Daijiworld Media Network – Brahmavar
Brahmavar, Sep 28: For a brief moment, it felt as though the Seetha river flowing through Nagarmat, Barkur, had paused to bless some of the finest artists of the Konkani music world and the genuine music lovers who had gathered to hear them. Once the performances ended, the river seemed to flow once more, carrying with it the echoing melodies of an unforgettable night.
The second edition of ‘Aamger’ (‘At Our Home’) — a unique community initiative designed to bring Konkani artists directly to the doorsteps of those who cannot travel to big-city concerts — drew a packed audience of over 150 people from the Nagarmat ward of Barkur and neighbouring villages. The evening was graciously hosted by Shaila and Harry (Herald) D'Souza at their residence.
The programme began promptly at 6:30 pm. Show Director Stany Bela introduced the ‘Aamger’ concept to the audience, after which host Herald D'Souza warmly welcomed the visiting team and the gathered crowd to what he described as a truly unique experience for the Barkur community.
Acclaimed Konkani singers Zeena Pereira, Joshal D'Souza, Jason Lobo, Raina Sequeira, Ronald Nazareth, Neel Casmith and Verna D'Souza enthralled the crowd with timeless classics by legendary composers Wilfy Rebimbus, Melwyn Peris, Albert Pinto, MickMax and Kishoo Barkur. Samuel Lewis, an emerging talent from Kundapur who recently made waves on the Daijiworld Star Singer reality show, made his concert debut to enthusiastic applause from his homeland audience. The versatile musical lineup also featured a handful of popular Kannada, Tulu and Hindi melodies.
Throughout the evening, keyboard maestro and music director Sanjay John Rodrigues (Sanju Baba) and guitar maestro Roshan Bela provided soul-stirring accompaniment that left the audience spellbound.
Expressing deep gratitude, Kishoo Barkur thanked the Aamger team for travelling all the way from Mangaluru to perform for an audience that might otherwise never have had the opportunity to see them live. To mark the occasion, the hosts presented the visiting artists with mementos handcrafted by Barkur’s own Michelle D'Almeida Machado of the boutique Floverique.
The gathering saw the presence of several esteemed dignitaries, including Fr Ronald Miranda, parish priest of Barkur; Fr Henry Cyprian D'Souza; Sr Clara and the sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Convent, Barkur; philanthropist Joseph Menezes (Sasthan) and family; Henry J Pinto, founder of FKCA Bengaluru and former president of Konkani Bhasha Mandal, Bengaluru; Vanitha Furtado from New Jersey, USA; veteran artistes Sujatha and Alwyn Andrade of the famed Expressions trio; Nanu Marol; Vincent Pinto, Kulshekar, representing Daijiworld Mangaluru; Wilson Saldanha, Shirthady, representing Daijiworld Mangaluru; music maestro and choir master Dolphy Mascarenhas; Naveen Sequeira, Brahmavar, of maaibhas.com; and Joel D'Almeida, president of Catholic Sabha, Udupi Pradesh.
For many in the audience, watching their favourite artistes perform just feet away in such an intimate setting was a first-of-its-kind experience. The mesmerising evening culminated in a lively baila session, where attendees danced joyfully alongside the performers. True to the hospitality implied by its name, the night concluded with a sumptuous dinner hosted by Shaila and Herald D'Souza, catered by Rubina and Denis Rodrigues of Rodrigues Caterers, Sasthan. Praveen L Carvalho of Jae’s Wheel Master ensured that every detail was attended to, leaving no stone unturned in making the celebration a resounding success.
With Barkur now added to its journey, ‘Aamger’ continues to prove the brilliance of Sanju Baba and Stany Bela’s simple, heartfelt philosophy: when the audience cannot go to the music, the music must go to them.