Category: Latest News

Sun, beach and music
Priyanka Sharma / November 26, 2011, 0:53 IST

Goa’s Sunburn festival gets bigger and louder.

Walking amidst the 46,000-odd fans at the Sunburn festival last year, Shailendra Singh, joint managing director of Percept, the organiser, encountered a young man wishing to speak with him personally. “My girlfriend in Lisbon could not be here due to visa issues. I want to propose to her,” he said. Twenty minutes later, the Sunburn team recorded his proposal and shared it with his girlfriend through YouTube. She accepted within minutes.

Inspired by the incident, Percept Pictures has partnered with social networking website Google+ and YouTube to create a user-generated feature film, capturing his/her journey during the three-day electronic dance and music (EDM) festival in Goa that boasts of being the largest in Asia. Similar to Ridley Scott’s film Life In Day (a crowd-sourced documentary featuring a series of video clips selected from the 80,000 clips submitted to YouTube, showing different events from across the globe, within a single day), Sunburnt is what Singh calls a “fan’s film”.

“The movie will be the depiction of the festival in nine minutes through the eyes of a fan,” says Singh. The entries submitted on YouTube will be selected, compiled and edited to create a 90-minute film.

Being marketed as a “glocal” festival, Sunburn has expanded almost threefold since last year. The number of stages is up from three to seven with over 90 artists performing different styles of EDM. Spread over 20 acres at the Candolim beach, the festival will see several new performers such as Pete Tong, Gabriel & Dresden, Perfect Stranger, Laughing Buddha and Rae. And, for the first time festival regulars, Indian fusion group Midival Punditz will be curating a live stage for young EDM performers. “The idea is to give a platform to young performers to strut their stuff live,” says Gaurav Raina, one of the Punditz.

In its first year (2007), the festival ran into losses of over a crore. This time around, with an investment of around Rs 30 crore, Percept expects to make a profit of at least 30 per cent. Though the title sponsor is undecided yet, it has tied up with “supportive sponsors” such as Lenovo and 7up.

Ticket sales are robust and some of the ‘early bird passes’ — tickets booked in advance — have already sold out, informs Sunburn’s e-ticketing partner, BookMyShow. The festival expects a crowd of around 100,000 — more than double of last year. How do they plan on managing this crowd? “Pepper spray!” jokes Raina. “You will be surprised… Sunburn fans are very peaceful. There is no angry outburst or unlawful act,” stresses Singh. “I remember running into Mani Shankar Aiyar and Rajdeep Sardesai at the festival last year, enjoying electronica.”

While air ticket prices to Goa will escalate come December, the festival has found other ways to reach fans. Sunburn will be broadcast live on YouTube across 120 countries this year. One can also watch moments from the festival on MTV and UTV Bindaas.

“My wife once asked me what’s so special about Sunburn,” says Singh. After attending it for four years, she found the answer. “It’s music without lyrics! Everyone can enjoy it.”

Taking Goan Culture to greater heights

24 November, 2011 AT News Bureau

The Mandó, the classic elegance of Goan folk music, has been at the forefront when giving Goan culture its distinctive edge. The mandó is a three-branched art form, probably the only one of its kind. The three dimensions that are an integral part of the mandó and that complete it in all respects are: the music, the lyrics and the dance. The mandó characteristically is about romance and love or the tryst of fate and the unhappy moments of failed love. The dulpod that always follows the mandó on a faster beat is all about the social living in Goan society. The dulpod has sarcasm and/or humour in its lyrics and has lately taken to making sardonic and pungent comments on Goa and its degradation socially, morally, politically and environmentally.

It has been very encouraging to see that there are many individuals and organizations that have been inspired to keep alive the spirit of the mandó. Though the villages of Curtorim, Raia and Loutolim in the South of Goa are said to have seen the beginnings of this astounding form of folk music, other areas of Goa along with these have been responsible, in contemporary times, for keeping it alive. Pervis Gomes has spent a good decade and a half doing his bit to give the mandó its due place in the Goan cultural line-up. He has the practical goal of making sure the rich cultural heritage of Goa is not only kept alive within Goan shores but also ferried around the globe.

It was in 1997 that Pervis hit upon the idea of bringing together some Mandó mogis (lovers) and forming a group to promote and expose this art form even more. To support him he had his wife, Melita and three great musicians: Martinho Dourado and Sebastião Viega, both deceased, and Balbino Fernandes.

The late Martinho Dourado was very supportive of the group and went out of his way to arrange the music for the group even at the ripe old age of 89! He continuously put in great efforts to elevate the group and Goan culture for around six years. Another great musician Fr Peter Cardozo sfx has also helped the group with their music many a time.

The largely captivating facet of the group is the number of youngsters that form a very vital part of it. There is young blood in the music as well as amongst the presenters. Cultivating love for the mandó amongst youngsters is something the group encourages and has continuously worked towards.

“In spite of our busy schedules we manage to keep Goan culture aloft,” affirms Pervis. The group works against all odds to satisfy their hunger for showcasing Goan culture. They have performed at many places in Goa and have won laurels at various Mandó Festivals all over Goa. Their performances have always been on the up and they have made a mark with their original compositions.

Pervis and his leadership also have a major role to play. “It is because of his dynamism that we are always rearing to go,” says an enthusiastic member of the group, Ralph Vas. “All the pains that he puts in really benefits the group,” continues Ralph and he also praises the effort of Melita, Pervis’ wife, who takes charge of the co-ordination to ensure the smooth functioning of the group.

Pervis has continuously used current and relevant social issues in the dulpod that he composes. This creates awareness about day to day issues that touch Goa. The group then performs these in their performances and this is their way of keeping Goan culture alive.

Pervis has led his group Mandó Mogi to many a great height. They were adjudged ‘Best Group’ at the 40th Mandó Festival organized by the Goa Cultural and Social Centre, Panjim, Goa. This festival can be equated to the Grammy Awards for the mandó. They were also awarded the prize for the best original mandó. Lyrics written by Pervis were put to music by Pervis himself and the music was arranged by the young enthusiastic damsel Jane Mendes. Jane has shown her proficiency arranging with a maturity far beyond her years. The group has also won prizes at the other Mandó Festivals organized at Margao and elsewhere too.

The group also includes many young achievers: Jane had completed her eighth grade in violin and is presently pursuing her diploma course. She plays the violin, mandolin and also sings. She has participated in many choir groups and bands. Jane has been arranging music for Mandó Mogi for the last three years.

The other musicians are Collin Pereira and Assenca Fernandes. Pervis will strike a concordant tone on the ghummot (The percussion instrument the mandó cannot be witout). Other members of the group are Pervis Izlante and Ralph Vas, Samson Fernandes, Reagan Pinto, Namita D’Silva and Nicia Pereira.

Their grit and determination has helped the group meet their dreams of taking Goan culture to international venues. Opportunity has struck them many a time as they have been invited to perform in Dubai and Sharjah and even Canada. Wherever they go, they always ensure that they give their audience a complete overview of Goan culture. The Dekhni, Fugddi, Vavraddi and the mandó in opera style and in the traditional and original categories form part of their presentations. They will now be at Assam to give their audience there a short but thorough glimpse of Goa.

Pervis is an enthusiastic man who always dreams big and aims higher. “This is just the spark,” he says with satisfaction and determination while promising that “there will be a lot more to come from us. We are resolute in pledging that we will take Goan culture to the pinnacle in the future.”

The Mandó Mogi will be perfoming in Guwahati during the 1st Guwahati International Music Festival

Goans cash in on rupee fall
Published on: November 25, 2011 – 01:49

BY SHOMA PATNAIK | NT
PANAJI: The present rupee downslide is bad news for the Indian economy and importers. But for many remittance-rich residents of the state it is an unexpected bonanza that is making them smile all the way to the bank.

In the last few days, with the Indian rupee coming under extreme pressure vis-à-vis the US dollar, the buzz is that, quite a few residents living on transfers of foreign currency from relatives abroad are in a profit taking mood, offloading their cache for some really needed extra bucks in these inflationary times.
Goans are heading to their trusted jeweller for exchange, who besides his traditional occupation of selling gold also doubles as their favorite money trader. Next in choice are the numerous official or the unofficial money changers. While banks that are also authorised to buy or sell foreign currency, are probably last on the list. Reasons are obvious: jewellers that are in the currency swap business are currently offering the best rates of `52.05 per US dollar, the rate from the licensed money changers being lesser at around `51.70- `51.50, and from the banks another 20 paise lower.
Bulk of the exchange, it is learnt, is in the most widely held or traded currency viz. the US dollar, followed by the pound sterling, and some of it is also in euros as Goan NRIs’ remittances from the region are increasing.
Although, most jewellers in the business of exchanging currency refuse to come on record to talk of their lesser-known business, in the current scenario of a weak rupee, all the participants in the state money changing business are happy as volumes for them is high.
“We are witnessing lot of residents taking out their currency holdings for exchange since these are the best rates seen after a long time,” said Mr Marvhino Rodrigues, territory manager, Weizman Forex, Calangute.
“Our income during this time of the year usually picks up because of the tourist season. However, it is locals who are fueling our purchase of currency in recent days. As against an expected volume of Rs 1 crore/ per day, we are actually doing `2.5 crore/ per day, purely on account of the appreciating dollar,” Mr Rodrigues informed.
Agreeing with Mr Rodrigues, Mr Jorge Bravo da Costa, country head, HDFC Bank said, “People are capitalising on the increasing dollar, even some companies with foreign currency holdings.”
The official money changers in fact, have a bit of advice for residents wanting to take advantage of the current exchange rates.
“People have to scour the operators in the field to get the best rates, and they also have to bargain. Since even among the bigger companies in the trade, the rates vary,” they said.
“It would be also advisable to offload the currency holdings in segments because you never know at what rate the rupee will drop down to,” the said.

TEAM HERALD teamherald@ herald- goa. com

PANJIM: The proponents of Konkani language today expressed their worry over increasing influence of English in our daily chores raising fears that the next generation might find it difficult to speak their own language.

Fr Vasco Rego, speaking during the day- long regional conference on ‘ Status and Future of Konkani Language,’ agreed that it is the right of the Children to learn in English but added

that ‘ the schools should also make Konkani a compulsory subject.’ He said that speaking in Konkani is barred in many educational institutes, who has made English speaking pupil as their ‘ prestige issue.’ “ There are many parents who want their children to study in English and it is their right. I understand that English is become most important language for the foreseeable future,” he said urging the parents to encourage students to talk in Konkani.

Fr Rego also expressed concerns that the traditional celebrations like weddings and even masses in the Church are increasingly becoming English oriented.

“ It’s a shame that in wedding rituals or even Church mass, people don’t speak Konkani,” he said.

The priest, who edits magazine Dor Mohinechi Roti, said that people, in their verbal conversation, mixing languages was an insult to the respective tongues.

“ People should not be slaves of any language.

They should instead love the language,” he commented.

Being nostalgic of the past, Fr Rego said that Konkani was not referred by its name but was called as ‘ Amgeli Bhas’ ( Our Language).