ADEUS JR. ROD.
A few months after the death of his father Minguel Rod, over sixty years ago, the great Tiatrist Anthony D’Sa especially came to Goa from Bombay to stage Minguel Rod’s Tiatro “Open to Close”, with the help of Goa based Jacinto Vaz. Jr. Rod as a small boy of around 8, rendered a beautiful song in that Tiatro, wearing a Chimney Pot Hat in his father’s style and eulogizing his father’s contribution in the promotion of Konkani Stage. Some important lines of this song I state here:
Aikotoch Pai Radiar tosso Gramaphonar tallo tuzo,
Tum assai so dista jivo, pun amchea noxiban Pai tum na favo
Kitlech Pai tuvem Tiatro boroilet bookar,
Pun tanchim solfam sarkim nant mapar
Toxech kitlech tuje Tatro amkam mellonknant sabar,
Haddun dixeat tor vhodd zait upkar.
While he was singing this song, his widow mother was holding her small daughter in one hand and her other son was standing next to her holding his mother’s hand. Seeing them all on the Stage, I saw many in the audience especially the elders were crying and while Jr. Rod singing his sorrowful solo he was also crying when describing the hard life they are facing after the death of their bread winner. Though I was very young then yet I too was crying because my mother was crying. This Tiatro was held in Mapusa while outside it was raining heavily.
In that one particular song rendered by Jr. Rod so beautifully with appropriate timing, indicated that a mighty Tiatrist was in the making though not of the caliber of his father because Tiatrists of Minguel Rod’s caliber do not come twice in this world.
A few years back when we brought him to Kuwait to participate in our Show, we kept him at my place for a few days and during this period I observed him as a thorough gentleman, a soft spoken Tiatrist but a Lion once entered the Stage. His love for Goa and Goan causes was supreme and he loved Kuwait Goans especially, for their enormous contribution in the promotion of Konkani and other activities for the cause of Goans. He even went on record to sing a song in one of his Albums praising Kuwait Goans including me in particular.
During Sixties to Nineties he gained the supremacy of Konkani Stage by singing very good and meaningful decent solos, duets, comedy songs and staging some of the old Tiatros of his father such as, Lembdo Santan, Pobre Fidalgo and others.
His real ascendancy to the zenith reached when he partnered Rom Tony and Remy in forming their Trio known as Rom-Rem-Rod to expose the ill deeds of MG Serkar. For some years this Trio created a havoc of politicians in Goa where Jr. Rod played a major role. It was he who initiated the imitating songs, that is singing songs imitating other singers.
That he died so early is a sad news and that his death will create a big void on Konkani Stage is another sad reality. May his soul Rest In Peace.
A.Veronica Fernandes.