[*]{*}[*]{*}[*]{*}[*]{*}[*]{*}[*]{*}[*]{*}[*]{*}[*]{*}[*]{*}[*]{*}[*]{*} Discuss Goa-related issues, post your comments to goanet@goanet.org Keep track of what others are discussing about Goa in cyberspace, visit http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/
[*]{*}[*]{*}[*]{*}[*]{*}[*]{*}[*]{*}[*]{*}[*]{*}[*]{*}[*]{*}[*]{*}[*]{*} FROM THE YOUNG BEACONS OF HOPE: DVORAK, PAGANINI, BEETHOVEN V. M. de Malar [EMAIL PROTECTED] Just when we needed it, three luminous young musicians brought pride and hope back to our beleaguered homeland. We've been brooding about evil recently, as a stunned populace comes to terms with the sordid Surlakar murder in what the police now call "a broader conspiracy" that led some of our brightest kids to fatally turn on a best friend. The lament is that we've abandoned wholesome values, destroyed the student-teacher bond, given up on hard work to pursue instant gratification. All of this is undoubtedly true, but there is more. For it, we need look no further than the concert at Kala Academy on the August 23, when Sanya Cotta, Joanne d'Mello and Andrea Fernandes lit up the auditorium "This is as good as it gets in India," said Bal Mundkur, who has been deeply involved with classical music in this country for the last 50 years, "given time, each can be world class if they keep working." Rui Lobo, founder-member of the excellent Goa Guitar Guild was even more expansive, "to see three musicians of such high standard come of age at the same time says something about Goa. There is hope, we have great potential that needs to be unlocked." It was this sentiment that suffused the atmosphere, as the musicians performed works by Dvorak, Paganini, Beethoven and others, as dozens of children sat entranced as these homegrown role-models demonstrated the heights which can be scaled right here in Goa. Like the others, Andrea Fernandes started music lessons early, from the age of five. After relocating to Goa from the Gulf, in 1998, and under the careful tutelage of Margarida Miranda, honours have come one after another. Highest marks in India at the Trinity College of Music exams. Distinction in the Performer's Certificate. And further excellence at the Escola de Musica do Conservatorio Nacional in Lisbon. Piano is a crowded, highly competitive field in classical music, but you can bet on the success of this personable young woman. At Kala Academy, she deftly executed a difficult Mozart Sonata among other pieces, fingers flashing and pony-tail swishing back and forth, a serious musician though just twenty-one. Joeanne d'Mello, the poised soprano with a stunningly pure voice that raises goosebumps, is so good at everything that even her mother admits that she's "special." Standout college science student, top-ranking NCC cadet who represented Goa at the Republic Day Parade, winner of the prestigious All India Voice Competition. She trained from an early age with Juliana D'Sa. The sky is the limit for Joanne, in the music world or not, she's the kind of all-rounder who will achieve anything she sets her heart on. But there is the undeniable fact that she's exceptionally gifted at music, with a voice that will grow bigger as she matures but already has a magical, lingering quality that's beautifully showcased by charming stage presence and assured delivery. And Sanya Cotta, an improbably compact dynamo whose extraordinary mastery of her instrument brings to mind prodigious young champions like the teenage Diego Maradona or the even younger Tiger Woods. What stage presence, what a personality. She squares those slender shoulders, and music simply explodes from her shuddering violin, fiendishly intricate compositions executed with tremendous flair and musicianship. Barely out of her teens, she's a headline act already, nurturing her talent at the Music University of Nuremberg after years of training with Myra Shroff. We'll be hearing from her for a long time to come. At the end of the concert, bathing in the applause of an grateful audience, the three girls took a long bow with their three teachers, a poignant moment with generations of striving sharing the stage with a trio of unlimited, bright futures. In a Goa that has recently been all dark cloud, this was silver lining. We needed a reminder of what is still possible. We needed to restore some balance, to dream again, to hope again. Kudos to Margarida, Myra and Juliana for nurturing these dreams. And a special, whole-hearted thank you to Andrea, Joanne and Sanya, for reminding us that hope is alive. Good luck as you go on to conquer new horizons. Goa is really proud of you. ----------------------------------------------------------------- VM de Malar, a Goanetter since 1995, now lives in Goa. GOANET-READER WELCOMES contributions from its readers, by way of essays, reviews, features and think-pieces. We share quality Goa-related writing among the 7000-strong readership of the Goanet/Goanet-news network of mailing lists. If you appreciated the thoughts expressed above, please send in your feedback to the writer. Our writers write -- or share what they have written -- pro bono, and deserve hearing back from those who appreciate their work. GoanetReader welcomes your feedback at goanet@goanet.org ----------------------------------------------------------------- Goanet, building community, creating social capital for a decade. ----------------------------------------------------------------- g _______________________________________________ Goanet-news mailing list Goanet-news@lists.goanet.org http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-news-goanet.org