Sharing an article by Fausto Visitacao DaCosta Cruz Noronha Alias Cruz Jazzwala by Fausto Visitacao DaCosta
Another multi-faceted personality of Siolim: A Musician, composer, Tiatrist, Zagor Artiste and above all a Mando composer with a difference, whose MANDOS are sung by Goans and Mangaloreans as well till today for any celebration. CRUZ NORONHA alias CRUZ JAZZWALA: 03.05.1910 – 10.02.1974 Baptista Cruz Noronha known as Cruz Jazzwala in the Konkani Music and Tiatr circle was born in Siolim, Bardez on May 3, 1910. He learnt music in his village parochial school and was found to be a very bright student of music. At the age of twelve Cruz would compose his own songs and sing. He taught the village youngsters to act in khell and zagor. He was a zagor artiste and would compose songs for zagor and also produce and perform in zagor. One of his famous zagors was PIXEANCHEM KAZAR. In 1929 when he came to Mumbai to pursue his studies in English, he got an opportunity to stage his first concert in Instituto Luso Indiano (I L I) now The Goan Institute Hall, Mumbai. J P Souzalin spotted him here and gave him a role of a female character in one of his tiatrs. Cruz was looking very pretty and he performed the role to the best of his ability. He was appreciated very much for his performance. Thereafter Cruz has performed for many directors, like Rogaciano D’Souza, Anthony D’Sa, Souza Ferrão, Minguel Rod, etc. to name a few. Cruz was an excellent composer of Mando and dulpods. Around 1934 he recorded his Mandos on HMV Records and these Mandos became so popular that some of his Mandos are still being played often on All India Radio, one among them is MHOZO POTI BOMBAIM GELA. HMV company alone had recorded around 40 Mandos of this great artiste on record discs. His most famous mandos are: ANGVONN, JURAMENT, NIRMONN DEVACHEM, HOSPITTOLACHIE KHATTIR, BAR NHIDIECHO, KAZARACHEA MATTVANT, etc. besides MHOZO POTI BOMBAIM GELA. Cruz’s most popular tiatr was ZAGOR. His other famed tiatrs are: MOGAN KAZAR, SUKHI ZOIT, JIVIT ODRUXTTI, DOTH DIUNCHI OKLEK NHOI NOUREAK, POSUNK GHODDDONAM etc. Thereafter Cruz began playing for Tiatrs. He has provided music for many tiatrs. Besides drums, he would play many musical instruments such as violin, trumpet, guitar, Double Bass, etc. He led the MILITARY ALEXANDRA BAND for some time. He would teach music with notations to youngsters at his music school situated at JSS Marg, in Dhobitalao, Mumbai, where his sons Manuel and Julius Noronha (DAYBREAKERS) still carry on his legacy of teaching music to youngsters till date. A collection of Cruz’s Mandos entitled MANDEACHO NAD was produced by his sons in 2004 in a format of a music cassette. Cruz passed away at his residence in Mumbai on February 10, 1974. Forwarded by Edward Verdes
