She came, she saw, she dazzled and the audience at Goencho Mog went back home, knowing that had just seen a stalwart in action. That is why Lorna will forever be known as the Nightingale of GoaKishore Amati/The Goan 01 June 2013The energy could be felt in the air hours before she even arrived. There were eager faces and a buzzing audience from every nook and corner of the state and even from as far as Mumbai. People made their way into the open air auditorium keen to get to their seats and swept you in with their euphoria. Final sound checks were being conducted; a few tweaks here and there and the spots and flood lights were set. All that remained was for the Nightingale of Goa to step up and dazzle the audience like she always does. And dazzle she did. In a shimmering silver floor-length gown and dripping with jewels, Lorna took to the stage radiating a passion and an enthusiasm that never fails to amaze. As the evening progressed, the star, who never let age get in the way, crooned song after song to loud cheers and a huge applause from the audience. Starting off with her new song, ‘Dennem’, Lorna paid tribute to Goa’s most talented composer, Chris Perry, by singing six more songs including ‘Calangute’ and ‘Bebdo’. She was performing at Goencho Mog, an evening of Konkani music and songs held at Kala Academy on May 25.Mario and Theresa Pinto from Mumbai, who were here in Goa on a summer break made it a point to get to the venue on time. “We like to support Konkani theatre and drama. We had come to watch a tiatr at Kala Academy but after realising that Lorna was also performing later in the evening, we cancelled our tiatr tickets to watch her perform,” Mario says, to which Theresa adds, “I grew up in Goa listening to Konkani songs and watching Konkani theatre. Being away from Goa makes us yearn for a slice of the culture of our land. We go to different places to support Konkani theatre and music and Lorna’s performance is something that we could not have missed.”Veena D’Souza from Mapusa, who attended the show with her young daughter had a different reason in mind. She says, “I wanted to show my daughter what I grew up listening to. In an attempt to ape Western culture, most of us tend to forget our mother tongue. Lorna brings Goans together and her passion is infectious. If our children imbibe this, we will have many Lorna’s in future.”Although Lorna Cordeiro rose to fame in the 60s, audiences even today are swept up with the magic that she brings on stage. Xavier Almeida, one of the organisers of the show says, “Right now, there is no other singer in Goa who can match her quality. Although the songs sung by Lorna are old, people like to listen to them, thanks to some timeless compositions from stalwarts like Chris Perry. I truly believe that if she gets some good new compositions, she will go on and on for many years to come.”The event Goencho Mog was opened by Elvis with his own rendition of ‘Daulat Goenkaranchi’, a melody composed by M Boyer, a song that spoke about Goan musicians and their contribution to the film industry and Lorna’s reference could not be missed. Sonia Sirsat and Nefi Rod, among others also helped set the stage by singing popular Konkani melodies.But, the night, with all due respect to the rest of the performers, belonged to Lorna, as everytime she takes the stage, she proves that some things just get better with time.
