Media Release
Panaji, Aug 28: Noted poet and Konkani writer from the port town, Yusuf A Sheikh is chosen for conferring Goa State Award for literature 2012-2013.
Government of Goa through the directorate of Art and Culture honours each year eminent personalities in Goa by conferring on them the Goa State Cultural Award for their contributions and achievements in various art forms like music, drama, literature, visual art etc. The award comprises a cash prize of 50,000 each, and a certificate, a shawl, shrifal and a Nataraj replica.
Yusuf A Sheikh, former station director of Doordarshan who has earlier served as programme executive at Akashvani Mangalore is known for his contribution to Konkani literature, particularly as a poet, composing poems since 1965 right from his school days at St Joseph’s Institute, Vasco. Yusuf published his first book of poems entitled “Gantthi” in 1982 and published many more books subsequently which include “Rong’ghai” and “Divya Quran”, a translation of 30th chapter of Holy Quran in Konkani.
Well known for his lyrical poetry on love themes and for his powerful poems on common men themes Yusuf’s poetry portrays pictures of society in different shades and are aimed at social awakening. His poems find place in school text books since last over 30 years and also feature in anthologies published by the National Sahitya Akademy. He was also associated with National Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, as a member of the Advisory Board. A huge number of his lyrical compositions (songs) have been set to music and are broadcast regularly from different stations of All India Radio.
Yusuf Sheikh has contributed articles, short stories, poems, literary criticism, etc. to various leading periodicals in Goa and also outside Goa. His poems, short stories, talks, etc are broadcast from All India Radio, Panaji, Mumbai, and Mangalore, and also telecast from Doordarshan.
He is an Akashvani Awards winner for script and production of a radio documentary on “Poder”. He is also a Goa Kala Akademi “Sahitya Puraskar awardee” . Of late, he was awarded the prestigious Antonio Pereira Puroskar for his life time achievement in serving the cause of Konkani through electronic and the print media.
The other recipients of the Awards this year include Veteran drama personalities Suman Pilgaonkar, Ajit Kerkar, Isabel Santa Rita Vaz and Anil Devulkar and tiatr artistes Marcelino Noronha and Wilson Mazarello. Ashok Naik, Yusuf Sheikh and Hema Naik will receive the award for excellence in literature and Balkrishna Kelekar and Ulhas Velingkar have been recognized for music.
Vishnu Shetgaonkar will receive the award for contribution in the field of kirtan and Mohandas Polle for bhajans. Kanta Gaude, Mahendra Phaldessai and Hanuman Kambli are being recognized for their work in folk art. The award for the best cultural institution, and the 1lakh cash prize this year will go to the Hauns Sangeet Natya Mandal in Ponda-Goa.