Daijiworld Media Network-Mangaluru (RJP)

Mangaluru, Oct 7: Music legend  and one of the most respected clergymen of land, Fr Walter Albuquerque passed away on Friday night of October 7 in city.

He was 93. He was a resident of St Aloysius College Jesuit community during his last years. He breathed his last at Father Muller's Hospital. 

Fr Albuquerque was a  simple and down to earth Jesuit Priest, a well known music composer nicknamed as “Dhovi Kogul” (the White Nightingale) for his prodigious music talent and contribution to the music field. Fr Walter Albuquerque's contribution to the music field, both liturgical and social, is matchless and deserves highest accolades and recognition. As a music teacher and choirmaster in schools, convents and churches in undivided Mangalore diocese, he has left an indelible mark with his outstanding accomplishments. He has been instrumental in spotting and bringing to the fore many talented Konkani singers and thus helped popularizing Konkani language and music.

Most Konkani singers of Mangalore have been the product of the school of music called Fr Walter Albuquerque and these singers have acknowledged the quintessential role played by Fr Walter Albuquerque in shaping their music talent and career. Apart from training and spotting talents of others he has inspired many Konkani composers and singers including Konkani Kogul late Wilfy Rebimbus to take to Konkani music in a big way.

Born on December 8, 1923 in Bejai, Fr Albuquerque came from a family of talented musicians. His cousin John Sequeira was good in sight singing, organ and violin and was the choir master in Bejai church. Fr Walter learnt to read music and play organ and violin from him as he used to hold music practices every Sunday at the church. John’s brother Fr Charles Sequeira was also a good singer and composer and his association with his talented cousins helped him learn the nitty-gritty of music at a young age. Having picked up the talent for music he started writing songs for dramas and for providing entertainment.

Due to some unknown reasons Fr Walter had lost his voice when he was 14 and he was in this phase for nearly 5 to 6 years. But he strongly always believed that his unflinching faith in Mother Mary brought him his lost voice.

After his graduation, Fr Walter Albuquerque had joined the novitiate and at one stage he thought that would put an end to his tryst with music because in the novitiate the young members were required to stay away from musical instruments. But his novice Fr Patroni, who later became the Bishop of Calicut) made an exception to this rule in his case. He was permitted to take violin classes inside the novitiate and even encouraged him to play violin. This led to Fr Walter assuming the role of official organist when he went to Shambaganur for his Philosophy. With his penchant for innovations he brought in Carnatic melodies and tunes to Latin words.

With the Vatican bringing in use of vernacular languages in place of Latin, the hymns used during mass were changed to vernacular songs and here Fr Walter Albuquerque was able to demonstrate his music talent to the fullest.

When Fr Walter was transferred to Fatima House in 1967 he was put in charge of music there and here he invested his time and energy to improve Konkani Liturgical singing. He wrote hundreds of Konkani hymns for mass for different seasons of the year. Though hymns were coming from Mumbai periodically and were popular he composed hymns to match with those popular tunes and helpe popularize Konkani hymns in a big way. Being multi-talented he spent his time in writing hymns, printing them, preparing music for editions of the same in three voices, each of it in different schools and parishes.

Not content with just this, he founded “Sangeethalaya” at Fatima Retreat House with the main objective of providing a podium for training young musicians in vocal singing both Western and Indian style. Interested youngsters were also taught to learn musical instruments like Organ, Guitar, Violin, Tabla and Drums. Through Sangeethalaya he brought out many cassettes, thus giving a big encouragement to budding singers.

In 1993 Fr Walter Albuquerque was sent to Nagaland as a missionary among the Nagas and came back to Mangalore to renew his musical ministry.  

Till the end he used his ministry for glory of God. Be breathed music all his life and on October 7 in 2016, this musical genius went to his creator.