Deepak Paladka
Daijiworld Media Network - Dubai
Dubai, Sep 27: In a nail-biting finish, the UAE leg of Gulf Voice of Mangalore (GVOM) Season 4 semi-final contest, which was witnesssed by a packed audience at Emirates Theatre on Friday September 26, saw Joshal Dsuza from Ujire and Vincent Rodrigues from Bela, Kasargod make it to the finals in Muscat, to be held on November 7 this year.
Considered as Konkani's biggest reality show that has generated enormous response from all around the Gulf countries, GVOM-4 has now reached its finale. The semi-finalists from UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman, comprising six male and six female singers from each of these countries, will now contest for the coveted titles of best male and female voices, and a cash prize of Rs 1 lac each.
The UAE semi-finals, hosted by leading organziation Mangalore Konkans Dubai on September 26, was fun-filled event with 6 male and 6 female singers contesting in two rounds to prove their calibre.
Joshal, Jane, Nisha , Vinola, Fabella and Sharon contested in the female category wheras Mewyn, Vincent, Brian, Alwyn, Anil and Jeevan vied for the top spot in the male category. Ramiro Mascarenhas provided music for the competition as well as for live performances by visiting artistes.
Well-known faces from the Konkani music world Melwyn Peris, Alwyn Fernandes and Anitha D'Souza were in the panel of judges.
Roshan D'Silva and Roweena Menezes beautifully compered the event which lasted for around 5 hours.
A song by Melodia and a dance performance by Feat Beat group led by Arun Lobo added more spark to the evening's entertainment.
Melwyn Peris, Anitha D'Souza and Alwyn D'Souza rendered some of the best Konkani numbers that thoroughly entertained the audience.Former GVOM winners Vinay Lewis and Ivan Fernandes too joined the veterans to entertain the crowd.
During the intervals, sponsors of the event were felicitated by the organizers. Mangaalore Konkans president James Mendonca thanked the participants, the sponsors and the audience for making the show a huge success.
Melroy D'Cunha's maiden devotional album was released during the event. Daijiworld founder Walter Nandalike, after releasing the album 'Tannem Kelyanth Vichitram' said that it is encouraging to see today's young generation interested in Konkani music. "This is a bright sign for Konkani music as youngsters are the assets of any community or language," he said. He advised the contestants of GVOM-4 to take the results in a positive manner without harbouring any hard feelings, as everyone cannot win and only two can go to Muscat for the final, though every contestant deserved to win.
Dunes Hotel Apartments was the main sponsor, and Daijiworld.com the media partner.
Broadway Event Management, Abu Dhabi proved they are the best sound providers in the region after successfully engineering the sound system for the event. Video, sound, and lighting was managed by Broadways, Abu Dhabi.