A miracle worker, St Francis Xavier was a missionary and is still working for the people of Goa. Held every 10 years, the decennial Exposition of the Holy Relics of St Francis Xavier will be held in Old Goa from November 2024 to January 2025. The previous exposition was held in 2014, making this upcoming event as the 28th exposition since the tradition’s inception. To take the works of this Saint to a wider audience and to invite devotees from all corners of the Earth, various singers and musical artistes have been encouraged to perform songs dedicated to the exposition. Various musicians and singers started showing their interest in penning songs and creating videos on the exposition.
One of the first singers was Cezar D’Mello, a noted tiatrist, singer and composer, who wrote the song ‘Bhag Francisk Xavier Achem Expozisaum - St Francis Xavier Exposition’ with music arrangements and recording by Mukesh Ghatwal, cinematography by Rozario Estibeiro and video editing by Irene Rocha. The lead singers of the song are Fr Alfred Vaz, Irene Rocha, Sheryl Vas and Cezar D’Mello (Mel). Cezar included famous musicians Linda Diniz, a State Cultural Awardee on keyboards, Sheryl Vas on violin and Dr Glenis Mendonsa, a professor, on guitar for the choir. “The song has received a great response from music lovers from all over the world and I hope it encourages them to make the journey back home to Goa for the exposition,” says Cezar, who is next working on a song, ‘Kombo Santan’
with Kevin D’Mello and two Goan actresses. The video will be directed by David Furtado.
Fr Patricio Fernandes, rector of Basilica of Bom Jesus has been instrumental in encouraging musicians and singers to come forward with new compositions to create awareness about the Exposition. “I have encouraged Konkani singers and musicians and there have been songs which have been released over the past few months. Most of these songs have been in Konkani except for Ana Mateus Productions which has released a song in Konkani and English and will be soon releasing a new English songs. We have been promoting these songs on social media too. There are many singers and musicians who are also working individually too,” says Fr Patricio.
Heading Ana Mateus Productions is Anthony Clessy Dias, from Santo Estevam. Son of Ana Brigida Josefina Dias and Mateus Ricardo Dias, who were singers, Anthony is also the brother of noted musician, Anjliu Reniy Dias. “I was inspired by my parents and my brother who was singing from a very young age and later on played and sang with bands like Scarf, Performers, Legends, India, and in Mumbai with High Tide and in UK with Big Dream,” says Anthony, who also won many singing competitions with the most prestigious one being ‘Stars in your Eyes’, a competition on the cruise line while he was working for P & O Cruises.
Currently in the UK since 2017, he took up music more seriously and guided by Anjliu Reniy, he released his original compositions through songs like ‘Save Us’, ‘Be with us Mother Mary’, ‘When we don’t Know’, ‘I love you my Goa’, ‘Cova da Iria’ and ‘Here in St Stephen’.
“Fr Patricio Fernandes gave me an opportunity to write the songs on the exposition of St Francis Xavier 2024 and I released two songs, ‘Give Christ to the World’ in Konkani and English with music by Cannon D’Souza and videography by Jerry Dsouza and ‘Bhag Hem Amkam’, with Briana Barbosa, Antonieta Dias, Anjliu Reniy Dias, Briana Pereira, a Konkani song with music by Cannon D’Souza and videography by Jaime Gonsalves,” says Anthony.
“The next song will be ‘Messengers of the Good News,’ a song in English, performed by Anjliu Reniy Dias, Antonieta Dias, Mark Dias with music by Prannoy Fernandes and videography by Allan Chan which will be released soon. I have sung in all the songs,” says Anthony.
Hailing from Naroa, Divar, Fabiola Lopes e Fernandes, a musician and music teacher has been an integral part of the choir at Old Goa for almost two decades. She has also been playing the violin and keyboard for the St Francis Xavier Novena since 2007 and this year will mark her second Exposition. What makes it more special for her is that her daughter, Chriselle Fernandes, who at the age of 7 years, played the violin for nine Masses at last exposition will also join her for this year’s Eucharistic celebrations during the Novena.
“Sam Francis Amcho Patron’ was the original melody composed by my grandfather Roque Rosario Lopes from Cumbarjua and his brother Anthony Lopes, a musician who played for Bollywood in Bombay. Besides these two the veteran musicians, their Goan friends also sang the same. Now, I have rearranged the composition and sang the same in two versions, A Capella with soprano and alto voices and also with keyboard, violins in soprano and alto voices. It’s a beautiful happy catching melody with Chriselle Fernandes on alto violin, Ransley Rodrigues on soprano violin, Sheena Alphonso, Myron Pereira and Benjamin Monserrate with vocals and I have played the keyboard and sang in soprano voice,” says Fabiola, who teaches violin, guitar, flute and keyboard. She also motivates her young students as they have performed in these videos.
She further adds, “I have also performed the instrumental version of ‘U20 San Francis Xaveira Vhodda Khunvra’ in soprano, alto, tenor, bass, harmony voices with music arranged by Fr Joe Rodrigues and additional music by me. The keyboard version of the hymn is also enhanced with fillings notes. The U20 instrumental version is performed by Chriselle Fernandes, Sheena Alphonso, Andrea D’Souza, Kimberly Almeida and Simone Pereira.”
The next song to be released shortly is the instrumental version of the ‘U31 Sonvsarak Jezu Diat’ hymn with Chriselle Fernandes on cello, Benjamin Monserrate on flute, Fabiola Lopes e Fernandes, Myron Pereira, Simone Pereira, Kimberly Almeida, Nevan Gomes on violins. “These hymns will be played on all screens during the Novena, exposition during break time and before and after Masses,” says Fabiola, of the songs uploaded on the St Francis Xavier Official Basilica Bom Jesus Goa YouTube channel.
The youngest singer to release her song dedicated to Goa’s Patron Saint is Anle Barbosa, a Class X student of Perpetual Succour Convent High School, Navelim. Her song, ‘Goemchem Saibachem Exposition 2024’ has been an instant hit on social media and has been appreciated for her vocals. Daughter of Anthony and Leanna Timudo from Manora, Raia, it was her father’s dream that she sings the song for the exposition of the Sacred Relics of St Francis Xavier. The song was penned by Soccoro de St Cruz and the music is by Norman Cardozo. “I am very happy to receive such wonderful feedback from all who heard my song. I am especially happy that the song was released on the same day of the episcopal ordination of Fr Simião Purificação Fernandes as the Auxiliary Bishop of Goa and Daman,” says Anle.
Anle has been a brilliant performer on stage right from her early days in school and she came in the limelight after performing in award winning tiatrs like ‘Zhadda Tengxer’ at the Children’s Tiatr Competition, where she made her tiatr debut, ‘Khol Khol Baim’ at this year’s Children’s Tiatr Competition and ‘Hunvar’ at the Kala Academy’s ‘B’ group Tiatr Competition, where she won the Best Duet with noted Konkani singer Jose Mascrenhas. All these tiatrs are directed by Marcos Gonsalves.
As a singer, she has performed for several Konkani musical shows alongside top artists. Besides singing, she is also playing the keyboard for the 6.30 am and 8 am Masses at Padre Pio Chapel, Moddi Navelim. “Sr Liberata Fernandes, headmistress of Perpetual Succour Convent High School, and my teachers and classmates have been very supportive and encouraged me. I am also very grateful to my music teacher, George Gonsalves, for guiding me in my musical journey,” concludes Anle.