Media Release
Riyadh, Sep 16: After the historical success of Gulf Voice of Mangalore 2010 and 2012 semi-finals organized by Aangann Konknnechem Riyadh, the association is all set to host the Riyadh semi-final of Gulf Voice of Mangalore Season 4. The preliminary round was successfully held in Riyadh and six male and six female singers were selected.
The semi-final round will be on Friday September 19 from 4 pm to select the Voice of Arabia. The judges are from Mangalore, Vishwa Konkani Kala Ratn Eric Ozario, Yodelling King Melwyn Peris and well-known compere Ronald Olivera from Dubai.
Alfred Fernandes, Ambrose Corderio, Chinnu D’Souza, Inish Fernandes, Jerald Rodrigues, Lancy Lasrado, Mridula Dias, Nirmala Castelino, Pramila Rodrigues, Roshan Rodrigues, Shallet D’Silva and Vincent Moras will compete for a place in the finals.
Songs by Vishwa Eric Ozario and Melwyn Peris; dance performances by ‘Brothers Group’ and AKR kids; Kuchulyo by AKR will entertain the gathering.
About the judges
Eric Ozario
Known as a singer, performer, music composer, innovator, organiser, campaigner, trainer, leader-promoter-founder - Eric Ozario has been a full-time Konkani cultural activist since 1984.
As a singer he has sung countless songs for shows, recordings and albums and has recorded 30 albums (25 Mandd Sobhann and 5 others). He has performed in over 800 shows all over India and abroad, and has also performed on TV (national and local). He has composed tunes for over a 1000 songs, mostly written by renowned poets, and has also written a few songs. He has successfully proposed and conducted 21 unique experimentations in Konkani music and culture. Innovations such as Mandd Sobhann, Bhakti Sobhann, Aangann Sobhann, Jeevan Sobhann, Mattov Sobhann, Gumott Sobhann, Bhurgyanlem Sobhann, Pallnnya Sobhann, Moga Sobhann, Nach Sobhann, Sangeet Sobhann, Bosnni, Dabazo, Sobhann Sanz, Konkani Darshan, Baila experiment, Brass Band Concerts are just a few of the examples.
Eric Ozario has been at the helm of many mega events of national and international importance – ‘Porob’, ‘Saanth’, Manddo Fest, Manddo Utsav, World’s First Baila Show, Baila International, Konkani Nirantari (Guinness World Record), the First World Konkani Cultural Convention (25 days) etc. He has held important posts, including president of Karnataka Sahitya Konka Academy and Gurkar of Mandd Sobhann. He has also won several awards and recognitions from government as well as associations around the world for his unflinching service to Konkani. He has been bestowed with titles such as 'Konkani Kala Samrat', 'Vishwa Konkani Kala Ratn', 'Bhonvddi Sardar', 'Sardarancho Sardar’ – ’95 (v) ‘Konkani Sanskrutik Raibari’ – ’96 (vi) ‘ Konkani Kranti Veer’ – ‘97
(vii)‘ Vishwa Konkani Karbari – 2008.
Melwyn Peris
Melwyn Peris started singing at the age of 6 at the parish and inter-parish level singing competitions and won many prizes under the guidance of his late brother Denis Peris. He is known as the 'Yodelling King', because of his great gift of yodelling, a style of alto head voice singing, this and 'Konkanni Kala Ratna' has composed songs of distinct quality. He can sing with absolute ease ranging his melodious voice over a unique and whopping two and a half octaves, sounding equally charming at its every stage. On account of his yodelling style of singing, he is sometimes fittingly referred to as the "Kishore Kumar" of Konkani music.
Melwyn Peris' contribution to Konkani music includes 96 nites, 27 volumes of songs and 17 volumes of devotional songs. Famous for baila songs (total 43 volumes), his 100th nite or the Centenary Nite is scheduled to take place on November 23 at St Agnes Special School grounds, Bendur, Mangalore.
He has been choir master of Angelore church since for 30 years. He is also an actor and has won the best actor award in drama competitions conducted by Kala Sampath. He has performed alongside Konkan Kogull Wilfy Rebimbus, Henry D’Souza and the late P H Pinto, and sung for almost all old and new composers. He was invited to compose, sing and conduct on the occasion of Raknno’s diamond jubilee celebration, and he also composed and led the singing group for the inaugural song for Christha Jayanthi 2000, consisting 200 singers.
Melwyn Peris is the proud recipient of many awards for his contribution in the field of popularizing Konkanni music. He has been honored by many social and religious groups. Many of his songs have won the "Song of the Year" award.
Ronald Olivera
Ronald Olivera is a well-known master of ceremony with complete command and fluency in English, Konkani, Hindi, Kannada and Tulu. He has not only compered shows for most of the Konkani singers/artistes (Wilfy Rebimbus, Henry D’Souza, Melwyn Peris, Wilson Olivera, Claud D’Souza, MickMax, Maxim Pereira, Lancy Moras, Esther Noronha and Goan Nightingale Lorna) but also performed in the shows of many Indian artistes such as Kottayam Nazir, Mohammad Aslam, Nadarsha, S Janaki, and many others. Time and again, he has proven that he could handle the mega events with utmost ease and to the entire satisfaction of the audience from all walks of life. A hit program “Raymond the Complete Man” Personality Pageant in Bahrain in 2001 spoke volumes of his capability as a compere.
Ronald Olivera is a member of Toastmasters International, a worldwide organization that fosters public speaking and leadership qualities. Ronald Olivera has won numerous awards in international and Gulf-level speech competitions. He has the recognition of being the only toastmaster in the Gulf to win three international awards in International Taped Speech contests. He is also the only toastmaster to win four first places in four consecutive years in Gulf-level competitions. He also has to his credit of winning three awards in one single Gulf Toastmasters annual convention held in Muscat, Oman in 2002.
He is also a renowned Konkani writer, with more than 100 short stories and above 150 articles already published in various Konkani magazines.
Aangann Konknnechem Riyadh is a non profitable organization involved in promoting Konkani culture and language through various programmes in Riyadh. It has conducted several programmes to help the youth to promote their talent since its inception in 2007. Besides, it is involved with several charitable institutions in Mangalore.
To reserve your seats for GVOM-4 semi-final, contact
Gerald D’Souza - 055 2606020
Roshan Lobo - 056 4717935
Arun D’Souza - 050 3298657