News Release
Panaji, Jan 18: Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr (TSKK) will present its annual awards on wednesday, January 26, 2011 at 5 pm at its premises at Alto Porvorim, Goa.
Cyriaco Dias the veteran well known Tiatrist, Konknni film artist and freedom fighter of Goa will be the chief guest and confer the awards. TSKK will honor the veteran Konknni Tiatrist Ophelia D’Souza as the twenty-first recipient of TSKK’s prestigious Antonio Pereira Konknni Puroskar (APKP) 2011. Ophelia D’Souza will receive this award for the year 2011 for her valuable and immense contribution to Konknni Tiatr and films. The award consists of a shawl, memento and cash Rs. 25,000/-.
Ophelia Cabral was born on 8 November 1938 at Socorro, Bardes, Goa. She was the daughter of Alberto and Leena Cabral. She was a student of Victoria School, Mahim, Mumbai where she had opportunities to act and sing in the concerts. The school authorities were amazed at her skill of acting and singing. In 1954 for the fist time she acted in Konknni Tiatr Apurbayechi Sun of A F Rod. She improved her performance from tiatr to tiatr. She was offered roles by many tiatrists. The public fell in love with Ophelia in C Alvares’ tiatr Avoycho Xirap. Since then she became the main actress for almost 60 tiatrs of C Alvares. She has done a variety of roles ranging from tragedy to comedy. She is also a good singer and her songs are recorded on HMV Records and All India Radio. She is rightly called the Queen of Tragedy of Konknni tiatr. She is an intense actress and one that believes in studying her role thoroughly before deciding on how best to portray it. She has also acted in Konknni films Amchem Noxib, Nirmonn, Bhunyarantlo Monis, Boglantt and video film Mogachi Faxi. She married to her co-tiatrist, Bab Peter D’Souza in 1975. She has written and directed two tiatrs. She has received a number of awards and felicitation from various organizations. She is the sister of Mohana, the film star of over 40 Hindi feature films. At present Ophelia lives in Mahim, Mumbai with her daughter and grand children.
Every year TSKK gives an award Konknni Martir Floriano Vaz Puroskar for the best Konknni book of the calendar year written in Roman script. The award consists of a memento, citation and cash Rs. 5,000/-. For the year 2010 Turo, short story book of Vincy Quadros from Raia, Goa has been selected. He is one of the most talented writers of Konknni in Roman and Devanagari scripts. At present he is the vice-President of Goa Konkani Akademi. He regularly writes to various Konknni journals in Roman and Devanagari scripts. He has written seven Konknni books. He has edited a number of Konknni journals like Jivit, Kamgarvanni. He was a Managing Committee member of Dalgado Konknni Akademi and Konknni Bhasha Mandal, Goa. He has done M A in Sociology. He has successfully organized Konknni literary programmes and taken part in various Konknni conferences as a resource person. He has received a number of awards for his books and for his contribution to Konknni from various Konknni organizations.
From this year Dr Jack Sequeira Puroskar for the contribution of a young Konknni writer to Konknni in Roman script has been instituted at TSKK by Fr Conceção da Silva, the parish priest of Carambolim and the well known Konknni retreat preacher. The award consists of a shawl, memento, and cash Rs 5,000/-. Jose Salvador Fernandes has been chosen for this award of 2010. He has done M A in Konknni and he worked as a Konknni lecturer in Carmel College, Nuvem; Fr Agnel College, Pilar. He was the chief reporter and news editor and translator of V. Ixtt Konknni weekly from 2003 to 2010. He worked as an editor of Konkan Mail journal for three years. He was the Executive Member of Konknni Bhasha Mandal, Goa. For the last five years he is the Secretary of Dalgado Konknni Akademi (DKA). He has worked as a language editor for a number of Konknni books published by DKA. He is an efficient translator from English to Konknni. He has contributed articles to a number of Konknni journals like Gulab, V. Ixtt, Goencho Ulo. He has written and acted in one act Konknni plays. Since 2008 he contributes Konknni articles on various subjects every Saturday under the column Son’varachim Sungttam to www.goa-world.com. He has bagged a few Konknni prizes in various competitions. Salvador is a talented, active and silent worker of Konknni.
At the award function Master Aaron Jack Fernandes, a XII standard student from Guardian Angel Higher Secondary School, Sanvordem will be given the Lourenço Umbelina scholarship.
At sharp 5 pm Mother Theresa Brass Band will present a Konknni musical programme comprising a number of popular Konknni songs of famous composers. The function is open for the public. All are cordially invited for the function.