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Goanetter Francis Rodrigues (Vasco/Toronto) unveils his book, The Greatest Konkani Song Hits. Launch dates: Goa (Kala Academy) on 9 Aug. 4 pm. U.K. (Staines) on 15 Aug. Canada on 20 Aug and US on 30 Aug. Details http://www.konkanisongbook.com/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- PRESS NOTE: For favour of publicity KONKANI TAKES TO THE PIANO, WITH AN EXPAT INITIATIVE ON SONG Do songs like Cathrina, Claudia, Lisboa, and Bandra Festak ring a bell and trigger off nostalgia? If yes, then you'll be surprised to learn about the new shape these popular Konkani hits of the yesteryears have come out in, thanks to a Canada-based initiative of expat Goans. An ambitious project gets kicked off on coming Sunday, Aug 9, 2009, with the release of the first volume of The Greatest Konkani Song Hits by Canadian-Goan attorney and musician Francis Rodrigues. Over the last five decades, radio and TV and the internet have given a new boost to Konkani music. So many talents also took it to a new high -- Frank Fernand, Manuel Alphonso, Chris Perry, Wilfy Rebimbus in Mangalore, Alfred Rose and others. But, says Francis Rodrigues: "The conundrum however has been three-fold - no written music exists for this milieu, no form of translation -- idiomatic or literal -- for the Diaspora Goan and Konkan, or music aficionados from other races, other cultures." So Rodrigues' dream is to translate and transcribe not dozens but hundreds of songs. He has started with the first volume, which contains 30 popular Konkani numbers. To be released this Sunday, The Greatest Konkani Song Hits international song book, covered extensively in the media this weekend at 4 pm Sunday at the Kala Academy. The author, Canadian-Goan attorney and musician Francis Rodrigues, will give a short talk and a pianist will perform. This will be followed by a tea-service, and book-signings. The event is co-sponsored by the Kala Academy. It is open to all and unticketed, but entrance is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Being released internationally on and around World Goa Day -- marked by expat communities and in Goa on August 20 each year -- this work will be also released on August 15 at Staines, UK; August 20 at Toronto, Canada and August 30 at the US. See http://www.konkanisongbook.com/ The 220-page A4 sized book priced at Rs 850 contains the original sheet-music, transcribed and notated in detail. Besides Konkani, it also includes some Portuguese and Swahili songs, from the Goan/Konkani diaspora. Music chords with printed diagrams decorate the sheet-music, so the songs can be accompanied by harmonic instruments like the piano, accordion, keyboard, or guitar. Catering to bands and ensembles worldwide, separate music notations in tablature for the guitar are included too. These songs have been translated to verse, which not only increased their charm tenfold, but now enables these great songs to be sung in English too. There are detailed liner and program notes, which brings the reader the stories and background behind these fabulous songs and their composers. Canadian master-pianist Victor Martins has been filmed performing the songs on a DVD, which forms part of the book. Rodrigues points to the 'golden era' of Konkani music and says he plans to continue his work. "Over 500 songs clamoured for attention, only 4% of which could be accommodated in one volume! We've extended that by adding ten more gems to this first volume, making a grand total of 30 songs, which figure we will maintain in succeeding volumes of this series," he added. Many modern bands perform these songs, playing by ear! This book seeks to redress this lacuna, by providing not only the sheet-music accurately transcribed, but even rhymed translations and separate solo-guitar arrangements in tablature. Says he: "For the very first time here is the music of Chris Perry, Frank Fernand, Wilfy Rebimbus, M.Boyer, Alfred Rose, H. Britton, Fadhili Williams, Henry D'Souza, B. Magno, Los Payos, Paulo Borges, Romeo Mendes, Manuel Alphonso, Silviano Barbosa, Reginald Fernandes, etc -- transcribed perfectly note-for-note, playable on any instrument!" This first volume includes "Adeus" (Bhuerantlo Munis), "Kampala", "Sacrament Zoddlo", "Bandra Festak", "Mollbailo Dou", "Malaika" "Maria Isabel", "Encosta Tua Cabecinha", "Cecilia", "Mogacho Divo", "Proud To Be A Goan", "Marialina", "Maria Pitache", "Calangute", "Bebdo", "Sweater Kori", "Tambdde Roza", "Hanv Saiba", "Don Kallzam", "Cadiza-za-za-za", "Garacho Divo", "Ixttaghot", "Calangute", etc. END
