Students in Goa will soon get a chance to engage with one of the state’s richest musical traditions — cantaram — through twin campus concerts organised by Dona Paula-based Communicare Trust as part of its 20-year anniversary campaign.
Titled ‘Cantaram for the Community,’ the musical outreach initiative is designed to reintroduce college-going youth to the familiar-yet-forgotten melodies of classic Konkani music, played on vinyl and brought to life through two live performances in the state’s leading educational institutions.
By blending live performances with archival vinyl recordings, the concerts will bring alive the stories and sounds of some of Goa’s most influential composers and singers, like C. Alvares, Joe Rose, Frank Fernand, Ophelia Cabral and Antonette Mendes, many of whom are now unfamiliar to younger generations.
The events will feature live music by Entre Nós, a versatile ensemble led by Omar de Loiola Pereira with Nadia Rebelo and Ginelle Fernandes on vocals. Their setlist includes rare compositions and beloved classics, alternating with carefully curated vinyl sets by record selector, Art Deco researcher and vinyl record collector Leaxan Freitas. These vinyl segments will not only introduce young audiences to the rich textures of analogue sound, but also trace the evolution of how Goans consumed music through time; from shellac discs and gramophones to digital platforms.
Photos, lyrics and biographical stories will accompany the performances, making the experience both musical and educational. The first edition of ‘Cantaram for the Community’ will take place at Carmel College, Nuvem, on August 8 at 10:00am for students from South Goa. The second will be held at St Xavier’s College, Mapusa, on August 12 at 10:00am for students from North Goa.
Manager at Communicare Trust, Nalini Elvino de Sousa said, “Communicare has long engaged with music and we realised many children today have never seen vinyl, tapes or shellac discs. ‘Cantaram for the Community’ aims to show how music and technology evolved, from shellac to vinyl to digital, while reconnecting youth with Goa’s cultural roots. Many of the original composers are no longer with us, but we’re in touch with their families, who often share lyrics and stories that we incorporate into the concerts to honour their legacy.”
Cantaram is an art form that embodies the essence of Goa in its rhythm and through its lyrics, one can learn a great deal about Goa’s culture and heritage, De Sousa further said.
For the past 20 years, Communicare Trust has been passionately committed towards preserving languages and culture through a wide range of programmes, events and workshops. The ‘Cantaram for the Community’ programme is supported by the Maria Crescencia Menezes Memorial Educational Trust, which has championed Communicare’s work over the years.
Interested schools may write to communicaretrust@gmail.com. Entry is free, but seats are limited.
