With over 10K hits on the Facebook within days, ‘Oh Goenkara’ -- a song in Konkani, has been making waves on the social media. But that’s not the story.
The narrative of the typical Goan song is to spread positivity and love, or that is what the three Goans – Gina Pereira, Hema Sardesai and Ryan Mark – the force behind the song and video want us to believe.
‘Oh Goenkara’ beckons Goans in the State and all over the world to break the chain of disparities and forge unity to save Goa.
“Oh Goenkara is a unity song. It’s a song of love. All the musicians and participants who took part in creating this song are fighting in their own way to save Goa. We all love our Goa and we thought this song was the need of the hour,” said Hema Sardesai, a popular Indian playback singer who is the lead singer in the four-minute video song.
The song was launched on the World Goa Day on August 20 and within days it managed to gross over 10,000 hits on the popular social media platform – Facebook.
“We toiled hard and took almost two weeks to create the video song. It was a marvellous journey…We had a bunch of amazing musicians who have lent their voice and played various types of instruments,” said Ryan Mark, the producer of the song and the video.
The trio were addressing the media on the production and launching of the Konkani song in Mapusa.
While Ryan Mark and Hema Sardesai brought in a load of talent, the main force behind the song was Gina Pereira, who was struck with the idea of coming out with a song that will bring all “genuine” Goans together.
“The only motivation to make the song was to bring about unity among Goans who have genuine love for the State and who would work selflessly to protect it,” said Pereira, who shot to fame in her effort to repatriate Goan seafarers who were stranded abroad during the pandemic.
Calling themselves apolitical, the group of three stressed that a lot of effort was made to keep politicians and people affiliated to politics out of the song.
“We are apolitical people and we took pains to ensure that politics is kept out from the video song. The song is only about unity,” said Ryan Mark.
Pitching for making ‘Oh Goenkara’ Goa’s anthem, Hema Sardesai said the song deserves the pride of place as it seeks to bring all Goans together.
“It’s time for the government to listen to the people…Understand the genuine people who love their Goa. It’s not we so much so, as the people of Goa who desire that the song be made Goa’s anthem,” Sardesai said.
