By Clarence Pinto

Muscat, Feb 6: The members of Mangalorean Catholic Center of the Parish (MCCP Oman – Sts Peter and Paul Church, Ruwi), under the leadership of Stanley T H Fernandes, have planned a mega event by band Charitra to celebrate MCCP’s 25th silver jubilee 'Rupyotsav' in Muscat on Friday, February 10.

Rupyotsav Celebrations Committee

A team was formed under the leadership of Stanley Fernandes to plan and present a mega program. The Rupyotsav Celebrations Committee consists of some of the finest leaders and talented youngsters of Konkani Catholic community in Muscat. Dilip David Correa – president of MCCP, Henry Martis, Donald Pinto, Clarence Donald Pinto, Suraj Rebello, Monica Dantis, Lawrence Alva, Lancy Lobo, Prescilla Menezes, John Gonsalves, Apolinaris D Souza, Dolly Gomes, Mariete Fernandes, Michael Goveas, Ajith Walder, Jessie Vivian Pereira, Lavina Renita Dsa, Melita Sheela Alva, Ashok Kiran Pinto, Victoria Tressilla Menezes, Lynel Lobo, Jason Avinash Cardoza, Naveen Francis Mascarenhas and Sachin Joy Lobo are in the committee.

“It was our dream to present one of the finest programmes in the history of MCCP. After forming a team of enthusiastic members and leaders, we have worked very hard to fulfill our dream and I am sure we will present a great programme for our members and guests. The full programme, including Holy Mass in the morning at Sts Peter and Paul Church - Ruwi, will be streamed live on daijiworld.com. Entertainment will be provided by one of the most energetic and entertaining music groups of the Konkan region - Charitra. Local Mangalurean talents also will join them to give added entertainment,” says Stanley Fernandes.

The special theme for the silver jubilee Year is 'Bhas Somskriti, Gamv Amchi Osmitai Zamv'(Let Konkani language, culture and motherland be our identity). A special song was created based on this theme and the lyrics were penned by latest Konkani sensation Wilson Kateel. The music for the song was composed by Dovlin Kollalgiri. As most of the programmess of the Silver Jubilee year were based on this theme, this Silver Jubilee program on February 10 will also highlight Konkani language, culture and motherland - Mangaluru.

Roshan Dsilva

Lavina D'sa

Pradeep Barboza

Sabitha Dsouza

Patrick Pereira

Richa and Mellu

Silver Jubilee Programme - A Programme filled with Passion

The mega silver jubilee celebrations are scheduled to commence at 10 am on February 10 with a thanksgiving Mass in Konkani by Fr Dr Aloysius Paul D Souza, bishop of Mangaluru Diocese at Sts Peter and Paul Church, Ruwi. MCCP’s past spiritual advisor, guide and mentor, Fr Varghese Chempoly OFM Cap is expected join the celebrations along with Fr Marian Miranda, current spiritual advisor of MCCP.

The silver jubilee cultural program will begin at 5.00 pm at LeGrande Hall of Al Falaj Hotel – Ruwi. The program will be presented by Orbit Event Management, Oman’s premier event management company.

J R Lobo, MLA of Mangaluru south constituency will be the chief guest.

Walter Nandalike, founder of Daijiworld Media, editor-in-chief and managing director of Daijiworld and Ronald Pinto, managing partner of Hyssna International LLC – Abu Dhabi will be the guests of honour.

MCCP is expecting the graceful presence of many high profile dignitaries from India, USA and Gulf regions; a few of them are James Mendonca and Gilbert Alwyn Pinto, ex-president and current president of Mangalore Konkans – Dubai respectively, MCC Qatar president Prakash Noronha and active Konkani activist from USA and Past District Governor of Lions Club, Chicago Illinois Dr Austin D'Souza Prabhu.

Rock Music – Thunderous performance

The cultural evening will be spearheaded by band Charitra which is planning a rock show on the occasion. It is sure to deliver one of the finest evenings of its musical career.

Band Charitra

Loy Valentine Saldanha from Mangaluru, the founder of Charitra, is a certified engineer in music production and sound design from A R Rahman’s institute Audio Media, Chennai. He has made Manglurueans proud by winning the 'Best Music Director' award for the short film 'Ek Galthi' in 2015. He also has to his credit the music for the ICC World Cup song-2011, recognised by iTunes (the world’s most prestigious music store) for the song 'Daye Saipa' from his Tulu debut movie 'Rambarooti', got nominated for National level Short Film Contest 2016 organised by Arena Animation Mangaluru for two movies 'Ek Galthi' and 'Kshudh'. He is the official composer, vocalist, music programme and sound engineer of the band.

Band Charitra members

Melwyn Antony D’souza from Mangaluru has a degree in Carnatic music and is the lead vocalist, composer and lyricist of the band. He was nominated as the best lyricist for Konkani Global Awards - 2012, composed the song for the ICC World Cup-2011, Loy and Melwyn have worked together on projects with Corporation Bank, Daijiworld, short films such as Ek Galthi, Sumne Namgyake, 5 Letters, Future; music albums such as Chinthnam, Ashellon, Bindas, Ye Moga Cindrella; theme songs and music videos for Maheshianz, Shalimar Liverpool, Dare 2 Dance, Dance Mummy Dance, Campco Chocolates, Lusofonia Games 2014(Goa), Pratham Inn and Resorts, Kudala Telepale, Mango Lassi(Nandini), Manglore Konkans - Dubai, ICYM - Theme Song 2014, Hangyo Flavoured Milk and movies like Rambarooti (Tulu).

Akshada Talaulikar from Panjim (Goa), who is classically trained is an elegant and beautiful singer of the band. She has won the 'Best Female Singer' at the prestigious Global Konkani Music Award from Kalangan Mangaluru. She has had the opportunity to share mike and stage space with celebs like Suresh Wadkar, Pankaj Udhas, Jagjit Singh, Mika Singh and many others, and has received great praises and applauses from Khadikar, Rajana Joglekar, and Amol Bandekar etc. She has also released various religious albums like Radhe Radhe, Siddhicha Vinayaka, Devi Mhalsa etc and main stream commercial albums like Akshada Geet and Sparsh Tuzha. She has also done playback singing for movies like Ek Ass Antarichi, Radon Aka and has done various
commercials on radio.

Patson Pereira from Mangaluru is a qualified sound engineer in music production and audio technologies from SAE Institute Of Audio Engineering, Malaysia. Currently, he is the guitarist for the band and runs his own recording studio named PATMA DIGITALZ. He has worked on projects like 'Manasa' (short film), instrumental music albums such as 'Guitar Feels', 'Guitar Fusion”, 'Guitar Magic' etc and other music albums like 'Thembe Thembe', 'Tuje Kathir', 'Ek Zalim Kalzam'; theme songs for ICYM (DYC), ICYM Vamanjoor, St Aloysius Degree College theme, Ninna Dhristisi, Grace Ministry theme, Mungarina Modala (Royston Pinto), Tu Mhuje (Robin Cutinho) and Manasa (Maxim Pereira).

Ian Sachin Saldanha from Mangaluru is the drummer, percussionist and backing vocalist for the band. Sachin got his first set of drums at the age of 15 and by the age of 16, he was performing in local bands with his batchmates.

Rikith Leonard Soans from Udupi has acquired the certificate of western music (Grade 5) from Trinity College of London (TLC). He is the bass guitarist and backing vocalist of the band. Born and brought up in a family of music, his passion for music started at the age of 7. Apart from his main musical weapon, the bass, he is also well-known for playing violin, keyboard and guitar. Ian and Rikith have also performed for the National Catholic Federation where Karnataka Chief minister Siddaramaiah was the guest for the event; and played drums and bass guitar respectively for Kevin Misquith - Live in Concerts (Muscat).

The evening will witness two more sensational singers from UAE, namely Patrick Pereira and Sabitha Mathias.

Patrick from Bondel parish has been in the music industry for the last 30 years and produced his own 4 instrumental CDs. A natural player of all the musical instruments, Patrick, a gifted singer who can attract audience with his mesmerizing voice, has performed in many stage shows and also able to imitate voices of famous singers.

Sabitha Mathias, a natural singer with beautiful golden voice, hails from Udupi. She is a national level player in volleyball and was awarded as the NCC Best Cadet. She has been trained under Konkani’s music pundit Jossie Moras at his institute called Melodia and she proudly addresses Jossie as her music guru. She has secured a degree in music from Trinity college of Music – London. An engineer by profession, Sabitha was twice the runner-up in Gulf Voice of Mangalore – a talent hunt show.

The program will be lead by one of the most popular anchors of the Gulf region, Roshan D'Silva, an artiste of par excellence who is popular for his delivery of perfectly-timed comic strings, humor filled quotes and rich Konkani vocabulary. He is dear to his fans and friends as ‘Vamanjoor Halwa’, can bring magic with his soulful and amazing smile. He has been the Master of Ceremony for musical concerts like Lorna show, Henry D’Souza Nite, Nefi Rod Show, Antony Tauro Nite, Kenny Show, Melwyn show, Melwyn Peris Nite, Maxim Pereira Nite, Lancy Noronha Nite, Vincent Fernades ‘Mogachi Lahran’ nite and Norbert Pereira Nite; also anchored successful reality shows like Gulf voice of Managlore and Mogachi Lahar’s Nach Baila Nach, and thus Roshan has established himself as one of the most talented compere of Konkani world. He has won prizes in inter-parish singing competition both solo and duet categories organized by Konkani Natak Sabha, Mangaluru. He has rendered voice in devotional album and also composed some beautiful lyrics. Being an actor, he has acted in prize-winning drama Amar Cha Fra’s ‘Georgi Buthel’ in the role of Eddi Michel. Right now,he is promising to hold the Konkani audience of Muscat absolutely awestruck.

Rib tickling comedy will be presented by Konkani Film actors Mellu and Richa along with 'Ek Aslyer Ek Na' film hero and director Pradeep Barboza.

Comedians Mellu and Richha have performed together for the past 30 years, by the name of MEMORI and they are popularly known as Memori Richha and Memori Mellu. They have already presented more than 50 stage shows and performed many musical nites, including Wilfy nite. They are the winners of the comedy show in 'Yeya Hasoynya', Namma TV and also acted in 'Ek Aslyer Ek Na' Konkani film.

‘Konkani Comedy Prince’ titled Pradeep Barboza, Palladka is a natural artiste with a great flare of extraordinary presentation. Script writer and director Pradeep has written and directed more 12 Konkani comedy dramas and played the hero’s role in the movie 'Ek Aslyer Ek Na'. He is the winner of 'Bale Telipale' premier comedy talent hunt show held in the Gulf region.

Local Talents

Lavina D'Sa, a well-known anchor of the Mangalurean community with diversified leadership abilities and current vice-president (Cultural, Spiritual and Community Services Committees) of MCCP will lead the official programme. She has also taken a major role in planning the programme.

The dances will be presented by Mangalurean community’s leading choreographers Sonia D'Souza and Sachin Lobo, Pramila Pais, Dynet Fernandes and Priyanka Mendonca.

Walter Mendonca, the evergreen hero of Muscat Mangalureans and Helen Sequeira, a brilliant actress of the Mangalurean community in Oman will play the supporting roles in the comedy acts.

The stage will be decorated by special talent Lancy Lobo and team. As expected by many music lovers in Oman, Lovlin Rego will be ready to mesmerize the audience with his choicest selection of music and songs.

The live coverage of the full program, including the Holy Mass in Konkani will be streamed live on Daijiworld.com.