Report & pics: Rons Bantwal
Mumbai, Oct 21: Nearly 6,789 singers in around 300 groups from across the world are expected to converge on Mangaluru for the first World Konkani music convention from November 3 to 15, as the cultural organisation Maand Sobhann sets its sights on a Guinness World Record with a marathon performance of more than 5,000 Konkani songs.
Announcing the ambitious initiative, Maand Sobhann president Louis J Pinto said the 12-day convention would be held at Kalaangan, the open-air venue at the organisation's traditional cultural centre in Shaktinagar, Mangaluru. Singers from Mumbai and other parts of the world are expected to participate.
Pinto was speaking at a meeting held on Wednesday evening at the conference hall of Model Bank in the Milagres House building on Hill Road, Bandra West. He extended an invitation to the people of Mumbai and Maharashtra to join the historic celebration of Konkani music.
Maand Sobhann, which works to preserve and promote the Konkani language, art and culture, is marking 40 years of cultural service. The inaugural World Konkani Music Convention is dedicated to the memory of its founder, the late Eric Ozario, a prominent Konkani activist who worked for the language and its cultural heritage.
Pinto said the convention was an ambitious attempt to secure a place in the Guinness World Records while bringing Konkani music to a wider international audience. The initiative aims to unite diverse regional musical traditions on one platform and celebrate the richness of Konkani language and culture.
Alongside the continuous singing marathon, the 12-day programme will feature music seminars, cultural performances, tributes to veteran musicians and several special events.
Singing marathon to run for 12 days, 12 hours
Roy Castelino, president of the Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy, welcomed the gathering and outlined the record attempt, which seeks recognition for a continuous singing marathon involving a large number of performers.
The marathon will begin at 6 am on Tuesday, November 3, and continue without interruption for 12 days, 12 hours and 12 minutes, concluding at 6.12 pm on Sunday, November 15.
The performances will showcase Konkani songs reflecting the musical traditions and regional dialects of several communities, including Christian, Gaud Saraswat Brahmin (GSB), Kudmi, Daldi, Kharvi, Siddi and Syrian Orthodox communities.
The organisers aim to make the convention a celebration of Konkani music's diversity, bringing together traditions that have evolved across different communities and regions.
Mumbai's Konkani community urged to participate
Albert W D'Souza, chairman of Model Co-operative (Scheduled) Bank Ltd, presided over the meeting and extended a traditional invitation to Mumbai residents to attend the convention, offering betel leaves, areca nuts and water.
He observed that younger generations within Konkani-speaking communities were developing a stronger attachment to their mother tongue and greater linguistic pride. He said events of this kind would help sustain that interest and wished the organisers success.
The meeting was attended by several prominent representatives of banking, business and Konkani cultural organisations.
Those present included Model Bank vice-chairman Maxime I Pinto; director George Castelino; Vincent Mathias, founder-chairman of the Christian Chamber of Commerce and Industries; vice-chairman advocate Pius Vas; former chairman Henry Lobo; director Gregory D'Souza; Ronald Mendonca, president of the Maand Sobhann Kalaangan management committee in Bandra; Leo Fernandes of Jerimeri, president of the Konkan Association Charitable Trust; and Vincent Castelino, joint secretary of the Konkan Trust.
Others included John Rodrigues; entrepreneurs Gabriel Mendonca, Paul Mascarenhas, John Rebello of Sion, Sean Rebello, Harold Castelino and William D'Souza of Vakola; musician Charles D'Cunha; and Lawrence D'Souza of Kamani, honorary general secretary of the Konkani Bhasha Mandal, Maharashtra. Several other dignitaries were also present and extended their best wishes to the organisers.