After a couple of firsts at last year’s edition, the Monte Music Festival has another first this year – Day 4 of the festival will be in New Delhi, and it will be a four-day event.
“The idea of changes in the 23rd edition of the Monte Music festival arose as we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of Fundação Oriente in Goa. We believe that it is important to have a special edition of the Monte Music Festival, to commemorate this,” Paulo Gomes, the director of the foundation in Goa, says.
The three-day festival opens with, Gomes says, ‘two of the most iconic musical instruments from India and Portugal – the sitar and the Portuguese guitar – to pay tribute to the two countries’.
Sitarist Asad Khan, a Grammy-recognised musician, and Ricardo J Martins, one of the most brilliant Portuguese guitarists, will come together on stage to make something magical, as they perform against the natural backdrop of the sunset.
As night falls in, local group Ekchar will take the stage with a tribute to Goa, rendering fado, folk and contemporary music, providing a unique Indo-Portuguese experience to the audience.
“The Ekchar story is interesting as, in 2023, I was talking to these musicians and I invited them to perform as a group, they agreed and then they had to come up with a name. Ekchar was suggested and it stayed,” says Gomes.
Saturday’s first performance (February 1) will be an Odissi recital by one of the most promising exponents of the form, Krishnendu Saha and his disciples of Nrityormi School of Odissi, titled 'Pravaha, A Blessing'.
This will be followed by World Violin Fusion by Sharat and Friends, where Sharat Chandra Srivastava will be joined by his son Raghav Chandra for a Hindustani Classical jugalbandi, and then by Mayank Bedekar on Tabla, Amar Tirkey on guitar, Jagtinder Singh Sidhy on vocals and Sina Fakhroddin on percussions, from New Delhi.
Speaking on Saha, Gomes said, “Last year, they had come, but just as a couple and performed with their daughters and it was amazing. I think it is important for the students to have this kind of stage and we would like to promote such schools.”
Sunday’s first performance will be by Manganiar, a Muslim community from the Thar Desert region of Rajasthan, presenting compositions describing stories focused on humans, nature and salvation.
Bringing down the curtains in Goa will be one of the most acclaimed fado singers of her generation, Cuca Roseta, with the performance titled, 'Mandovi-Tejo', that alludes to the importance of the two rivers to the respective places. She will bring fado and Goan rhythms to the stage.
“The title of the performance, 'Mandovi-Tejo', two rivers of Portugal and Goa is because Cuca Roseta will bring music from Lisbon, her originals, but she also sings in Konkani and I guess she will sing here too, but she will invite Goan musicians to join and bring along a musician from Mozambique who has Goan ties,” Gomes said.
Speaking about the concert as a whole, he said, “We have a wide range here, with groups from Goa, Rajasthan, Delhi and Portugal and it is very balanced, with instrumentals, vocals and dance.”
The festival, however, doesn’t end there. On February 6, the festival moves to New Delhi, where at the ICCR auditorium, Srivastava and Martins will perform on the violin and Portuguese guitar, respectively.
“On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations between Portugal and India, we along with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and the Embassy of Portugal decided to have this concert in Delhi to commemorate this,” said Gomes.
Initiated in 2002 at the restored 16th century Chapel of Our Lady of the Mount, this edition of the Monte Music Festival is organised by Fundação Oriente and Taj Cidade de Goa, supported by Goa Tourism Development Corporation, ICCR, The Souza Group, Embassy of Portugal, INTACH, Goa, Healthway Hospitals, Furtados Music, and the Department of Archeology, Government of Goa.
EVENT DETAILS
DAY 1, Friday, Jan 31
5.45 pm: 'Between Strings', by Asad & Ricardo J Martins, Sitar and Portuguese Guitar recital
7 pm: Ekchar presents fado, mando, Goan Music
DAY 2, Saturday, February 1
5.45pm: Krishnendu Saha and his Disciples present 'Pravaha, a Blessing'
7pm: 'World Violin Fusion' by Sharat Chandra Srivastava and Friends
Day 3, Sunday, February 2
5.45pm: 'Echoes from the Desert' by Manganiar
7pm: 'Mandovi-Tejo' by Cuca Roseta
VENUE: Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Monte, Old Goa
ENTRY FEE: Entry is free, no passes required; shuttles will be available from Gandhi Circle, Old Goa
