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JOHNSON CARVALHO
In idyllic Siolim, a village cast in mother nature's exquisite mould, rare events occur regularly. Joaozinho Carvalho's birth turned out to be one such event. By the time the music maestro breathed his last, he had regaled generations of Goans at weddings, dances, tiatrs and other occasions. His famed 'Johnson & His Jolly Boys' band earned him immense praise. BRAZ FERNS throws some light on the maestro's life. ON the Zanzibar island in Africa, was born a boy on March 8, 1913, to a modest couple from Siolim. The gifted child, christened Joaozinho Carvalho, would shine like a star and earn fame for himself and Goan music, and would be known as Johnson by virtue of his famed band "Johnson & His Jolly Boys". One feels rather inadequate to describe the life and work of this grand legend. While Joaozinho was nine months old, his parents bid adieu to Africa and returned to native Siolim with a lot of hope in their hearts. His father, however, returned to Africa, leaving behind little Joaozinho and his mother in Goa. At that time Goans had already established themselves as the "Italians of the East" as far as music was concerned. Like other Goan village, Siolim too had a well-known music maestro in Zeferino D'Cruz in Marna. He led a fine brass band and he was known as a "band master". He managed the parochial music school besides being the choir master at the Church of St Anthony. Several boys would come to him to learn to play the violin and other instruments. Quite a few of them hailed from the neighbouring villages too. In course of time, D'Cruz's pupils too earned fame in their own rights. They included Anthoninho D'Souza (music director of All India Radio, Panjim) and Reginaldo Fernandes, who is also Konkani's best known novelist to date. None but the best Joaozinho Carvalho possessed an old violin, with which he went to learn music under the great band master while he was about 8 years old. By the time he was 18, Joaozinho too could hold his own in the art of music. The dynamic youngster founded his own group called "Joaozinho e seu Conjunto Allegre" at the age of 22. He soon changed the name to "Johnson & His Jolly Boys", a top notch band which ruled the roost for over 44 years in Goa. In those good old days, one hadn't heard of the type of sophisticated sound system, amps and mixers. Joaozinho possessed powerful vocal chords and he embellished its quality and timber with the held of a megaphone. With the megaphone in hand Joaozinho would regale excited music and dance lovers right through the night. It was when Goan weddings would last for two days. And the band charged merely Rs.23 per performance while today we hear of figures even beyond Rs.23,000 being charges by our bands. Siolim's one-time great footballer Dom Lube Augusto Tavora and events arranger Vasco Alvares once wrote in a magazine, "By virtue of Johnson's popularity, he band had to be booked one year in advance." Such was his fame. He was much sought after for weddings, dances, tiatr and others occasions. If Johnson & His Jolly Boys were not available, many would not hesitate to change their wedding dates. Quite often we hear about a funny event in Joaozinho's life. Having played the violin for four nights on the trot, on the fifth night he was overcome by sleep and without his knowledge the bow of his violin slipped from his fingers and fell on the ground. That wasn't the age quick transport connecting the interior villages of Goa, particularly after sunset. Hence he would generally travel to the place of the performance on his sturdy bicycle. While returning from a wedding early in the morning, sleep attacked him once again, and he toppled over from his bike along with the violin. A noteworthy composer He was a multi-talented person. His dominant bass voice thrilled the tiatr audiences too. Tiatr directors would even take him specially for their performance to Mumbai, Karnataka and other places, to sing, because the calibre of his compositions was unbeatable. He spared no pains to score expressive music for English as well as Latin masses. Moreover, he has composed several religious hymns, which are being sung even today. In 1960, he composed one of Konkani's most popular and most sung hymn "Aileaum Maie Magunk Mozot Tuji", to be sung for the novena of our Lady of Perpetual Succour at St Christopher's Church in Tivim. Besides choir, Joaozinho went ahead and composed several Konkani mandes and dulpods. He has even lent bewitching music to such ethnic songs composed by other artistes. The rich calibre of his music can be heard in the folksongs of Tomazinho Cardozo. It Tomazinho's "Kandolechim Kirnam" ensemble picked prizes almost at will, quite a percentage of the credit goes to Joaozinho. For "Fr Agnel Onod Goencho" audio cassette produced by maestro Fr Peter Cardozo, the music arrangement was carried out by Joaozinho. "Lokh Gitancho Porzoll" cassette too featured his music. Joaozinho had brief teaching stints at the Pilar Music School and Panjim's St Cecelia Music School. A footballer too Siolkars are known to love their doze of feni and plenty of football. One isn't really sure whether Joaozinho adored feni, but he really did that in football. He was an intelligent play maker with a powerful kick. Those who watched him play at the full back position of Lube's crack outfit "KITEM FINE', still talk about his merit as a footballer. In 1939, Joaozinho was selected for the "All Goa XI" team which clashed with "Young Goans of Bombay" on January 25. At the Panjim ground, the Mumbai team was no match to the hosts and suffered a 4-2 defeat. He played batminton too and he participated in most of the competitions in whichever village they were held, amassing trophies. A rare chord Eventually we arrive at another aspect of Joaozinho's prodigious capability. By virtue of his expertise in music, several children--boys as well as girls--would come to learn music from him at his house. This went on till his sad demise. Among his pupils were Vicky (Rosy) and her sister. While teaching music Joaozinho suddenly picked up the seventh chord on his guitar, the unheard music touched two young hearts. In 1964, Vicky and Joaozinho Carvalho were joined in holy matrimony. They have two sons--Jude and Juvencio. During the Portuguese rule, Joaozinho performed at the "Emissora de Goa" (All India Radio, Panjim). Goa's celebrated cartoonist Mario Miranda pays his tributes to Johnson & His Jolly Boys through a cartoon, which evokes laughter and heaps praise on the band in a book titled "Goa with Love". Well-known Goans like Augusto Braganza (Haystack, Arpora), music maker Emiliano D'Cruz, cartoonist Alexyz and director of Solfegio Music School Fr Carlos Mendes have felicitated Joaozinho. Rockstar Remo Fernandes featured him on the "Mega Mix" French Television. The felicitations were crowned with the Goa government awarding him the "Goa State Cultural Award" in 1993, for his immense contribution to Goan music. The irony in his life was that his immense talent brought him fame, respect and recognition but not enough pecuniary benefit. But to be popular with Goans even at the age of 83, was no mean achievement. At 83, the simple, honest, patient, hardworking and devout musician took his leave from his earthly connection. He was soft spoken. On Mai 13, 1996, he had proceeded with his choir group which included Vicky, Jude, Juvencio and others, to Vagator. After returning home in the evening, he was relaxing in the balcao when he suddenly felt something happening to him. The end came very silently and took him away to his heavenly abode before he could utter any word. A large crowd of his admirers thronged for his funeral on May 15, 1996, at St Anthony Church in Siolim. While Joaozinho's mortal remains were being lowered into the grave, Goa's popular musician Emiliano D'Cruz played the tune of "Adeus Korchea Vellar" on his violin. Tears appeared on every eye at that moment. It was a tearful farewell to one of Goa's best known musician and band leader.
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