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Two books and four Goan icons celebrated in Lisbon: Fr. Jose Vaz, Pedro Correia Afonso, ManoharRai SarDessai, and Jorge de Abreu Noronha Lisbon, 13 Dec. Though the afternoon was unusually grey, rainy and cold, the event Casa de Goa organised in homage to ManoharRai SarDessai, Pedro Correia Afonso and Jorge de Abreu Noronha couldn’t have been more colourful and attractive. The program compeered by Maria Virgina Bras Gomes had a little bit of everything for the diverse audience. The occasion was to publically present in Portugal two books which had been launched earlier in Goa. “My Song / Ma Chanson / O Meu Canto”, a trilingual publication containing a selection of poems by ManoharRai SarDessai (Goa: New Age Printers, 180 pages, Rs. 250); and “De Goa a Ceilao – Saga de um Caminheiro Infatigavel”, Pedro Correia Afonso’s biographical and historical account of Venerable Fr. Jose Vaz’s missionary life (Goa: Third Millennium). The latter book was published with the generous support of the Lisbon Patriarch, José Cardinal da Cruz Policarpo, who was represented by Fr. Manuel Marujao. How did the late Jorge de Abreu Noronha fit into the event? The response came from Mario Viegas, editor of the Indo-Portuguese magazine “Ecos do Oriente”, who with great emotion, facing Jorge’s widow Livia, noted that “today our friend Jorge is here with us in spirit, and we owe these books to him and his tireless translation and editing work”. One of the most culturally-active Goans in diaspora, and a passionate student and promoter of Konkani, Jorge de Abreu Noronha expired in November 2007. Giving a personal account of the earlier launch of “My Song” in Panjim, in January 2008, Mario Viegas mentioned many others who took up this cause in memory of Goa’s “Prince of Konkani Poets”, mentioning late (also poet) Berardo Pinto Pereira, Fernando do Rego (Fontainhas) and Fr. Joaquim Loiola Pereira (Goa Archidiocese) in particular. The event started on a rather formal note, Casa de Goa’s President Narana Coissoro giving a general introduction to the books and then inviting Luis Frederico Antunes (a Goa-born researcher at Lisbon’s Tropical Research Institute, IICT) to give a historical background and introduce the audience to Goa’s seventeenth-century socio-political context, in which Fr. Jose Vaz carried out his mission. Sergio Mascarenhas de Almeida, the former Panjim-based delegate of Fundacao Oriente in India, then shared some memories of the occasions in which he had the opportunity to contact personally with SarDessai, during five years. He underlined that he is one of Goa’s few uncontroversial cultural figures, something close to an icon, and thus generally spared by the acute battles traditionally fought out between Goa’s antagonistic socio-political and religious forces. The function then lit up with some youthful music. Four children of Casa de Goa’s newly formed musical youth wing, “Gamat”, aged between six and twelve, took on the stage with their violins and played some wonderful Goan classics, accompanied by the adults of the senior “Ekvat” group. There were no bojas nor feni, and unfortunately the impact of the global financial crisis made itself feel as few in the audience actually did buy any of the books in the end. But the Baluarte do Livramento, the old defensive fort now housing the Casa de Goa, warmed up in the memory of three different icons of Goa’s past and present heritage. Above all, the event highlighted the fact that Goa’s past and contemporary cultural icons are also remembered and celebrated in diaspora. And that the younger ones, especially via music and poetry, also play a role in preserving the rich cultural heritage of their ancestors. This line of continuity, between past and present, and young and old, made a striking appearance when five young kids (between three and five years old) wonderfully declaimed SarDessai’s poem “Mhonntta Avoi” in Konkani: ---------- Mhonntta Avoi Khoreanich bhol’lelo Gineanacho hanv xiso Tori-i mhaka mhonntta Avoi: Samko piso. Kitlim hanvem kaddleam vachun Pustokam Tori-i mhaka mhonntta Avoi: Sangtam tuka Sounsaracher kitlo bhonvn Ailam hanv Tori-i mhaka sangta Avoi: Naka dhanv. Kitlim hanvem dileam lokank Xanneponnam Tori-i mhaka mhonnta Avoi: Porak kidench somzona. ---------- The function then ended with Livia de Abreu Noronha rading out Sardessai’s poem dedicated to Pedro Correia Afonso: ---------- Viol mhojea Hunddkeanchem (Pedro Correia Afonso – hajea uggdasak) Noxibachea reg sompun Mornnachi thondd veng Aiz mhojea gitak asa Kalli deg Xetantlea bhatachea Konnsache kens tuje Xervoddachea kopplacher Ubtale… Fuddarachem sopn tujea Kallea-nillea dollean-saient Liptalem Dongra -iedo vaur korunk Mirie’le hat tuje Tornneavori kamptalle Kallzacho ghontter soddun Sounsaracher bhonvor marunk Utor tujem sovnnem koxem Thorthorot uddttalem. Likhnni tuji dhar zaun Porxurama-bann zaun Addmelleancheam tufan-lharank Sangtalli: “Vochat porot Oxech ami zuztole Jin zori geli sorot ‘’. Mog tuzo tonnatonnar He bhuinche konnakonnar Sfurt tuvem dil´li tiji Lokhlokhit mhurt asa Tornneanchea konvllea monar. Dhortorechim madd´dilim Kitlim xetam kitlim mollam Nimni nhid ailo nhidunk Bannaulechea maddam-tolla Goem tujem, ghor tujem Aiz ritem... Mhojea gitak vangodd dita Viol mhojeach hunddkeachem. ---------- (Report by Constantino Xavier, constantino.xavier (at) gmail.com) _________________________________________________________________ Send e-mail faster without improving your typing skills. http://windowslive.com/Explore/hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_speed_122008
