Today, February 19, 2006, it is one year since my ganv-bhav, Francis Peter
Thomas DSouza, one of the most adorable tiatrists of the Konkani stage,
popularly known to all as Bab Peter de Anjuna, passed away. His sudden
and untimely death was a terrible blow to the Tiatro fraternity which has
left a void in Konkani stage.
Bab Peter was a happy-go-lucky person always with a warm smile on his face.
Although we hail from the same place but since he resided in Bombay, I got
to know him personally when he visited Bahrain in 1978; I was fortunate to
act with him in two dramas.
The late Chris Perry, who had his resident band in Moon Plaza Hotel in
Juffair at the time, brought Bombay actors - Seby Coutinho, Joe Rose, Rico
Rod, Antonette, Fatima, Alfred Rose, Titta Pretto, Bab Peter and Ophelia to
stage two dramas in Manama. The shows went on well but the attendance was
poor. As a result, some of the artists, including Bab Peter & his family
faced problems to return home because they did not have a return ticket.
While everyone managed to get home with their friends/relatives help, Bab
Peter, Ophelia and their 6-month old daughter, Babli, were stranded in
Bahrain. They, too, managed to go to Beirut to Mohana but they had to stay
back in Bahrain for around ten days. It was at this time that I
accommodated Bab Peter and his family in my apartment until they left
Bahrain for Beirut. In those days, most rented houses in Bahrain did not
have a telephone connection. Bab Peter would visit me every day at work and
telephone Mohana from my office. It was during this period that we
established a close relationship. I will forever cherish those few days
that we shared together.
Later, whenever we met, he would exclaim: Arre, amcho ganv-bhav mure!
When he passed away, I was recuperating at home from the surgery on my left
arm. I just couldnt believe that he was no more. We had planned someday
to come up with an album of Anjuna artists and I had already spoken to
Jessie Dias about it, but we ran out of luck. That plan even if fulfilled,
will be incomplete without our dear Bab Peter.
Pitu (thats what he was to Ophelia) always spoke highly of Ophu (thats
what Ophelia was to him) and gave her full credit as far as his acting
career was concerned, and he proved that in his last cassette Ophelia (Was
it a premonition?) in which he explains how everything changed for him when
Ophelia entered into his life and how she was instrumental in making him
compose songs and write tiatros. Here are the lyrics of the song in which
Bab Peter publicly reveals ghutt mojea jivitacho (the secret of my life):
OPHELIA by Bab Peter
I
Behind every successful man theres a lady osso sozmut sonvsaracho
Hem soth konnanchean negar vocho nezo, ugddas dorat utrancho
Dadleachean khuim kednanch famad zainezo, hath nastannam bailecho
Aiz hanv sobe mazar ugtto kortam, ghutt mojea jivitacho
Chorus
Poilech pavtt mojea pain mhaka, aplea tiatran ghalolo
Vincharlear mhunno apnnank zai, put tiatrist zalolo
Alfred Rose-an competition kelelem, thuim poilo inam haddlolo
Prem Kumaran Kakut tiatran ghalun, mhaka poilo share dilolo
II
Prem Kumar, Boyer, Alfred Rose, Remmie, Jacinto hannim mhaka dilo adar
Rosario Rodrigues, Rose Ferns, Menino de Bandar, hanche tiatr neslom sabar
Uncle C. Alvares-hacho morosor, visronk zanvchonam upkar
Punn konnenuch mhaka kednanch fors korunk nam, ghoddun dakoi mhunn ek kantar
Chorus
Zaitea tiatranim neslom hanv, kantaram ghevn lokachim
Kantaram ghoddunk hanvem bhor ghevnk nam, mevtat mhunn baddeachim
Tiatr borovn kantaram ghoddunk pavlom, vatt bodolli jivitachi
Karann mojea jivitan bhitor sorli, Tragedy Queen palkachi
III
Panch vorsanim London-ank than portun ietoch, tinnem mhaka ghora apoilo
Baba tum kantar ghoddunk xiklai vo nam, tinnem vinchar kelo
Kantar ghoddunk mojea lagim zanvchenam, hanvem zabab dilo
Aichea disa bhitor tum kantar ghoddun, mhaka dakoitolo
Chorus
Bhorvanso mojer aslolo munis, mhaka kednanch mellonk nam
Kantaram ghoddun tiatr boroit mhunn, hanvem kednanch chintunk nam
Boroilo poilo tiatr Resperachi Nesovnn, hanv ankvar astannam
Tech ostore lagim hanv kazar zalom, konnanchi porva korinastannam
IV
Prem Kumaran aplea Noxib tiatran, hero-chi part mhaka boroili
Hanvem sanglem ti part mojean korunk zanvchinam, tinnem sanglem kor,
zateli
Ticheach adaran hero zanvk fuddem sorlom, ti kallzan than khoxi zali
Mhunno tum palkacho hero zatoch, as apli puri zateli
Chorus
Ghutt mhozo sobemazar sangonk, aiz bhoglem satisfasanv
Tech ostorek lagon Bab Peter mhunn, aiz mhaka vollkota ganv
Ticheach nanvancho asro ghevn Konknni palkar, aiz soglleank disti poddta
hanv
Tich ti Tragedy Queen Konknni Palkachi, bail moji, Ophelia tichem nanv
Kobar
Bab Peter stole the hearts of the audience as a child artist and he carried
that kid-like innocence with him throughout his life. He was a very
energetic man who was liked by one and all. He had unique personality which
he graciously carried with him on the stage. He was stylish and always wore
a muffler around his neck at every appearance, which is why he was nicknamed
as the Muffler Man! He had a peculiar way of singing which he maintained
throughout; his tunes were catchy. Thank you Bab Peter for giving us all
those 400+ songs plus tiatros! Tum sodanch amchea kallzan astolo ani
toxinch tujim kantaram amchea vonttancher khelltelim. (You will always
dwell in our hearts and we will keep on singing your songs.) Here are the
lyrics of one of Bab Peters oldest and popular songs:
MOG BOOM BOOM
I
Eka cheddvacho mog hanvem kela
Hanvem jurament taka dila
Aikat sobit nanv tachem Bela
Tacho eok novro mela
Zosso fulacho kollo fulta
Tosso re baba amcho mog cholta
Zo konn eok cheddo cheddvak bulta
Magir to mogachea zaddar halta
Korun kantar tara Boom-Boom-Boom
Tara-ra-ra Boom, Boom-Boom-Boom
Kitem re to mog, tara Boom-Boom-Boom
Tara-ra-ra Boom, Boom-Boom-Boom
II
Khorench mogak tea nam xim-mer
Mog to konnamchench korinam ker
Tea mogak lagon sodanch fer-fer
Kitle melet korun tem ger
Mogan poddtuch poilem borem dista
Thoddoch teomp to kallzan rigon asta
Magir baba dusman ievun ghusta
Mog korun kitle babdde fosta
Khorench to mog tara Boom-Boom-Boom
Tara-ra-ra Boom, Boom-Boom-Boom
Mhaka saiba korinakai Boom-Boom-boom
Tara-ra-ra Boom, Boom-Boom-Boom
III
Avchit mog kallzan bhitor sorta
Ani fultem jivit katorta
Mog zaitea zannank borem korta
Thoddeank vegim sovnsarantle vorta
Kitem re mog tuka fuloita
Sukachea painnear doloita
Uzo laita ani paloita
Raza-Patxeiank pasun haloita
Khorench to mog tara Boom-Boom-Boom
Tara-ra-ra Boom, Boom-Boom-Boom
Hanvui bhietam zait mhunn Boom-Boom
Khorench to mog tara Boom-Boom-Boom
La-la-la-la-la, la-lal-la
La-la-la-la-la, la-lal-la
La-la-la-la-la, la-lal-la
La-la-la-la-la, la-lal-la
La-la-la-la-la, la-lal-la
La-la-la-la-la, la-lal-la
From Doms antique shelf!
Through this article, on behalf of Goans, I convey our deepest sympathies to
Ophelia, Babli, Sameer and all the family members. May Bab Peters soul
rest in peace!
Moi-mogan,
Domnic Fernandes
Anjuna/Dhahran, KSA
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