Poetry in Konkani, English, Portuguese, Hindi and Urdu found a musical counterpart in the Portuguese guitar at a cultural evening in Panaji, where each poem was paired with a composition by acclaimed Portuguese guitarist Marta Pereira da Costa. Organised by the Dona Paula-based Communicare Trust,Instituto Camões – CLP,and the Consulate General of Portugal in Goa, The Many Moods of Monsoon brought together Goan poets and Costa’s music during a recent evening soiree exploring the connections between language, poetry and sound.
The event featured recitations by Goa-based poets including Arthy Muthanna Singh, Asavari Gurav, Bhuvarahan Srinivas, Gargi Guha, Heta Pandit, Jeet, Mamata Verlekar, Rahul Vishwakarma, Sheela Jaywant, Tino de Sá, Vrushali Kelekar, and Ruzai Dias. Each poet selected a specific track from Marta Pereira da Costa’s repertoire to match the tempo and emotion of their work. Reflecting the cultural fabric of Goa, the recitations spanned five languages: Konkani, English, Portuguese, Hindi and Urdu.
Nalini Elvino de Sousa, founder of Communicare Trust, emphasised the importance of bringing these art forms together: “Comunicare in Latin means to communicate, and one of the aims of this trust is to promote languages. With Marta’s music in the background, reciting poems about the monsoon across languages acts as a lead-up to her concert on September 24. Marta’s journey is unique; the Portuguese guitar is traditionally played by men, and she broke ground as a woman playing it professionally”.
Featured poet and journalist, Gargi Guha said: “Marta’s music is so soulful and conducive to poetry. I chose her track ‘Movimento’, and its pace paired naturally with the emotions of my poem without needing adjustments to my recitation”.
Heta Pandit, writer, researcher, and heritage activist, who was instrumental in organising the poetry recital said that, “Poetry brings people together. Goa is becoming increasingly multilingual and cosmopolitan, and sharing poetry across these languages creates a strong bond”.
The event concluded with an interactive open mic segment where audience members recited their own verses. This poetry gathering served as a precursor to Marta Pereira da Costa’s live concert on September 24 at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao. The landmark performance will feature a collaboration with Goan sitar maestro Ustad Chhote Rahimat Khan, uniting Portuguese fado and Indian classical music. The concert will double up as a fundraiser for Communicare Trust’s community initiatives.
