Mangalore: 'Golden Singing' to mark 50 years of Konkani Natak Sabha inter-parish contests

Naveen Menezes
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore

Mangalore, May 16: Name any Konkani singer, and invariably the name finds itself in the huge list of participants during the Inter-parish competition organized by Konkani Natak Sabha since decades. Moreover, it has not only trained and shaped the budding singing artists but also has successfully brought together the scattered singers from across the undivided diocese.

Initiated in 1965, the inter-parish singing competition was introduced by Konkani Natak Sabha. It gets the credit of nurturing many popular singers of today.

Having completed as many as 49 annual inter-parish singing competitions, this year the organizers have arranged ‘Golden Singing Competition’ to mark the 50th year. On the special occasion, the splendid event will witness two levels of competitions culminating with a grand finale on September 2013 at Don Bosco Hall.

Moreover, the participants will definitely be the well known singers of tomorrow, history says. The old list shows a tremendous leap undergone by the participants in the field of singing. Since 1965, the competition has been nurturing Konkani music and singing with many innovations.

Konkani Natak Sabha by pioneering Inter-parish singing competition decades ago has encouraged and provided a podium to many budding singers, who are now celebrated singing entertainera. This includes Konkan myna Meena Remimbus, Mic Max, Arthur Raxinha, Melwyn Peris, Alwyn Noronha, Lancy Moras, Preema Rodrigues, Rony D’Cunha, Anitha Pinto, Babitha D’sa, Amambel Moras, Carmelita Goveas, Cyprian Vas, Joyce Ozario, Victor Concesso, Lancy, Rojaline and Alex Madtha, Olinda Veigas, Olivia Veigas, Ozwald Veigas Puttur, Zeena D’Almeida, Babitha D’Costa, Prakash D’Souza, Rony Crasta, Maxim Periera, Joseph Pinto and the list goes on and on.

Sharing the early experience participating in this Inter-parish competition, Meena Remimbus said, “It is one of the oldest surviving bodies which are active even today. Earlier, we came in contact with new talents only though this platform. Observing all the participants, Wilfy Remimbus used to pick talented singers to our troupe. Ivan Sequeira Valencia, Sylvia Fernandes, Stany D’Souza are few among them. Konkani Natak Sabha has done in plenty towards nurturing signers. Though many similar competitions and associations mushroomed, only few survived. And, this is one of the dynamic bodies, she said recalling her days of participation in the competition.

Melwyn Peris, well-known singer too had lots to tell in regard to the works of Konkani Natak Sabha towards singing. “Those days, it was the foundation for the erstwhile singers. We were initially trained under this platform. It encouraged me to compose songs like ‘Ahimsa’, ‘Girboji’, ‘Mera Bharath Maha’, ‘Chali’ and so on. We also won shields. I was an active participant when I was very young and lead our parish troupe thereafter, he said. 

In his early statements, Konkan Kogul Wilfy Remimbus was all praise for Konkani Natak Sabha for its innovative venture - Inter-parish singing competition. Having received lot of advantages through this platform during his medieval period of singing, Remimbus said, “I started composing songs when I was 14. Apparently, those days I had no audience to listen to my songs. But, it was Konkani Natak Sabha which initially boosted my confidence to go on with singing”.

Adding to it, he said, “In 1965, Konkani Natak Sabha introduced Inter-parish singing contest. Competition scale was high. I composed new songs each year solely for the competition. And, the number of songs has crossed above 200 composed for the competition. Besides, such platform introduced and shaped new singing talents from across many Churches. Moreover, with new songs, Konkani lyricists were born. If at all, the Konkani singing and musical flavor has reached many hearts today, Konkani Natak Sabha has given its own contribution by introducing Inter-parish competition decades ago”.

Konkani Natak Sabha was found by Fr Goerge Albuquerque Pai SJ and nurtured by the strenuous labors of Fr Philip Neri OFM CAP, with the objective of spreading human values and empowering Konkani culture. Along with singing competitions, elocution, poetry, fancy dress, dance, skits are some of other activities that have been taken to another fold.