'Kongotcars' Whoop It Up In Canada By Armand Rodrigues Steeped in the religion of their forefathers holy mass preceded the revelry and was celebrated by the well-known Fr. Martin Pereira. Invocations were to St.Alex, the patron saint of the village. The Konkanim hymns of 'Conceicao Saibini' and 'Jesu Mojea Deva' embellished the offerings.
Music was provided by the 'Amigos' band, and a D.J. supplemented their output. Worth noting was the sumptuous sit-down lunch of soup, roast beef, chicken and all the trimmings among other things, that all enjoyed. So also, was the floor-show When all is said and done, special recognition goes to Milena Marques who emceed the function with vivacious aplomb in a full slate replete with activities. A good time was had by all. ----------- GL responds: Congratulations for an excellent well-organized event. I have no intention to rain on this parade; because likely the organization did the following but it just was not reported. While it is wonderful and important to pray to the village saints and ask for their blessings; as a sign for village solidarity, the Calangute community in Toronto should have made a generous financial donation to the physical upkeep of the church and chapels in their village. Maintaining connected to our roots is an essential part of preserving our culture for future generations. Knowingly or unwittingly our culture and values have served us well (as individual and families) and it is important that we preserve it and pass it down as family and community traditions. Kudos once again. Regards, GL
