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August 27, 2011

Konkani Music

Traditionally Konkani music has been the mainstay of folk songs and bands in Goa and the Konkan coastal region. Fifty years ago, one mostly heard Konkani songs on the radio. Then came records and cassettes. An occasional film also got produced.  Amchen Noxib, a hit film of  the 60's had a  theme song  Molbailo Dov filmed in the typical style of those days. The song is still popular.

Unfortunately the Konkani musical heritage is mostly unrecorded and insufficiently documented. Wilfy Remimbus and Chris Perry are two fabulous Konkani musicians.  They achieved enduring success, but are no more.  Wilfy Remimbus is called the Pearl of Mangalore and Konkani Kogul. Starting around 1970, he composed 2500 songs with lyrics which he himself wrote. He has released 50 albums, performed 500 shows and conducted 215 Wilfy Nights in India and abroad where there are sizeable Konkani-speaking communities. His musical career of 5 decades gave new life to Konkani folk music. Wilfy's Songs continue their immense popularity.

The Goan legend Chris Perry was known as the man with the golden trumpet both in India and abroad. He brought in a vibrant element of Western jazz into Konkani music. He's been compared to the likes of Miles Davis. His HMV recordings, interaction with Hindi playback singers like Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammad Rafi, electric performances with the singer Lorna Cordeiro livened up the music scene in Goa and Bombay. He dominated Konkani music and tiatr for 50 years, enriching them with brilliant music and powerful Konkani lyrics. Perry and other Goans contributed the Western element to the emerging fusion style of Bollywood music.

Nowadays Konkani music too flows with current popular trends.  Remo Fernandes is probably the best known face of Konkani music today. An amazingly versatile musician, he blends Konkani, Portuguese, Spanish and Hindi flavours to produce superb music. To hear some of  Remo's well-known numbers, check out the links below. Each  song has a  different Konkani flavour.

Panch Vorsan ... Haunting duet with Alisha Chinoi
Mando in the UK ... Authentic folk song ...the kitschy choreography is very un-Konkani
Flute Song ... Lilting melody accompanied with Indian folk rhythms
Latina Muchacha ... Fine Indo-Latino fusion
Humma Humma ... A R Rahman composition, in the film Bombay
O Meri Munni ... Bollywood style Indipop

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