Congrats to Lt. Vijay D'Cruz, who has a Saligao link... he's related to Ambrose (the bank-officer-agri-enthusiast from Salmona) and we have met on a couple of occasions to have fairly long discussions. FN
CAPTIVATING SHOW: The Naval Band performing at the Durbar Hall Grounds in the city as part of the Navy Day celebrations on Saturday. Photo: Vipinchandran KOCHI : The Southern Naval Command band put up a lively performance at the Durbar Hall Ground as part of the Navy Day celebrations on Saturday evening, with hundreds of spectators cheering the men in white. Sixty musicians played martial music and Malayalam, Hindi, Caribbean, Arabic, Portuguese and other forms of contemporary music, including Western and Indian classical. Starting off with the Malayalam film song `Attinkarayorathu... ', they went on to play `Chotti Si Aasha... ', an old mix in Hindi, `Hawa Mein Udta Jaye... ' and `Sundariye Va... '. Two band members sang a Beatles song `Hey Jude... ' and `Bheege Hot Tere... ' They exhorted the audience to join in the singing. The programme wound up with `Sare Jahan Se Acha... ' and the National Anthem. The band concert conductor was Lt. Vijay D'Cruz. Kochi Mayor Mercy Williams was the chief guest at the function. She said that the relationship between the Navy and Kochi was inseparable. "It started off with the arrival of the Portuguese to the State through the seas. The Naval band's tunes took us to far-off shores and it seemed as if the musicians were holding ground amidst turbulent seas." A Navy spokesperson said that naval musicians were known as roving ambassadors of the country, since they perform at foreign ports during overseas visits by Indian Navy ships. These musicians performed in ensemble with the band of the Royal Marines, the U.S. President's Marine Band and the music festival in Kiel, Germany. Their performance at international events like the Queen's Coronation in the U.K., Expo 70 in Japan, the fleet review at Malaysia etc., brought laurels to the Indian Navy and the country, he said. To top it all, the Navy Band has bagged the trophy eight times of the 11 competitions held in the inter-service band competition. The first band of the Navy was commissioned in 1945, with 50 musicians. Today, the 50-piece band has 450 musicians spread over 11 bands based in various Naval establishments. Printer friendly page http://www.hindu.com/2006/12/05/stories/2006120515390300.htm Solemn celebrations at Naval Base Staff Reporter Governor R.L. Bhatia attends Navy Day function KOCHI: A wreath-laying ceremony, a solemn beating-the-retreat function and drills made memorable the Navy Day celebrations at the Southern Naval Command here on Monday. The day unfolded with the wreath-laying ceremony at the War Memorial. Every year, December 4 is observed as Navy Day to commemorate the daring attack on the Karachi harbour by missile boats of the Indian Navy during the 1971 war against Pakistan. The assault proved decisive in India getting the better of its foe. Governor R.L. Bhatia was the chief guest at the beating-the-retreat function. He was received at the parade ground by Vice-Admiral J.S. Bedi, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command. Senior Naval officers and officers from friendly navies undergoing training at the command were present. People sat in rapt attention as young sailors of INS Dronacharya performed the continuity drill (in which drill movements are carried out without any orders). They marched with rifles and bayonets and divided themselves into formations to do the drill. This was followed by the Navy Band marching in, under Drum Major P.K. Pandey, for the beating-the-retreat ceremony. The band consisted of 60 musicians from the Naval establishments INS Venduruthy, Dronacharya and Hamla. The musical scores synchronised with the marching movements. All heads turned north as a lone musician played from atop a structure in the vicinity. Finally, it was time for the sunset ceremony, in which musical scores such as the evocative Abide with me and Sare jahan se aacha were played. The Naval Ensign was lowered, bringing down the curtains on the celebrations. The ceremony was held under the baton of Lieutenant Vijay D'Cruz. As night descended, the Naval Base was illuminated in colourful lights. Beating the retreat is a 16th-century ceremony followed in the armed forces. Among other things, it signalled the end of fighting at sunset. Nowadays, it is a musical spectacle of sound and colour and has a largely ceremonial role. -- FN M: 0091 9822122436 P: +91-832-240-9490 (after 1300IST please) http://fn.goa-india.org http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com http://www.goa-india.org http://feeds.goa-india.org/index.php -- FN M: 0091 9822122436 P: +91-832-240-9490 (after 1300IST please) http://fn.goa-india.org http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com http://www.goa-india.org http://feeds.goa-india.org/index.php _______________________________________________ Saligao 403511 website http://saligao.goa-india.org Saligaonet mailing list [email protected] http://lists.goacom.org/mailman/listinfo/saligaonet
