Making of a rare Konkani
cassette
Kor Cantar
After a pretty long time some good Konkani
music will be heard in an audio album significantly titled Kor
Cantar. Of course, it is not coming from the popular producers of the
Konkani music world, but from the smart pens, chords and vocals of less
known but highly accomplished duo--Jess Louis and Joaquim de Souza. Jess
and Joaquim have successfully captured the finer nuances of ethnic music
in its original idiom, aided by modern music structuring and recording
techniques.
The unique Konkani
audio album--Kor Cantar--packs in the best of the popular styles
with a pure Goan flavour. The theme song Kor Cantar, based on
rock-n-roll beat has been excellently rendered by the lead singer Olavo.
The singer is adept at every style and can sing in any language with equal
ease. Just listen to the dulcet number Oh Mhojea Sopnnantlea Sukha,
a really irresistible and quite a complex one, vocalised by Olavo and
Bonita.
There's also a unique Birthday Song
thrown in. Olavo helps raise the curtains with it. Sharon Monteiro too
takes vocalising honours with a lovesong, Jitle Pautt…But one that
would take your breath away is Moga Mandolin, with the total ethnic
feel of the whistling render, with all the lilt and lusty lyrics
that traditional Goans songs have been known for. Sang re Juanv,
Dhaddinakai Chitti and Nanv Go Kitem list among the catchy
hits in the lighter vein. In fact, every song has something rare and
likable, listenable…
The concept
for Kor Cantar belongs to the producer, Jess Louis, a creative
graphic designer from Ponda. Jess always dreamt of producing music of the
right calibre in his mother-tongue Konkani. He always felt that he should
produce an everlasting masterpiece in its honour. But though he penned
poignant and meaningful lyrics, singing songs wasn't his forte. Having
tried to locate some one capble of linking his lovely lyrics to harmonious
music, he eventually came across Joaquim de Souza, a young and dynamic
musician. Joaquim helped translate Jess' dream into reality.
Once they found themselves thinking in
unison, it was time to find a good vocalist and they settled on Olavo, who
had won the Chris Perry contest last year and eventually was selected to
sing the lead for Chris' audio album Poilo Kiss. Olavo happens to
be a very creative artist, who can pick up instructions virtually
instantly, and that's exactly what Jess and Joaquim were looking out
for.
Eventually the album has been completed at
Whitney Studios in Margao and Kor Cantar was released at the hands
of rockstar Remo Fernandes last month.
The sort of songs included:
Birthday Song: A lovely birthday song, sung by someone to his beloved
on the auspicious day.
Dhaddinakai
Chitti: A romantic duet, in which a
young lover yearns to meet his girl frequently but she has to put up with
quite a lot of hurdles to share a few moments together.
Zaite Dis Zale:
Sensuous outpouring of a melancholic young man, who is visited by a lovely
maiden in his dreams. He wishes that his dreams may come
true.
Sang Re Joao: A suffering, rustic wife wonders what makes her spouse
return home drunk every day. But the tippler has a new excuse every new
day--to celebrate, to mourn, to share company, drown his
sorrows…
Moga Mandolin:
A chance meeting at the fair suffices
to set two youngs hearts aflutter, in ethnic Goan folk
rhythm
Fulam
Bhettoilim: A dulcet solo by a girl,
who muses about the young man, who smitten by her charms sings her
name---Do-re-thy--in place of Do-Re-Me while learning music at the
parochial music school.
Nanv go
Kitem? A flippant number set to lilting
Goan rhythm. It's about a boy meeting a girl on the way, and enamoured by
her beauty, anxious to win her over and her hesitation to fall for his
charms.
Kor
Cantar: The theme
song of the album agrees that life could be full of trying moments. But
its message is: learn to cheer up and sing a song of love to tide over any
trying situation.
Konkanni
Music...