Sad to learn that two people who I knew very well passed away -- Boyer and
Nolasco da Gama. To share a fact, Boyer was the winner of the first "Man of the
Year" award. It was a trophy that Nolasco da Gama, along with Orlando Gomes,
who was both a tiatr reviewer and a PR person, was instrumental in instituting
for tiatrists. The late Orlando worked in the advertising department of the
Times of India.
Orlando got Nolasco to tap Murli Deora, then Mayor of Mumbai or maybe president
of the Bombay Pradesh Congress Committee (don't remember exactly), and now
India's Minister for Petroleum, to donate the trophy.
Nolasco then was Congress-I Block president for the Girgaum area. I am not sure
if he was a municipal corporator when the trophy was instituted. He used to
sell insurance and most of his clients were tarvottis.
I, as a member of the critics group, objected to having a trophy in Murli
Deoro's name and withdrew from it. I felt it should be named after a noted
tiatr like Pai Agostinho. But da Gama wanted to do Murli a favour, and Murli
was a rising star in Mumbai's politics.
At a Boyer's tiatr at Rang Bhavan the trophy was announced. I was surprised to
hear that my name was announced as a member of the critics group. I had never
been told and never voted because I had expressed my desire not to serve on the
committee.
Later, I raised the issue with Orlando and he apologized. Well, Orlando and
Boyer were great friends. He almost served as his PR person. It was a bogus
thing. Not sure if the trophy is still in existence. Orlando too passed away
about four years ago.
I met Boyer about five years ago at his place in Raia. I was surprised he
recognized me. His wife Martha (who I knew during her school days as Eufirinza
or Eufi) led me to him in his bedroom. He tapped Boyer who was lying down
facing the wall on his bed. He turned around and saw me and when she asked him
if he recognizes me, he murmured my name. I could not hear from properly, as
you know his speech was affected because of Parkinson's disease Boyer endured
till his death.
He tried to sit down and I and Martha helped him to sit. We spoke for about
half an hour, talking of tiatrists of his day and how many were still living.
We touched briefly on the current tiatr sense, though, frankly, I was out of
touch of the local tiatr landscape since migrating to Canada in 1981. My only
source of information was through newspapers and magazines.
Boyer and my late mother were playmates when Boyer stayed at Bogmalo for long
periods at his godfather's house. His first two names, Manuel Santana, are of
of his godfather. Manuel Santana Rodrigues has a grocery store in Bogmalo, now
run by one of his son's wife. Those who know the story of Goa's liberation, the
first tragedy happened in Bogmalo when jawans killed a young girl (forgets her
name) by throwing a grenade in a house. The house was Manuel Santana's.
For many, many years Boyer never knew that I was the son of someone he knew
well. One day while walking with my mother to the Sonapur bazaar, we ran into
Boyer. He asked her if I was her son and she said yes. Boyer, in his typical
salcette tongue, said to me, "how come, you never said you were so-and-so's
son." I replied, there never was an occasion.
What a great tiatrist and a gread singer/composer. Some of his songs are still
fresh in my memory. It is hard to say who between C. Alvares and Boyer was best
in composing "duets." I would give C. Alvares an edge.
Boyer was an inspiration to many new comedians. Some openly imitiated him but,
from the few I watched, they could not come close to the master. Like Bollywood
filmstars are doing today, Boyer took a shot at politics. He contested the
Assembly elections from Ponda (I think) and lost.
I will forever remember the days spent in his company at Mumbai's Kyani and
Bastani restaurants as well as a couple of times at Longuinhas or Bar Salcette
(can't remember which one). It was a joy to share jokes and anecdotes with
Boyer and Jacinto, the formidable on-stage pair of comedians, over chai and
bun-maska, Bastani all-time favourite snack.
So long, dear Boyer, you were indeed a great act.
Eugene
