Media Release
Bahrain, Sep 16: Konkani Kutam Bahrain & Konkan Singers Club gear up to host the Bahrain semi-finals of 'Gulf Voice of Mangalore (GVOM) - Season 6' - a mega Konkani singing talent hunt show eagerly anticipated by Mangalorean across GCC and India on September 28 at the Indian Club Auditorium. Six male and six female contestants will rally against each other to book a spot in the Grand Finale to be held in Kuwait on November 9. At the end of the contest at the semifinals, only one male and one female contestant will be able to earn a place in the finals where they will strive to earn the coveted title of being named the ‘Gulf Voice of Mangalore’.
Konkan Singers Club, a social and cultural club is one of the oldest expatriate clubs in Bahrain has come together with Konkani Kutam Bahrain a voluntary association formed with the sole objective of promoting and preserving Konkani language and culture through its various activities. Konkani Kutam Bahrain presently in its 19thyear has been organizing various activities, the most popular and globally recognized is the annual ‘Konkani Kutam Prashasti’ conferred on individuals who have contributed significantly for the benefit of Konkani language and culture through literature, arts, music and dramatics. Konkani Kutam Bahrain is associated with Gulf Voice of Mangalore for the past 3 seasons.
The contestants who will vie for a place in the finals are:
Male Category:
1. Aeron Franco
2. Anugraha D’Souza
3. Christopher Lobo
4. Preetham Aranha
5. Ronald Fernandes
6. Sydney Correa
Female Category:
1. Evita Castelino
2. Renita Fernandes
3. Sachitha Fernandes
4. Shanthi Noronha
5. Teena D’souza
6. Vivitha Sonia D’Souza
The Gulf Voice of Mangalore – 6 Bahrain semifinals singing competition will have music from popular local live band ‘Beats’ and will be judged by three of Konkani music field’s noted personalities and competent adjudicators based in the GCC and India. Ajith Peter D’Souza from Dubai, Roshan D’souza, Angelore from Mangaluru and Edwin Arun Carlo from Dubai will grace the occasion as the judges for the event on September 28.
Ajith Peter D’souza
Ajith Peter D’Souza has a MA in English and MBA in HR. Based in Dubai with his family, Ajith says music is his passion. The multi-talented Ajith is a music composer, lyricist, singer and a fantastic keyboard player all rolled in one. Ajith began his musical journey 19 years ago after having gained the knowledge of western and Indian music from musicians like Fr Ben Britto and Fr Paul Melwyn Dsouza. Since then he has been into various aspects of music. He is a passionate composer and music director who likes to experiment different aspects of music into Konkani.
Ajith has 4 Konkani music albums to his credit titled – ‘Tuzo Sangath (Feelings Personified)’ in 2010, ‘Ye Laagim (In My Arms)’ in 2011, ‘Tujhe Vengenth (Feel the Sensation)’ in 2012 and ‘Tem Yenvchea Vella (Into My Heart)’ in 2015. The album ‘Tujhe Vengenth’ was nominated for the 5th Global Konkani Music Awards instituted by Mandd Sobhann in all the six categories, of which it bagged four awards for The Best Singer (Female), Best Lyricist, Best Music Arranger and the Best Music Album award. The album ‘Ye Laagim (In My Arms)’ released in year 2011 was also nominated for 4th Global Konkani Music Awards instituted by Mandd Sobhann in the best album category. Some of his popular songs are ‘Hathanth Gevun Hath’, ‘Whistle Maar’, ‘Ye Laagim’, ‘Moga Paavs’, ‘Chandne Fultana’, ‘Vollu Ye’ and many more which can time and again be heard at events and competitions.
He has been part of two musical programmes in Chandana and Udaya TV in 2004 and in 2009 played a role in a Kannada serial ‘Mahayaana’ in Kasturi channel. He has also judged many musical events in Udupi and outside India. He has served as a judge for GVOM semifinals in Muscat and Bahrain in the year 2014 and in Bahrain and Kuwait in the year 2016.
Roshan D’Souza Angelore
Roshan D’Souza Angelore originally belonging to Angelore parish, is an automobile engineer by qualification. Roshan got drawn towards music at a very young age he plays various musical instruments like violin, Lead guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, mandolin, harmonica and melodica. He has been associated with over 150 Konkani Music Albums as music arranger and composed songs for over 100 music albums. He has over 100 musical shows to his credit for like of Melwyn Peris, Eric Ozario, Wilson Olivera, Norbert Pereira, Stephen and Shilpa Cutinha’s ‘O.. La.. Re..’ etc. ‘Sangeeth Guru’ Joel Pereira has been his music teacher and Roshan considers Joel Pereira his idol. Roshan not only has arranges and compose music, but has written lyrics and sung for several albums. Apart from Konkani music albums Roshan has several Konkani, English and Kannada devotional albums to his credit. He has been instrumental and the founding member informing the first Mangalurean Konkan rock band ‘Teetotalers’ and the one of kind vocal group ‘Off Pitch’. Roshan D’Souza is one of the pioneers of modern day Konkani music, his albums like ‘Ye Mana’, ‘Xetam Merer’, and ‘Moga Savli’ are few of the examples. His song ‘Asathoma Sadgamaya’ has been included in a multi lingual album ‘The beat of Indian Youth’ and has been listed in the Limca Book of Records. His music has attracted several youth to Konkani music. He is the founder and owner of ‘Strummers Music School’ in Mangaluru. He has numerous awards to his credits including seven Global Konkan Music awards to date namely Best Music Composer 2010, 2011 & 2013, Best Music Arranger 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017. He was felicitated with Kalakar Puraskar in the year 2014 by Mandd Sobhann.
Edwin Arun Carlo
Born to Henry and Mary Carlo from Bantwal, Agrar parish, Arun Carlo is a civil engineer by profession is based in Dubai with his family. He has been very much interested and involved in music since a very young age and started playing congo and harmonium. Arun has been involved in music for the past 25 years at a professional level playing keyboard, lead guitarist, bass guitarist and drums. Arun has directed several music shows and is capable of directing any kind of shows having the vast experience in the similar field. Arun has played guitar for Mandd Sobhann/Eric Ozario for almost 6 years. Arun has been part of several musical shows along with ‘Sangeeth Guru’ Joel Pereira for shows for the likes of Melwyn Peris, Mickmax. Arun has played lead guitar and bass guitar for recording of more than 25 albums and has himself composed and arranged music for 6 albums such as ‘Moladhik Mothiyam’ Benny D’Souza devotional album Vol 1, ‘Mogachim Laaranha’ Vincent Fernandes Cassia, Vol 4, ‘Hanv Tanela’ Konkani devotional album, Gleny’s devotional album ‘Thum kumbar hanv mathi’, and Benny D’Souza’s latest devotional album ‘Naman Thuka Sodvondarache Maye’. Arun had composed and arranged music for his own album titled ‘Zala Love’.
The semifinals will be compered by popular local compere Bertram Rego fondly known as Berty. He is sure to make the competition a thrilling one.
The audience will be treated to fantastic performances by local talents and the esteemed judges.