Goa has been labelled as the party/events destination with the State predominantly hosting musical programmes in particular, in the evenings. However, there are signs that fresh ideas are being implemented, and with impressive positivity as seen by the house-full success of the 1st edition of ‘Raga Rasa at Heritage Homes – A Good Morning Heritage Experience’ celebrating the onset of the monsoon.
Conceptualised by the Art Escape Experience (AE), by the people behind Ideas Boutique (I2B) and TLMP (The Live Music Project ) -Vinesh Iyer and Darryl Norohna, the new initiative ‘Raga Rasa’ will be held once a month at heritage homes across Goa.
Imagine you are in the courtyard of a 17th Century Goan Mansion. As you walk down its enigmatic passages, you hear the delicate strains of an Indian Bamboo flute , filtering through the door of a stately ballroom. Down the hall, you follow the fragrant aroma of South Indian coffee, being freshly-prepared on a coffee cart. Open another door and you are in a restaurant with mud tone walls, its interiors reminiscent of chapel architecture. Here, proceedings for a lavish breakfast are underway. Are you dreaming? Last Sunday ,about 45 attendees could testify that they were not!
Gandhaar Amin on Bamboo flute was the magic piper, who lured enthusiastic patrons to an 8 am event at Silva Heritage, Benaulim.
Amin, trained from a very young age by his father, gave an eclectic solo recital that was hugely appreciated. The performance was interlaced with an insightful talk on the origins of Indian classical music, a brief but fascinating narration of its historical development, current state and also brought forward some comparisons and differences between Western and Indian Classical music. All of this was recounted with grace, eloquence and humour.
The restoration of Silva Heritage is a result of Sherwin Antao and Smita Diniz Costas’s commitment to try and retain the glorious charm of a by-gone era. The guests were taken on a tour to understand the history and architecture of the mansion.
The house has now been creatively transformed by architect Anuradha Guglani into a boutique resort with 15 rooms by, a pool, sprawling regenerated lawns, a unique new restaurant, art gallery/multi-purpose space and a ballroom with many different uses.
Amin’s performance was followed by an elaborate Indian breakfast that featured delicacies from all over the country. Many of the attendees were seen speaking animatedly to the artiste, who was happy to discuss the nuances of his craft with. After the delicious blast from the repast, everyone was invited for a dip in Silva Heritage’s pool.
The next edition of ‘Raga Rasa at Heritage Homes – A Good Morning Heritage Experience’ has been scheduled for August 27th (Sunday) at Silva Heritage. For details, contact Vinesh Iyer (Curator of Raga Rasa)
+91 09323590051, stated a press release.
