Anthony DSouza with his daughter Rita D'ouza
Anthony D'Doua
In the history of Tiatros, many Trios were formed but among them all according to my knowledge only two remained in the history books as the most powerful, one of them was the Trio of Kid-Young-Rod which was the first Trio in the history of that great magnitude and the second immediately following the first was the Trio of Conception-Nelson-Athony. The first later on was splitted when one member of it Minguel Rod was high jacked and formed a new Quarter comprising Alexinho de Candolim-C. Alvares-Minguel Rod & Jacinto Vaz. But this Quarter did not last for long since Minguel Rod returned back to his original Trio. After their reunion, they rendered a nice trio song which was the perfect Zupatti to those who splittd them. Some of the words of this trio are as under:
“NESSON DUSREACHEM KAPODD, HATH PAEM KAMRUN BOSLEAT MAKODD
KITEAK POROT EK ZALET MHONON KID-YOUNG ANI RODD”.
The first Trio was formed during the golden period of Goa when Portugal was ruling Goa efficiently while the second Trio was formed soon after when the rotten period of Goa began on 19.12.1961 under the Bharati domination of Goa. The worst disastrous period of Goa started following the invasion of Goa by Bharat serkar without taking into confidence the people of Goa.
Annoyed by the disastrous rule of Bharat serkar, the second Trio was formed in 1962 to carry forward the political campaign against the corrupt rule of invaded Government. The first Trio song of this Trio was “Brasilak vochoya” where they indicated that Goa is gone into the hands of corrupt people who will do nothing good for Goa and further making a prophecy that even the jobs for Goans will be denied in favour of non-Goans. For this reason this Trio suggested to Goans to go to Brazil because then Goans were well conversant in Portuguese. Later on this Trio started its political campaign against MGP headed by that Rostad, the first Chief Minister of Goa, Dyananda Bandodcar who happened to be a curse on Goa and Goans because he fought for Goa’s merger with Maharastra and for Marathi as official language of Goa.
ONE OF THE POWERFUL MEMBERS OF THIS TRIO WAS ANTHONY D’SOUZA whose full, real name is Antonio Inas Joao D’Souza and who was a few days was spending some days in Candolim at Muddo with his daughter Rita D’Souza married there. During this time on one fine day, on 14.1I.17, I took an opportunity to interview him for which both he and his daughter easily agreed. I Thank them for this kind gesture.
According to Anthony D’Souza, it was the great Tiatrist Alexinho de Candolim who first time introduced him in his Tiatro at Mapusa Bairao Hall, organized by Mapusa Police Station where he rendered his own two duets which he rendered with one Minguel Noronha. For this he was paid voluntarily Rs 100/- by Alexinho de Candolim, this amount was too high at that time and it really surprised him even though he was reluctant to accept it.
He was born in Cortalim, Primeiro Vaddo, at his father’s place on 28.03.1936 and brought up at St. Jacinto Island where he did his schooling at Parochial School and where he turned out to be an exceptionally talented Choir boy singing well not only in the local Church but also in the neighboring villages and even singing the Veronica song. Hence, from early age he acquired name and fame for him as a very good singer that attracted everyone’s attention towards him.
During Portuguese time in Goa in the late fifties he joined with another great Tiatrist Nelson Afonso to sing duets as Nelson was playing the role of a girl. During that time from the Stage Anthony D’Souza was fighting for justice against those who were treating the Mundkars and the poor very badly. In one of his duets he sings thus, in 1958:
“ANTHONY; TE XEKDDE SOMPON KOBAR ZALET GHORIBANK KORIT TIM KETTAM
BATTACHO VALOR KITLO TO SANG HANGACH RAVON GHETAM.
NELSON AS BHATTKAR'S DAUGHTER: TUZO PAI AMGUER ZOU FODDUNK ETA TEDNA KITEM TEM DAKOITAM
ANTHONY: PAI TUJER KURADD MARUN CABES TUJEM AKTAK KORTA TATA”.
After the invasion of Goa he, Conception and Nelson Afonso formed their famous trio and during their first singing at Mapusa they were arrested along with KID boxer for his solo, they were arrested because they rendered “zupatti” to government of india for making a hell of Goa.
He had hunger for fighting for justice especially for Goa and since MGP of Daananda Bandodcar was doing injustice for Goa he directed his tirade against MGP by composing piercing “zupattis” to MGP and Bandodcar. So much so, Bandodcar was more afraid of this trio than all the 12 members of UGP. in fact the trio songs composed by Anthony were more piercing and were unbearable for Bandodcar to absorb. This Anthony D’souza and his trio was largely responsible for campaigning and educating the masses against MGP and Bandodcar. This trio was responsible for safeguarding the interest of Goa more than many and partly because of this Trio campaign from the Stage against merger of Goa with Maharatra, we the genuine Goans won the Opinion Poll. Besides, this Trio brought more honour, more respect and more dignity to Tiatros and Tiatrists which was not existing earlier. It is partly they who were responsible for wooing the upper segment of Goans for Tiatros. His one trio song “XIKKO MARLO PANALA ANI DOPKO DILO FULALA”, in praise of the victory of Opinion Poll was so powerful that such a song I never heard before nor later. His other interesting trio song was on the death of “SALAZAR” which openly declared the greatness of Salazar who ruled Portugal for a long time. From the three, one member of this Trio is surviving that is, Anthony D’Souza who was more firebrand among the three and this being the case he should be felicitated on behalf of Opinion Poll Victory group for helping the victory of Opinion Poll. It is something different when we pay our fitting tributes to the person concerned when he is alive rather than after his death.
THOUGH ageing he got reasonable memory of the past events but feels hurt that his songs are not aired at All India Radio Panjim. He asked me why this injustice to him even though he produced 4 Konkani Albums namely (1)Fr. Savio. (2) Mother Teresa (3) Gandhi Jyanti and (4) AlvernazAlmao. The same query I put in front of all his admirers requesting them to do something for this because we cannot ignore his one wish when he did so much for Goa. He is very thankful to Manfa Music for helping him to produce his Albums. So too he is grateful to Churchill Alemao for his assistance.
According to his approximate estimate, he composed 500 songs, namely Solos, Duets, Trios etc. According to him, “To Bautto Dhormancho” Tiatro written and directed by Alexiho de Candolim was the best while “Doia” Tiatro by Aristedes Dias was something unique of which type nobody can write now, so too the Tiatro “Divorce” of Aristides Dias only. Commenting on the vulgarity shown in the Tiatros in acting, singing and in expressions, Anthony indicated his total dislike for this vulgarity which he said during his time was not in existence. He further said, by just standing on the Stage, the ace comedian Jacinto Vaz used to produce peals of laughter in the audience. But current artistes especially the tin-pot comedians who are of questionable parentage and those without proper parental car, guidence and discipline are the real culprits in this vulgarity because they lacked parental care at home when they were young. The following of these dirty comedians are also the dirty audience who applaud this type of vulgarity.
The other disgust of his was against Parricar for taking courage to cancel the Holiday on the Feast day of St. Francis Xavier. Seeing the injustice going on in Goa and corruption at all the levels and spreading communalism in Goa thereby hurting the sentiments of the minorities, his blood boils but time is not in his side to take up this issue forcefully on the Stage. Thinking over this, his revolutionary self is getting aroused once again but his time to raise his voice on this topic is finished. However, he still feels that some Tiatrists will take up this type issues very forcefully.
He is all in praise for the yesteryear Tiatrists who according to him were gifted with all the qualities to be Tiatrists and precisely because they had such sterling qualities they kept this Tiatro Art still alive. Elaborating further he said during those days and even during his time there were not many facilities available as they are available now. He quoted during those days in the absence of electricity Tiatros were staged with Petromax and in the absence of elegant Halls Tiatros were staged in the Mattou; during those days the Tiatrists were travelling to participate in the Tiatros thru the Caminhao and at moments even on Cycles with meager payment. The earlier Tiatrists made Tiatros as their hobby while it is a business now and for that matter a lucrative business for many of the Tiatrists who built their empires either small or medium ones. Most of the current Tiatrists are financially stable.
As a strong political thinker, Anthony D’Souza took lot of interest in Goan politics even to the extent by contesting the elections for the Seat in the local Panchayat where he completed three terms successfully. Though he completed 15 years in his local Panchayat as one of the Panch members but he never did any mischief nor bribery nor harassed any of the locals as it is done by many of our Panch members who otherwise think that they are feudal lords when actually they are tin-pots. He is very much disgusted with the BJP rule where he said he was totally disturbed to see the way the BJP formed its government in Goa when they did not receive the majority. He said he prefers Congress rule for the smooth functioning of secularism properly in Goa adding further that Parricar is a splitter.
According to him, the best singer among the current ones are Xavier Gomes and Lawry Travasso while among the former M. Boyer, M. Dod de Verna and Luciano Dias.
Though old age is reflecting on his health yet I wish him good health and all the best. With my head down I pay my highest respect to this great Tiatist of yesteryear who has served Goa, Goans and Konkani language as very few did. Will we get another like him? I doubt because such artistes comes to this planet only once in centuries. And if I do my right forecast, I think such a Tiatrist we will never get again.
A. VERONICA FERNANDES.