World Goa Day was started by the World Alliance of Goan Associations on August 20, 2000 for Goans
over the world to celebrate their culture and heritage. Rene Barreto, whose
vision in promoting World Goa Day was to unite the Goan associations on this
day, spearheaded a movement to bring Goans together on a global level. Now,
World Goa Day is celebrated on every continent of the world. “We have 21 World
Goa Day participants. It is through hard work and motivation that the Global
Goan Associations have come together. It has been a full time job trying to get
others to help out. This year has been a great achievement as for the first
time, Goans in the Tri State (five Goan Associations) have come together. Goans
are standing up for unity. We have been getting important Goan leaders and
impressing on them the importance of working together,” says Rene.
Closer to home, in Goa itself, World Goa
Day is being organised by Verma D’Mello and Elvis Dias for and on behalf of the
Global Goans Network, on August 25, 2018 at The Farmhouse, Varca. Elvis says,
“The World Goa Day, Goa 2018 will kick off with a fishing/angling competition
that will bring about the idea of ‘Catch Your Own Fish’ followed by traditional
group dances by Goychim Lharam. The children will be introduced to the age old
games like seven tiles, marbles, etc. The evening will also feature a Ballroom
dance competition that will showcase Latin/Western dances. The band in
attendance, Rhythm & Blues, will be belting out Latin, Jazz and Konkani
songs. The music will also feature a ghumott circle with the idea of uplifting
this very traditional instrument with the theme ‘Glorifying the Ghumut’. Local
Goan brew Feni will be featured with the help of a professional mixologist
demonstrating exotic cocktails and also inviting the participants to take part
in a cocktail-making competition.”
The Goan Association of Australia INC
working with Global Goans Network will present Goa Day 2018 celebrating Goan
women on August 26, 2018 at the Menzies Avenue, Dandenong, Australia. The
entertainment will be provided by Shezwan Sos and DJ Ben. “Our women are
serving a home cooked meal and we plan to have a game that will involve Konkani
and a sing along Mando session with Kunbi dancing,” says Gerard Lobo, President
of Goan Association of Australia, Victoria, Australia.
“Gerard Lobo has helped me in a big way
this year. He has brought in all the Goan associations in Australia together
and formed an alliance of Goan Association- Australia,” adds Rene. The Goan
associations in Australia include Goan Overseas Association, New South Wales,
Clube de Goa, Brisbane, Goan Overseas Association, Western Australia, Goan
Overseas Association of Victoria and Goan Association of Australia, Victoria.
The Goan Welfare Society in Nairobi, Kenya under the
Chairmanship of Daryl Azavedo will be celebrating World Goa Day on August 25,
2018 from 6:30pm to 10pm. “We commence our celebrations on Saturday with Lorna,
the ‘Nightingale of Goa’, performing at the Goan Institute in Pangani. This is
Lorna’s first trip to Africa and promises to be a splendid experience. Joanne
Fernandes, winner of the Voice of Goa, will also grace the stage with her
melodious voice. Norman Cardozo from Goa will be joining them. To celebrate our
language, Konkani, a number of our very own talented Goans will perform a
variety of songs. Ranging from the young to the young at heart, everyone will
have the spotlight. The entire event was the brain-child of Colin Carneiro, who
is the current Treasurer of the Goan Welfare Society in Nairobi,” says
Lily-Anne Fernandes-Ringera, a member of the Goan Welfare Society, Nairobi,
Kenya. The celebrations will continue on Sunday with the Holy Mass at the Goan
Institute, where they will pray for the women in the community, keeping in mind
this year’s theme of World Goa Day. This will be followed by luncheon that will
have Goan delicacies on offer including a tinto with pickles and sweet Goan
treats as well as Goan sausages up for sale.
Effie Tavares is organising World Goa Day in New Jersey, USA. “World
Goa Day will be held on September 23, 2018 in New Jersey. This is also a first
of its kind as there has never been a World Goa Day held in the New York/ New
Jersey/ Pennsylvania tri-state area. For this event, we collaborated with the
many Goan organisations in the area. The list of activities planned for the day
include live music, singing, talent shows, fancy dress competitions, games, and
cultural showcases of the many festivals celebrated by Goans today. There will
also be informative lectures on social topics affecting us today by Dr Suzette
Barreto and Rev Dr Allan Tavares (Society of Pilar). We will also be having
food stalls featuring Goan and international cuisine. We wanted to make World
Goa Day an event that can be celebrated by the entire family. The theme
officiated this year, by the founder of Goa Day, Rene Barreto, is ‘Aamchi
maati, amchi bhaas’, says Effie, who along with her son, Gladson, has produced
three Konkani plays over the last eight years in the USA.
Viva Goa Festival 2018 was the largest Goan festival in North
America that celebrated Goan culture, cuisine, music and arts in Toronto,
Canada. A community thanksgiving mass was held in support of Catholic Missions
in Canada, celebrated by Bishop Alwyn Barreto from Goa along with Toronto based
ex Archbishop of Karachi Arch Bishop Larry Saldanha, Fr Martin Pereira and Fr
Lionel Braganza from Don Bosco, Kuwait. The mass was celebrated as a unity
along with all the Goan Village Associations. The Goan Overseas Association
(GOA) brought in Legends of Goa, Lorna Cordeiro and Norman Cardozo backed by
the band Goa Amigos which was attended by a crowd of over 4000 attendees
including Goans from all over USA as well.
The
GOA ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ was presented to Lorna by the Mayor of the
City of Mississauga, Madame Mayor Bonnie Crombie. Selwyn Collaco, President of
Goan Overseas Association, Toronto says, “Lorna’s accomplishments as a powerful
and captivating singer not only transcends generations but even more so, as a
woman who has gone through a lot of adversity and yet contributed so much and
continues to do so, to our Goan culture and music.” Keith Pereira, an upcoming
country singer from Auckland, New Zealand, enthralled the crowd and was backed
by the band Memory Lane. The festival included entertainment from cultural
dances by seniors and kids, local bands and Canada’s top violinist Grenville
Pinto. Goan vendors sold pickles, authentic Goan food, and had a display of
Goan arts and crafts. The day also included various sporting events volleyball,
swimming and carrom.