up the mega-show in Goa shortly. Church-supported music schools that once churned out many Western musicians have now fallen silent. (Goa had its share of Indian music greats, with Lata Mangueshkar, Asha Bhosle, Kishori Amonkar, Moghubai Kurdikar and others tracing their roots to this small pocket of South Asia.) Scheduled from Apriil 25-27, the three-day 'Great Music Revival 2002' at Nuvem the "100 per cent live" three day music fest will bring together national, local and solo artistes -- including `Aqua Flow,'(Mumbai), `Seby and the Wings' (Delhi). Goa's wide musical range will show up with names of groups performing to include `Lynx', 'Forefront', Lace, Cream, Purple Rain, Rythemand Blues, True Colours, Heaven Seven, Archies, Status4, Obligato,`Cascades' and `India'. This event has been held since 1998. In the year 2000, the participating groups at what was then called an Indo-Jass Fusion and World Concert included Esperanto World Music Band of Kolkata, Prasanna and Friends from Madras, Waterfront and Fusion Ensemble from Pune, the Gerrad Machado Network and Megha, from Bangalore. Kolkata band, Esperanto, which has been taking the Indian audiences by storm with their unique fusion of bhajans and blues are a sextet playing instruments like Veena, Blues Harp, 12 string guitar, Frame drum, Indian Percussion, Bass and Drums. Playing for the first time in Goa, the band's linear and melodic music of India riding on a progressive Jazz harmonic base was well received here. Organisers said they expect "almost 300 musicians" to join in "without the use of sequencers and drum machines". (ENDS) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-W-E-B---S-I-T-E-=-=-= To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from GoaNet | http://www.goacom.com/goanet =================================================================== For (un)subscribing or for help, Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dont want so many e=mails? Join GoaNet-Digest instead ! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Help support non-commercial projects in Goa by advertizing!! * * * * Your ad here !!
