With deep regret I received the following news of the death of Souza Guiao from Calangute. Thanks to Joel Desouza for his today's news. As a small boy I was associating with Souza Giao as he was a very good family friend of ours. As an sportsman, I have seen him playing Carrom at Calangute and soccer at Candolim even though he was at that time at receding ends. When I saw him playing Carrom at Calangute, he would start and finish without handing over the Striker to his opponent. At Arpora School during those days when the school had on its roll Goa's giants of sportsmen our senior teachers many times used to talk of Souza Guiao with superlative terminology. During my days the display wall of Arpora School had beautiful photos of those days best of sportsman and in one photo I saw Souza Guiao wearing the jersey of School for winning the championship in Carrom at All Goa Interschool tournamentl, so also in Soccer. When I saw him playing soccer at Candolim for Calangute just before the acquisition of Goa by Bharati Government, he was playing against the Pakles and inspite of being overage he played well. Thus giving an impression how good he must have been during his hey days. He was a good referee also.
As a singer he was second to none. He was the most melodious singer, his voice had certain charming and sweet qualities. According to Antoninho D'Souza the great Goan music Maestro at Emissora de Goa, Souza Guiao is the best Goan singer. No doubt he had base voice yet those knowing to appreciate melodious voice would surely appreciate something great in him. Mando singing was his speciality. He was expert in Mando, not only in singing but also in composing and arranging, traditional as well as original. It was he who introduced Mando to Calangute village by entering into Mando Festival in 1971/72. Fausto Andrade was the great lover of Mando and he wanted to challenge the might of Bhatkar and Bamon who used to feel that Mando is their heritage and speciality. Guiao was also an anti Bamon and anti Bhattkar. Fausto Andrade took the help of Guiao and formed a group called "Congottchim Lahram" which in the beginning only won innumerable prizes at All Goa Mando Festival that time organised at Cine National, Panjim. For original Mando the whole group looked like shakky specially the front liners, but when Guiao noticed this weakness in his colleagues, he took the lead and from the second line he gave such an excellent push for all the singers that everyone got elated and they finally won the first prize. I can still remember that wonderful dulpod in the traditional category where Guiao's voice made the whole table upside down in their favour and that traditional dulpod is none other than "Ago Suknnea Pipisa, tum khuim go gelolem" which was sung as lead singer by Guiao and the reply came from the most beautiful and youthful girls facing the gents thus "Aum Ghanttar Gelolim re bab aum ghantar gelolim". Then the gents sing thus "Ghantar go kiteak, the girls reply "Teo vavleo hadduncheak, the gents ask "teo vavleo go kiteak" teo maka ghontter koruncheak, re baba ghotter koruncheak" reply the girls. Speaking on this dulpod Dr. Gustvo Monteiro said that he never heard such a beautiful dulpod in his life time. Due to his association Congottchim Lahram gained lot of prominence and he was the right hand man of Fausto Andrade who was spending his money lavishly to organise his group for Mando Festivals. Thomazinho Cardoso was unknown entity as far as Mando was concerned. He was my colleague and Dr. Gustavo Monteiro was very close to me. Since many of our singers from Candolim joining Congottchim Lahram and helping that village to gain limelight I asked Dr. Gustavo Monteiro to make our own group. But Dr. Monteiro said it is not possible because we dont have anyone as Mandoist. Dr. Gustavo thought only Bamonn and Bhattkar only can take up this issue. Then I spoke to Tomazinho Cardoso who showed his inability in the beginning but after my insistence he agreed. First I told him to come and see what is Mando Festival and after learning its finer points next year you compose your own Mandos and enter. And admirably, Tomazinho came out first in all the categories, that was the greatness of Tomazinho Cardoso whom I salute. But it was Congottchim Lahraim in the beginning that gave some clues and ideas of Mandos to Tomazinho Cardoso when Tomazinho associated with Congottchim Lahram at Fausto Andrade's residence. That time Souza Guiao was prominent member of Congottchim Lahram.
As a tiatrist, Souza Guiao wrote number of Tiatros and staged them in many parts of Goa besides acting in innumerable tiatros of great tiatrists of that era. His well known tiatros of that time were "Ratnagiricho Mama and Buzadailo Bhott" and his best song was "Tivim Ghaum" in praise of Perpet Sucurro Saibinn". This song earned him accolades from top musicians and singers during Portuguese era including from top Portuguese Maestros. Some of his best comedy songs, duos he rendered with Jacinto Vaz and Alexinho de Candolim made use of him many times to give extra push for his tiatros.
As an Yodler he was the best and to my observation even the great Dioginho Demello was nothing to compare Guiao. Once in Bombay in mid forties there was an open contest scheduled at Bangwaddi Stage for Yodling between Guiao and Dioginho Demello, both were considered as giants in this field. To come out victorious Souza Guiao stopped eating certain type of food for so many days, stopped smoking and made many more sacrifices but unfortunately due to some reason he could not come for that scheduled contest. He was little smoker for fun but no drinker besides only occasional that too for any big occasion. He could really sing in number of languages including Spanish. During the late stages of Portugues rule in Goa, one Spanish dignitary came to Goa and in his honour Souza Guiao was selected by the then Goa authority to sing a Spanish song which Souza Guiao did in his own beautiful style and won praises from the top audience.
He had vast knowledge of old tiatros and tiatrists and the entire back ground of this field. Many times he used to share his knowledge with me and I learnt more of Tiatro from his mouth for which I thank him very much. He was very good friend of mine before coming to Kuwait and even later on. During my last trip to Goa we had very good time in discussing so many aspects of Goan life. In his death Goa lost a great singer, great sporstman and great personality. He was a great lover of Goa and Knonaki. He raised his voice for Portuese ouster from Goa but never intented to import replacement Portuguese in Goa. He was a very daring and challenging person. Physically he was very strong. In deep reverence for his abuntant talents I bow down my head and ask heavenly father to open heavenly gate for him. May his family that is his wife, only daughter who was my colleague at St. Xaviers College Mapusa and his son-in-law Elias gain courage to bear this colossal loss. It is a pity that such a man was born and brought up in Goa. If he was somewhere else in the West he would be world famous. But in Goa "prophets are not adored in their own locality". May the soul of Souza Guiao Rest In Peace".
A. Veronica Fernandes, Kuwait.
KONKANI SINGER SOUZA GUIAO NO MORE: Francisco Xavier Guiso De Souza, popularly known as Souza Guiao, a versatile personality, a singer and sportsman, who captured the hearts of Goans with his melodious and unique style of singing in the 1940s and 150s, expired on January 31 at his residence at Calangute. Born in 1923, Souza Guiao studied in St Joseph's High School, Arpora, he participated in hundreds of tiatrs as a singer. The excellent yodeler sang in English and Portuguese besides Konkani, a feat no other singer has so far achieved on the Konkani stage. He was the only artiste then to sing in Konkani, Portuguese and English at the then Emissora de Goa, which was broadcasting to all the Portuguese colonies. He was an all-Goa carrom champion and also a superb football player of the football team trained by late Lube Tavares. Even at the age of 81, he was very active and enjoyed walking, cycling and singing his own songs. His funeral took place on February 1. (Tomazinho Cardozo in NT)
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