LONDON
The community hailing from Aldona came together for Social de Aldona 2.0 at The Dandelion – The Goan Pub in Hounslow-London on September 5.
The first Social de Aldona was held in 2019 but had to pause due to the Covid pandemic. But the spirit of Aldona never disappeared in the UK.
Social de Aldona was a non-commercial get-together, created with one simple purpose: to bring the Aldonkar community together. It was an evening to meet old friends, make new ones, catch up, enjoy music and entertainment, and feel that special connection to home.
THE INVOLVEMENT
The event was filled with the spirit of Aldona — its people, its traditions and its talent.
A short video by Aldona MLA Adv. Carlos Ferreira was screened before the event to build excitement within the community.
What made the evening special was the involvement of people from different wards of Aldona.
Keeping the music and energy going were DJ Frank Alphonso (Ranoi), DJ Caelan Dias (Santarxette) and DJ Richie (Panarim).
Live performances brought together by Aldona's talent from different parts of the village. They included Fabian Fernandes (Carona), Boris Fernandes (Goddar) and Jonathan Coelho (Coimavaddo). Adding to the musical celebrations was Leiell Cardoza from Velim, who was a guest of Lenny Godinho (Goncoi). Albano Fernandes (Mapusa) assisted the organisers.
Other Aldonkars involved in the event included Macklin Pereira from Calvim (photography), Desmond Pinto from Goncoi (videography), Cecil Pinto from Goncoi (preparations and promotion), and Richard Alphonso from Panarim (sound and decorations). The compere and quizmaster was Charles Dias (Santarxette).
THE CONTESTS
The Aldona Big Fat Quiz was another major attraction of the evening. It was filled with questions, excitement, plenty of friendly rivalry and prizes. It was a chance to test how well everyone really knew Aldona.
After a long pitted battle between 10 teams from Aldona, Team Micheal won the quiz competition, while Team Peter and Team Alex came a close second and third place, respectively.
An age-old card game, Truque, was also played at the event. The teams for the exhibition match were Aldona Institute (A), captained by Carlos Almeida (Cottarbhat), while Aldona Institute (B) was captained by Lenny Godinho (Goncoi).
The match was competitive, and in the end, Aldona Institute (A) emerged as the winners. But beyond the result, the Truque match brought out friendly rivalry, excitement and camaraderie.
Alongside the Truque and quiz, Housie brought its own share of excitement, while games were also especially organised for children.
There were spot prizes sponsored by members of the community who had gathered there.
The overall event was coordinated by Steven Correia from Quitula, bringing together the many different elements that made Social de Aldona 2.0 possible.
THE CAMARADERIE
As the evening drew to a close, Aldonkars came together to sing the Aldona Mando. Voices united in harmony, carrying with them memories of home and a love for the village that brought everyone together that evening.
“The music, laughter, games, familiar faces and the sound of the Aldona Mando created that unmistakable feeling of being amongst our own. It was more than just music. It was Aldona speaking through its people,” said Steven Correia.
“For those moments, the distance between Goa and the UK seemed to disappear. The Mando connected generations, friends and families, reminding everyone that no matter where life takes us, our roots remain firmly planted in Aldona.”
Stating that Social de Aldona 2.0 was much more than an evening of entertainment, Steven said it was about meeting, reconnecting, sharing, remembering and celebrating what it means to be Aldonkar.
“The generous sponsors also captured the true spirit of Social de Aldona. The community gave, the community participated and the community celebrated. Aldonkars came together. Every corner of Aldona represented in spirit, the village came alive in Hounslow. We may live far from Goa, but when Aldonkars gather, home is never really that far away,” Steven added.
