Alfred Rose 81st Birthday Remembrance 5th August Nostalgia of Alfred Rose Songs - fr. Joaquim Fernandes Gone are those childhood days when I used to hurry up my studies to listen to the melodious Konkani programme under the titled Manazogtim Gitam, on the Radio. So also during weddings in Goa, gramophone records of Konkani songs were played on the old funnel-type mikes which kept the whole atmosphere of the neighbourhood reverberating with music. No Tape-recorder, no TV, no internet, no ipod existed. Radio and Newspaper were the only means of communication. Somehow his songs did cast a magic spell on my innocent young life so much that he seemed to me like a Pied Piper whose music just drove me to the world of ecstasy. Lots of tribute have been paid to him, by his passionate friends and fans, by writing pages after pages on the various newspapers and websites specially after his sad demise on 21st October 2003. I just don't want to repeat what other fans and well-wishers have said nor I intend to exaggerate my sharing on him. Although I have never met him personally nor seen in the dramas, yet I feel overjoyed to scribble something on the occasion of his birthday remembrance on 5th August.
Childhood memories they say, never die. Although now years have gone by yet its melody still reverberates in my mind. Secondly by God's providence, after 12 twelve years of Priesthood I was posted in the same village of Carona where he was born. Perhaps God wanted me to keep him alive in whatever way I can, for the immense contribution that he has done to the Konkani in particular and to Goan culture in general. Gabriel Marcel the famous French philosopher (the existentialist) saw with his own eyes during the first world war how people brutally killed each other without any inch of mercy. This moved him to write one drama called the broken world. And in this drama he showed the plight of the modern world. If we cast a glance around us we see in the life of the modern man lack of values and principles. We read in the newspapers and see on the TV, the murders, Rapes and all sorts of evil that is taking place in the present-day world. In such a cloudy atmosphere, Alfred Rose songs appears like the sunshine to the broken World. Like a magician he would hipnotise the listener into singing, dancing and even crying. Due to his passionate songs and melody he earned the sobriquets like Goa's melody king, the man with the Golden voice etc. Apart from his golden voice what makes him stand above the rest is his ability to appeal to the different taste of different people whatever may be cultural background. Whenever he undertook tour to the European countries he shaped his songs according to the taste of his audience. He believed in the adage, 'Be a Roman when you are in Rome. His songs though highly 'entertaining' with his lovely and lively music yet I would call them as "edutaining", meaning along with the entertainment they are educating the listener with the thought provoking message. Thirdly, another difference that I have found is that unlike most of the modern singers, there is lot of positivity in his songs. His songs seems to say there is no use of crying over split milk, but keep up hope, there is brighter side of life, sooner or later the sun is sure to rise in your life. He never indulged in mud slinging in his songs but on the contrary inculcated values in the heart of the listener. Love is the central idea of the most of his songs. Romanticism seems to be his forte. He sings his romantic songs not merely with his golden voice but more than that, he sings it with great passion and with gusto that captivates the heart of the listener. Though Alfred rose had a humble beginning, yet he never forgot his roots. Though he achived much in his life mostly as a singer yet he ever rememebers his roots. This is evident in his songs such as kalchi coddi, ghoddxem, etc. He identifies himself with the sick, the old, the poor and the downtrodden through his songs and raises up their spirits. Whenever are natural calamities or disasters or accidents he used to beautifully express the sorrow the world has experience though that disaster. His sorrowful songs no doubt would bring tears in my eyes. Still thoughts start flowing in my mind but I would like to restrict myself and remember my favourite singer Late Alfred Rose on his 81st Birthday on 5th August, and pray that the Lord may give him the eternal bliss in heaven. I take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Rita Rose and his family members for granting me the permission to compile his songs under the title "Gitanjali'. I also wish to thank his die-hard fans Mr. Edward Verdes, Andrea Alvares and others who have supported me in compiling this Book. This Book is available in Pauline Centres, Panjim and Mapusa, Light House Margao and Vasco etc. So let's keep him and Goan culture alive till the last breath of our life. fr. Joaquim Fernandes
