MONDAY, JULY 08, 2024
Ajit John
One of Goa’s more interesting musicians quietly went into the world beyond in a less than an ideal way. William D’Souza, one of the most innovative and experimental drummers from Goa was found dead at his residence in Mapusa. He was 62. It is estimated that he was dead for a week when his decomposing body was found by friends who made the police burst into his house when he did not respond to their request to open the door. He would have celebrated his birthday on July 2. His death has evoked emotions among musicians in Goa and Bengaluru, a place where he performed extensively.
Colin D’Cruz, a veteran bassist said, “William D’Souza was one of Goa’s most innovative and boldly experimental drummers who swam against the usual commercial tide. Highly intelligent to the point of eccentricity, he lived life and pursued his art on his own terms.” He had performed with Colin in his band, Jazz Junction, off and on. The last time they performed together was at the Mapusa Market Vendors’ Christmas show in Goa. He said, “Goa has lost an unsung yet great artiste. May his soul rest in peace.”
Jazz guitarist Gerard Machado said William played with him in his band Network and was an important member in the band. The band, he said, was still functioning. They had recorded an album in 1993 called ‘Spectrum’ and it was released by Crescendo, which is now Sony Music. He said William played percussion and did a fantastic job. He said, “William has left something for all of us to listen to. He was a good friend of mine. He performed in more than 300 shows in Bengaluru. He loved Carnatic music and was great with fusion music. I had a fusion band called ‘Megha’. William played in that line-up. It is sad he is gone. It is quite shocking, his body was found days after his death. People are sad as the way he went was terrible. He was alone when he went. I learned about his death on the day after his birthday. Everyone is shocked here in Bengaluru. He knew a lot of people here in Bengaluru.”
Another guitarist in Bengaluru, who knew him well is Jagadeesh M R said that they played together and they have known each other since 2000. He said, “I used to admire him. We were looking for a drummer and when he came on board, it was a pleasure to perform with him. He was a great drummer, it is a pity he should have been so much bigger. He went to Germany and played in a band. He was quite unique. It is a pity he died alone. It is very sad. A lot of musicians in Bengaluru are talking about him. He is a character who cannot be forgotten. Loneliness is the worst. His last post was on May 27. He was very prompt with his presence online. William is unforgettable.” Jagadeesh also stated that “William was more popular in Bengaluru than in Goa”.
Well known singer Donna Noronha said William played with her father in ‘Sky’. “He was the first drummer to join the band. There were several drummers who came and went but William stood out. He was very creative and very good at what he did. He learned different styles, with Indian classical being his core. He trained and made it part of his style. He was a nice gentle soul.”
William’s one-time landlord and fellow musician Sylvester Monteiro had a lot of good things to say about him. “We used to jam together. I knew him from the 80s. He stayed in my flat with his mother in Mapusa. Very nice guy, very talkative, very music minded. He used to bang the table and make music. I play the Harmonica, American flute, and the Jawharp, and we used to jam together often. I knew him for a very long time. I had a pub and he used to come there. I made small videos and he was in some of them.”
Another wellknown musician, Herman Abreo, said William was one of the best he ever worked with. “I have worked in Germany and I can say that he was special. I used to call him Willie. We would go cycling to Anjuna to see him play with the Europeans and he stood out. He played with a lot of German musicians. He started going to Bengaluru to the famous Classical College of Percussion. He used to go there as a visiting student. It is famous worldwide. He was exposed to different musical styles there.”
William played in various pop bands. As a person he was dedicated to his mother. Herman said he went over and beyond to take care of his mother. As a musician, he played in the 1991 edition of the Jazz Yatra. “William was like a drum machine who played like a metronome. There was no Goenkar who played like him. He was an honest simple god-fearing man who lived a simple life,” he concluded
He even touched people’s lives beyond the world of music. Herman’s wife Adolfina said William inspired her to become a classical dancer. A Bharatnatyam dancer, she said William would play a lot of Carnatic music. He took her to the institute to learn dance. She said he was the only drummer who could play the complex drum beats on the song ‘Walking on the Moon’ by the Police. “He was the only guy who played with the hippies and it gave him a rich experience. He was a very funny guy and I admired the manner in which he took care of his mom, who was bedridden. He was a good Samaritan and he knew how to take care of the elderly. I knew him from 1981 and he would spend nights practising intensively. I can never forget him because he was the best man at our wedding,” Adolfina said.
