Prof Lucio: one of the most interesting characters I've met... Tony Fernandes tonfe...@hotmail.com
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada-based Tony Fernandes pays tribute to Prof Lucio Rodrigues, who would born a century back on this day (April 15, 2015). A function to pay tribute to him is being held at the Xavier Centre of Historical Research at 5.30 pm on Wednesday (Apr 15). The function is open to all. It was the summer of 1964 in Goa. After appearing for the Secondary School Certificate Examinations of the Poona Board in Mapsa, I was eagerly waiting for the results that were to appear in the Navhind Times on May 28. But, unfortunately, on the evening of May 27, the sad news came over the radio that Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had passed away. Hence, the S.S.C. Exams results were not to be published on May 28 as a mark of respect for the great leader, and postponed for the next day -- the 29th of May. In celebration of my passing my SSCE, my elder brother who knew the Professor well, took me to Panjim for lunch, and later went to Prof. Lucio's house in Panjim, when I had the opportunity of meeting the great man for the first time, nearly 51 years ago. I immediately realised that he was truly a very remarkable, impressive and extraordinary personality who made a profound impact and influence on me. I was 17 years old then. At that time Prof. Lucio was a lecturer at Elphinstone College near Kala Ghoda in Fort, Bombay. In the following years, I often visited him at his home in Colaba on my way home from college. Later, Prof. Lucio was the Head of the English Department of Dhempe College of Arts & Science in Panjim. I went to see him during my holidays to Goa. His study and library was massive. He was constantly busy with Konkani folklore music and literary research, and literally surrounded by books and literature of all kinds. I was astonished the way he played the guitar. Plucking was his forte. He taught me the first guitar chords that I ever knew, and as a good gesture I ruled music notation sheets in return for the great virtuoso on my drafting board. He recorded his songs playing on his Hofner Framus acoustic guitar, and a Framus removable electric guitar pickup. Among his electronic collections were a Grundig radio and a flat-bed five inch reel-to-reel Grundig tape-recorder. I was lucky to have been there to attend his wedding at the Tourist Hotel in Panjim and also having stayed at his house in Anjuna where one evening I had the privilege to join him in singing the Litany along with other villagers. The news of his premature death came as a shock, and his achievements in a life that was cut short, left an indelible impression. I visited his grave in Bombay 1974. The famous novelist Graham Greene met Prof. Lucio and stayed at his house in Anjuna. Prof. Lucio travelled to East Africa (Nairobi, Kenya) and was a Visiting Professor of Folklore at Indian University in 1969. The soil and soul, the Goan folks, their tales and traditions of Goa lived in the heart of Prof. Lucio Rodrigues -- one of the most fascinating and enlightening characters that I have ever met in my life. (#) Photos: Prof Lucio https://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/17149743731/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/17150375805/ Prof Lucio with the young author https://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/16530215693/ Prof Lucio's grave https://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/16962598918/ Prof Lucio's writing https://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/16530247283/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/16962645638/ Audio talks in North America http://bit.ly/luciorodrigues -- Tony Fernandes' is a graphic artist, photographer and author of *Goa: Memories of My Homeland, Poems and Short Stories*. His blog is at http://tonferns.blogspot.com/ and on Twitter he's at http://twitter.com/#!/tonferns