Goan bands and musicians are now travelling the world entertaining the masses. This has increasingly become a trend and it is expected to increase in the New Year. For quite a few the world is certainly their oyster.
For veteran musician Colin D’cruz of Jazz Junction, it has
been a busy year with shows in Russia, Macau, USA and Canada. Plans are afoot
for more shows In Canada in July 2024 as the opening act for A26 in three more
shows scheduled in that country. Colin said, “Bands that were really good would
catch the attention of someone in some part of the world and they get invited.
This is the digital age and most bands have their music uploaded online which
can be accessed by anyone anywhere and that’s how it all happens.”
One of the more popular bands in the state is undoubtedly
A26. Lester the lead vocalist and band manager said there were plans for a show
in Canada in July. He said the band was doing several shows out of Goa in
various cities of the country. He said they were not targeting business abroad
but when they received enquiries, they would not turn it down if their
conditions were all met. The band he said charged around Rs 5.5 lakhs per show.
Lester said they were living out of a briefcase with several shows taking place
every month. They were doing several weddings and hi end parties. They were
also planning a one off show in New Zealand for the Indian community in that
country. Lester laughed and said that people think it is a great life
travelling all over the world but it was a job. Technically he said their
passion had become a business. India he said was booming and so business was
booming too. They had 18 shows in December, with many of them in different
cities of the country like Kolkata, Mumbai and Bengaluru. He said cities like
Lucknow were now opening up and Rajasthan was a state they went to quite
regularly. He ended by saying going abroad was great but there was a lot of
business in the country too.
Another popular band in Goa is Black in White. Edmund Gomes,
the bassist in the band said they had performed in London in August and were
now planning to travel to Vietnam and Bahrain in January. They would be
entertaining in private events. He said they were getting business thanks to
their presence on various digital platforms. But he said the best advertising
for them was when they performed abroad and people would see and hear them
first hand. That would then convince the prospective clients to hire them. In
December they would be based in Goa doing weddings and sangeet and corporate
events. The charge incurred he said would depend on several aspects. The client
would bear all their costs like stay and transport. In Goa he said they would
do Goan weddings as well as destination weddings and to cater to the evolving
needs of clients, they would perform in English as well as Hindi.
For Tony Fernandes the bassist of Tidal Waves, the need for
new work was there but was not desperate. He said, “If someone likes us they
will hire us. We don’t market ourselves. Yes, we did Dubai recently, we
performed in a pub. We performed in Dubai twice and once in the UK. Two of them
were Goan cultural events and one was the pub gig.” He said their music was
available on Youtube, Instagram and other platforms. He said they were on these
platforms but not in the manner as was required in this day and age. This month
they will be performing in Bengaluru. The band of four charges Rs.95,000 per
show.
For actress and singer Ester Noronha who has done Konkani
shows in Canada and the UAE, the need to gauge reactions to her new songs was
very important. She said, “Quality is very important and I present the show
based on the organisers and audience’s request. I have enquiries for shows in
Kuwait and the UK from the Goan community, even Dubai”. She said her charges
were always on the requirements of the organisers”.
Goan entertainers are known for their talent and their
expertise and this is becoming increasingly common knowledge around the world.
Expect many more Goan bands and entertainers to make it to the international
stage in the years to come.