Goa’s nightingale Lorna captivated thousands of people at the ‘Goa Day London’ festival at Cranford in Hounslow, West London.
LONDON
Several thousands of people enjoyed Goan music, food and culture at the ‘Goa Day London’ festival at Cranford in Hounslow, West London, on July 20.
Goa’s nightingale Lorna returned to the festival for the third consecutive year to captivate the sea of people with iconic Konkani songs, which have made her a household name among Goans across the world.
THE MASS
The festival began with a concelebrated Mass presided over by Goa’s Auxiliary Bishop Simão Purificação Fernandes, while the other concelebrants were Fr Renato Andrade, Fr Feroz Fernandes, who are based in the UK, as well as Fr Movin Menezes and Fr Luis Alvares, priests from Goa who have been on a visit to the UK.
In his homily during Mass, Bishop Fernandes said he was happy listening to people speak Konkani in London and Swindon, and encouraged Goans to share values and linguistic heritage with the next generation.
Acknowledging the struggles of Goans in the UK amid various challenges, Bishop Fernandes invited the congregation to focus on others and to reach out to those in need.
Goa’s Auxiliary Bishop Simão Purificação Fernandes addresses the people at the ‘Goa Day London’ festival at Cranford in Hounslow, West London, in the presence of other priests and Goa’s legislator Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco.
A Goan choir led by Aldrich Fernandes from the Cranford Catholic Church led the congregation in the hymns. Peter Miranda along with Brunette Pereira assisted the service.
THE ENTERTAINMENT
The cultural programme followed after Mass, with several musical performances and various stalls selling traditional Goan food.
The various groups, musical bands and dancers performing at the festival included the Jason & Sylvia Dance Academy children dance group, the bands ‘NH17’, ‘ClayJars’, ‘Injunction’, while the solo performers included Elvis Goes from Goa, NLR, Jayden, Cajy Pereira, Comedian Socorro, and Nerissa.
The star attraction at the festival was Goa’s nightingale Lorna, who was accompanied by the ‘Team Lorna’ musicians on stage. Her presence on stage captivated the sea of people, who travelled from different parts of the UK and beyond, as she sang several iconic Konkani songs, much to the delight of the people who sang and danced to the songs.
DJ Jonathan Barretto, his 7-year-old daughter, DJ Jonaisa, and DJ Peyton Pires also kept the crowd on their toes. MC Bunty Vaz entertained the crowd throughout the day.
THE GUESTS
Auxiliary Bishop Simão Fernandes mingled and interacted with people at the festival, with a number of them seeking his blessings and clicking photos with him.
Among the guests present on the occasion included UK’s Under Secretary of State (Home Office) Seema Malhotra, Goa’s MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, and Leader of Hounslow Council Rajanat Shantanu.
In her address, Malhotra said she was very pleased with the Goan community, which is growing and flourishing, and has made a huge contribution to the UK economy.
She praised the organisers for hosting the festival which was a family affair and was happy to have witnessed such a big celebration in the heart of Cranford.
Malhotra lauded the Goa community for not only growing well but also promoting their culture.
“The Goan community works together and supports each other in business to grow and prosper, taking advantages of various opportunities for everyone to flourish,” said the minister.
Leader of Hounslow Council, Rajanat Shantanu also praised the Goan community and said he loves attending the Goa Day London festival and meeting many people from the Goan Community from Hounslow and across the country.
Goa’s legislator Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, who was visiting the UK, addressed the crowd after Mass and pledged to work for the welfare of Goans in Goa.
THE STALLS
There were a number of stalls at the festival, offering traditional food from Goa and the Caribbean.
The Goan caterers included Ferns Caters, P Fernandes, The Coastal Cuisine, Johnny Johnny, Dandelions, Delights Cafe, St Anthony Caterers, Eastern Twist, Vailankani Cafe, Goenche Cuisine and The Chick & Grill.
The ‘Goa Day London’ festival was organised by ShowBizGlobal Ltd in partnership with ImpactEventsGoa UK consisting of Somesh Velguekar (Director- Artist & Sales), Nitin Thakur (Director - Finance, Marketing and Digital Platforms), Calvin Barretto (Director - Event Planning and Vendor Management), Brunette Pereira (PR & Legal), Jonathan Barretto and Peter Miranda (Stage Managers).
