GOANOW - Tribute(April 1999)

Born on October 27, 1925, in a Calangute family of distinguished medical lineage, Dr Jose Bento do Rosario Souza Egipsy, was one of the seven children of late Clara and late Dr Eduardo Egipsy, the gynaecologist and anaesthesiologist. Dr Bento completed the five-year Licentiate at Escola Medica-Cirurgica de Goa in 1959, and worked as a lecturer in surgery at the GMC and as a health officer in Pernem.

On November 5, 1956, the Portuguese government selected him for overseas study scholarship at the renowned Coimbra University in Portugal. He earned the degree in Medicine and Surgery in such colours that he was selected for three scholarships in a row, which made him a superspecialist surgeon.

With training in cardiovascular surgery at the Centro de Cirurgia Cardio-Vascular da Zona Zul in Lisbon, he assisted its director Dr J Decio Ferreira in operations and experimental surgery. He was awarded the British Council scholarship for training in speciality thoracic surgery at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital at Birmingham in England. Dr Bento worked at the Thoracic Surgical Centre at Bromsgrove and was elected member of the Thoracic Surgeons of England.

On his return, he was appointed Surgeon Specialist and redesignated Superintendent of the Sanatorio St Jose at Margao, then the only centre for thoracic surgery in the entire Konkan region. With path-breaking surgeries and the first-ever Pneumomectomy for cancer of the lung and others, young Dr Egipsy shot into prominence, performing thousands of complicated surgeries at the TB Sanatorium and at his own hospital (Casa de Saude). Dr Bento even replaced a part of a patient's lung with a ping-pong ball and amputated a part of the lung to arrest the fast spreading disease. The patient lived into old age.

He leaves behind his widow Tessie. His elder son Dr Ivan is an ENT specialist at Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai and the second son Dr Yurii is postgraduating in Obstetrics and Gynaeocology.

When a patient suffering from terminal cancer asked Dr Bento how long he would live, the good doctor told him "longer than me". He was right because he succumbed to coronary blocks, discovered some four years ago by Dr Francisco C Colaco.

But Dr Bento remained ever humble unassuming which endeared him to patients far and wide. Dr Bento updated his knowledge of medicine continuously by pouring over medical journals even after a hard day's work. When Dr Bento breathed his last on February 14, 1999, many wept bitterly because he was a family surgeon to thousands. Doutor Ejipsy readily attended to anyone who knocked at his door at any time of the day and night. They hadn't seen a doctor better and more understanding than him.

Writes Max de Loyola Furtado in Mirror/Herald, "When the pall-bearers lowered the coffin into the final resting place at the Holy Spirit cemetery, on February 15, 1999, it was the internment of an era, the burial of Goa's pioneering spirit, if not the final adieu to a blithe spirit that so adeptly blended medical expertise with missionary charity."

Courtesy: Valmiki Faleiro and Max de Loyola Furtado

Maestro Missed: Professor Micael Martins

Professor Micael Martins was born in the pristine Orlim village in Salcette on October 29, 1914. I know him from 1947 as a colleague in the musical profession though I never had any occasion to perform with him. He did his Licentiate Teaching Diploma in 1947 alongwith Ms Myra Menzies Shroff (then D'Souza) in 1947. Though Micael was trained by Monsr Jules Craen, my father, the late Prof P J Saldanha, was the accompanist for his LTCL exam.

Having qualified as an adept musician, Micael was much sought after to play for Hindi movies. In fact, after the death of Adrian D'Mello (leader of the Bombay Philarmonic Orchestra), Micael was the next in command.

Goa has produced several musicians of great calibre but rarely any of them have ploughed their talent to nurture the ethnic music of their native place. Micael stood out as an exception. He will be always remembered for his invaluable contribution to Goan folk songs--mandos, dulpods, etc--in which he was a recognised authority. He managed to fuse a rare blend of Western and Indian music, emulating Indian ragas. For this he received several international awards. Of course, his specialisation was church music and for his invaluable contribution in this field, Micael was awarded the Pro Ecclesaie Pontifici by the Vatican.

Nothwithstanding his immense contribution to western music in India, Micael always remained a humble man, dedicated to his profession, not so much as a teacher but definitely as a performer par excellence.

He has a wide range of compositions to his credit, covering several styles: religious, secular and even compositions which have a slight jazzy flavour.

Micael Martins was literally the backbone of any orchestra in Bombay. He was always unruffled and meticulously followed the directions of the conductor. Moreover, he exhorted his colleagues in the orchestra to follow the direction of the conductor, whatever the situation.

Incidentally, he was also a specialist in the solfejo system like several Goan musicians but very few Goan musicians can boast of the grasp of the system. Being a resident of Mahim, Bombay, Micael was instrumental in conducting practically all the novenas in honour of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour every Wednesday.

Micael never smoked cigarettes but prefered the country-made beedi. Micael had the gift and the power to move the hearts of men, and bring tears to the eyes of women with his brand of excellent music, which I know for definite, was all meant to glorify God. He would always prefer to be in the background. His only ambition in life was to exalt God's holy name and lived up to this ideal until his sad demise on February 9, 1999, leaving behind his grief-stricken wife Zelia.

Arnold Saldanha: Former Dean of Music Studies and Sr Professor of Music of the Kenya Conservatoire of Music, appointed on the advisory committee of the Kala Academy of Western music, and teacher of piano theory and harmony (Directory of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations).

Dr F M R no more

The passing away of Dr Francis M Rebello, wellknown gynaecologist from Margao and a staunch Konkani activist on March 30, 99, has shocked many in Goa. The Goa Union of Journalists have express their shock because Dr Rebello was the former editor of Novem Goem, a unique people's daily in Konkani.

Along with other Konkani lovers, Dr Rebello had worked hard to collect funds through the formation of the Novem Goem Prathishthan. Novem Goem suffered the pangs of survival through troubled times but DR Rebello was one of the few leaders who did not shirk his responsbility and tried his utmost to keep it alive. During his stint as the editor, he displayed a strong commitment to social causes, Konkani language and other humanitarian issues.

He loved Konkani dearly right from his college days at St Xaviers College, Bombay. He was a former president of the Konkani Bhasha Mandall in Goa and was associated with the Konkani Porjecho Avaz.

Dr Rebello leaves behind his wife Dr Sicletica, daughters Dr Gleena, Dr Gleeson and Dr Shomreena. The bereaved family includes his brothers Fr Michael, Adv J S Rebello besides his sisters.

Tiatrist Greg passes away

Greg Fernandes, popularly known as Greg de Candolim, acted on the Konkani stage for well nigh 40 years. He was born on 10,1935, in scenic Candolim. His debut on the stage was in female roles and he excelled in duets. Later on he took to comic and character roles, performing in more than 100 tiatrs. Each of these were performed several times in Goa, Bombay, Pune, Ahmedabad, New Delhi, in East Africa and the Gulf.

Greg, always full of mirth, was the founder member of the Young Stars of Goa and the Konkani Tiatristanchi Sounstha. He had penned several tiatrs including Ximiterint Ekvott. He had also acted in most of the Konkani movies and in a couple of video films.

Even a bypass surgery four years ago could prevent him from acting. Greg expired in Candolim on March 10, 1935, leaving behind his wife Sabina (also a veteran tiatrist) and two sons.