KUWAIT TIATRIST ZORO.
A few years back I came across a young man with a piece of paper in his hand
during the interval of one tiatro asking me for my autograph. This habit of
this gentleman I have been noticing earlier too and in this way he get
autographs of some people of his choice and liking. When I asked him why he
is doing this, he said he likes to keep the autographs of some Goans as a
sign of souvenir. Within shortly I saw this young man singing in one tiatro
and to my surprise singing very well and this was noticed from the way he
was applauded by the audience. He is really become darling of the audience
and he got vast following, his fans are very many who circle him wherever he
goes. He is none other than Zoroaster Antonio Coelho from Assolna, Salcette
and currently working in Kuwait since a decade. He is the son of Comedian
Antonio Coelho who delighted the Konkani audience in Abu Dhabi for some
years while he was working there. Once I had an opportunity during my visit
to Abu Dhabi to witness the Tiatro written, directed and staged by senior
Coelho who also staged his tiatros in Bahrain and back home in Goa too.
In Goa we know there is one Konknni Mogui in Santa Cruz whose name is
Brazinho Soares. He is a well-known writer also. He is known to possess
best of collection of Konkani books, leaflets, magazines, newspapers, Tiatro
Handbills and many other literary items. He has kept them all safe and once
he even had an exhibition of his collection, if I am not mistaken. Like
Brazinho Soares we also have in Kuwait another Brazinho Soares in Zoro
though Zoros collection is not as big and as old as that of the former but
I can rightly say that what Zoro is having none amongst us is having in
Kuwait. This is at least my observation after going through the files that
Zoro showed me. Since he is a lover of Tiatro, he has got a good collection
of Handbills printed and distributed during Portuguese time. During those
days in order to fulfill the conditions of Sensors tiatrists had to print
Handbills both in Konkani and Portuguese one side Konkani and on reverse
in Portuguese. Not only this, since Zoroz coming to Kuwait he has preserved
all the handbills and even souvenirs of the triatros held in Kuwait. This is
something fantastic that Zoro kept his record and I hope he will keep all
these in safe custody. In order not to get destroyed it would be still
better for him to donate this to any Konkani Academy or any organization
that takes care of such literary works. While highlighting on this I feel
sorry that according to Zoro some of his important Files comprising some of
the beautiful old songs and dramas of his father were taken by his tiatrist
colleagues and never returned back. Here I am reminded of our late Minguel
Rod whose important works after his death were taken by some of his
colleagues from his wife and never returned back. This was openly declared
by Jr. Rod in his song soon after his fathers death in the following words:
Kitlech Pai tuvem tiatro boroilet bookar
Pun tanchim solfam sarkim nant mapar
Toxech kitlech tiatro amkam tuje mellonk nant sabar
Haddun divxeat tor vhodd zait upkar.
Zoroaster who is popularly known in Kuwait as ZORO has in him the
inheritance of musicians and tiatrists, in his veins the blood that runs
consists of many attributes of an stage artiste. In fact it is not the
family background of tiatrists and musicians that enveloped Zoros
character, it is also the village thermosphere of great artistes that
influenced Zoro to be a good singer and tiatrist. Renowned tiatrist the
late Kamat de Assolna came from this village, so also the great crooner
Belino Afonso who had unique distinction of being an internationally
acclaimed singer in Kuwait before his leaving Kuwait and now settling down
in USA is also from village Assolna. One of the close relatives of Zoro Mr.
Alfred Almeida who is the maternal uncle of Zoro was the music director of
first Konkani Film Mogacho Anvddo says Zoro. This Film was a joint venture
between Alfred & Jerry and precisely because of this it was acronymed as
Al-Jerry Braganza production. Zoro actually started acting in Konkani
Shows when he was a young student of Guardian Angel High School, Sanvordem.
Though very mad after acting yet he remained far from satisfying his taste
of acting because according to Zoro he was not given any push by any of his
artiste family members. However, inspite of lack of support he tried to
create ways for him to act in local village based tiators where he used to
render solos mostly composed by him only. In 1992 he came to Kuwait to work
and first time he got a chance to act and sing on the stage in a tiatro
organsied by local club AVC. Since then there is no stoppage. Currently he
is one of the good solo singers in Kuwait having vast following. In most of
the tiatros staged in Kuwait he acted namely the tiatro of Rafae
