This is with reference to one song of the late renown Konkani Stage artiste Alexinho de Candolim who was such a beautiful singer and composer with his sweet melodious voice he would easily mesmerise the audience, after his death in mid sixties no other artiste appeared on Konkani Stage like him with such a mighty power of composing mighty songs. Commenting on this exceptionally talented songster, the late renowned son of Goa who was considered a genius during those good old dasys, Mosg. Filipe Neri Mendonca popularly known as Fr. Mendonca, the Principal of the first English High chool of Goa, St. Joseph’s High School Arpora, passed a comment referring to the singing prowess of Allexinho de Candolim: “Oh my goodness, what Alexinho de Candolim is !! If this man had a little educational background he would be surely a genius!!”. In fact, Alexinho de Candolim’s political views on Goa during the Portuguese rule were not liked by the Goan Freedom Fighters based in Bombay and for this reason they tried to implicate him in doing something which he never did from the Stage while in Goa for his heavy criticism against his songs on the mischief done by the Bhattkarshahi against the Mundkashahi, he was denied his rights of staging his Tiatros and singing his songs on the nuisance committed by the upper class of Goans against the lower. This nuisance was done in the name of Censorship introduced for Tiatros by the Portuguese government of Goa on the advice of top Goans who were the direct hit of the campaign of the then Tiatrists. Portuguese Government and Salazar rule were just scapegoat but the actual culprits were the Goan Portuguese i.e. Goan Bhattkar and Goan Brahmins mainly the Christians, who were doing rampant injustice to their fellow Goans. Alexingo de Candolim was known to use the Konkani Stage to fight the dadagiri of Goan Christian Bhattkar from the Stage in a such a manner that his one Tiatro “Amchea Xetachi Pavnni” immediately following the ouster of Portuguese from Goa was just an example depicting his tirade against the Goan disgraceful Christian Bamonshahi where in one scene one Hindu Munddkar farmer taking advantage of the freedom given by the Indian Government to speak freely, calls the Bamon Bhattkar who was the Prsident of Communidade as: Tumkam fattim ami pachartalet mhonon “Bab” tor tech ami atam tumkam pachartat mhonon “Dukor” jeam Dukrani fatim amkam ani amcheam zantteank khup tras dilet.
My main purpose here is to raise my objection on one great song “Kottecho Bikari” of Alexinho de Candolim which was recorded by him at Emisora de Goa in Fifties. This same song is now rendered by one lady singer and it is viral now, the name of this lady singer is not indicated nor can be identified thru her voice. The worst thing is that the originality of this golden song is totally mutilated without any respect to the origin l lyrics and made a mockery of this great song of which type none among the current singers and Tiatrists will be able to compose. While lodging my strong Protest over this robbery, over this crime, I demand from the concerned persons full explanation and from the concerned authorities including the Tiatro Academy of Goa a way to stop such repetitions in the future in the name of Remix of Konkani songs, those who are involved to Remix Konkani songs please don’t act like barbarians and people from the “Zongoll”.
A.Veronica Fernandes.