With my heart crying, I write this piece with deep sorrow and chagrin on the sad demise of our friend, colleague and strong supporter of Goan causes including that of Konkani language. Xavier Mendes yesterday at GMC Bambolim, Goa. Xavier Mendes came to Kuwait somewhere in 1979 after his younger brother Derick and later on their elder brother Felix too joined them in late seventies. When they all the three brothers came to Kuwait, they started taking part in our Tiatros organized in Kuwait mainly in the Church Hall and Keefan Hall. When I established my contact with all the three brothers who were staying together as a very well knit family with strong bond of which type nowadays one rarely sees, I disclosed my idea to all the Mendes brothers of financing from Kuwait the starting of peoples daily in Konkani that was christened as ‘NOVEM GOEM”. Xavier Mendes along with his other two brothers younger Derick and the elder Felix gave me strong booster to go ahead. Then I said we will organize 1 or 2 Tiatros to raise fund for this daily and I told them every artiste will have to act free of charge, for this proposal they immediately agreed and not only they but even all others acted free except Musicians who were very adamant and arrogant towards the Konkani cause. Finally we organized two Tiatros for this cause without paying a paisa to the artistes, for both these Tiatros Xavier Mendes along with his other 2 bothers shouldered major responsibility to make these Tiatros successful.
Xavier Mendes seen addressing a Meeting in Kuwait
After some years, Xavier Mendes stopped acting in Tiatros because he got himself involved very deeply in the Church affairs in different fields whence the era of Mendes Bros. came to a halt. By being involved in the Church circle he helped the Church in organizing Choir and other religious activities. It was during this period he got married to his wife Theresa who is a very kind and loving person, they have two children, one son and a daughter.
Then after a long gap I requested Xavier Mendes to take part in the Show we organize at Indian Embassy Auditorium in honour of Fr. Gabriel Dias as a farewell to him since he was leaving Kuwait after serving Kuwait about 7 years. With Xavier Mendes saying ok, other two brothers also joined him to make this Show a great success. As a farewell gift to Fr. Gabriel, Xavier Mendes composed a beautiful song on Fr. Gabriel which was rendered by all the three brothers very beautifully. In fact Xavier Mendes was very smart as far as singing part is concerned. He was doing comedy role along with his younger brother Derrick and they both creating peals of laughter in the audience while the elder brother Felix playing the role of a decent man which with his majestic personality he used to perform beautifully.
Xavier Mendes’ besides Stage and Church roles, used to take part in many of the activities for the cause of Goa and Goans and as a matter of fact he was an asset for us while in Kuwait especially during the Konkani movement. He was always a source of encouragement for me, almost in all the activities that we organized in Kuwait for the cause of Goa and Goans.
The Trio of Mendes Bros. Xavier in the middle
In Kuwait while doing comedy roles he used to perform cabaret dance so perfectly well that one was at a loss to recognise that he was the real Xavier Mendes. With his empty mouth in the manner of whistling, he used to play Trumpet just like the original Trumpet. When he along with his other two brothers first time came on the Stage after his father’s death, the legendary comedian Anthony Mendes, he created sensation mainly because people noticed a lot of resemblance in him and his late father. He is by nature very innovative creating something or the other while playing his role. He was perfect in doing the mimicry by imitating the voices of many persons.
Seen extreme left is Xavier Mendes attending the public function in Kuwait.
Once he told me that their coming on to the Konkani Stage was because of the death of their father when they were young still in the school because their father was opposing them to become Tiatrists. During those days Tiatrists enjoyed no respect in the society, most of them were drunkards and womenisers and afflicted with other vices. But if their father was alive now, he would be surprised to know that all his three sons maintaining high profile and dignified discipline. By moving with Xavier and his other brothers too, I found they are very decent, disciplined and of high character personalities. The way Xavier along with his other 2 brothers behaved in society, they don’t look like ordinary tiatrists but extra-ordinary human beings.
A. Veronica Fernandes.