Marching into a new era

With glimpses of the past reflecting nostalgically through its walls and the vibrations of the music of yester era echoing through its one-of-a-kind wooden dance floor, Club Harmonia de Margao is celebrating its centenary this year. rA prominent landmark in the heart of the commercial capital of Goa, this prestigious institute, which is the pride of Madgaonkars was founded back in 1948 following the amalgamation of two separate social establishments - Teatro Harmonia and Clube de Margao. rA peek in the history tells us that founded in 1853, at the initiative of Bernardo Francisco da Costa, in a building belonging to the Barreto Miranda family in Borda, Teatro Harmonia was formerly involved in socio-cultural activities, theatre and plays. Today, that historical building still stands as a testimony to the glorious cultural past our ancestors shared with the city. rClube de Margao on the other hand, functioned from private homes in Margao and worked towards promoting cultural, literary and artistic activities. Founded in 1915, its constitution was approved in 1917. rHowever, with many of the members from both establishments moving out of Goa over time, it was decided to amalgamate the two to form a single club whose name represented both the organisations. It was March 9, 1948 when the deliberation was taken regarding this. As Teatro Harmonia had a fixed premise, the new socio-cultural establishment shifted to it, at Borda. rOver time, Clube Harmonia de Margao shifted to its own premises after a building was erected with the help of generous donations from the well-to-do families in Margao. The land came as a gift from the Fernandes family. Many heads, hands and hearts were involved in the making of the club which is just unforgettable. r“And the bond continues even today. Many families in Margao nurture a sense of belongingness to the club, including my own family,” states past president Joaquim Filipe Soares, whose association with the club began when he was a kid. “Nothing divided the people in the good old days. They shared a peaceful and harmonious life nurturing love and respect for all. Margao was like a big family - celebrating the joys and sorrows together and Club Harmonia was a place where everybody mingled sharing common emotions to celebrate life,” a nostalgic Soares remembers. rOver decades, the club has seen many ups and downs but its loyal members have stood with it through thick and thin. One of the oldest employees, Oliver D’Costa is nonchalantly serving it for the past 30 years. In his 90s, the architect Bruno D’Souza of the establishment still rejoices in the old memories. rBut with the changing of times, lifestyles have altered too. The calm and quiet life has slowly disappeared. People have adopted a hectic pace. This has its own repercussions. The definition of entertainment is no longer the same. Over the years due to interest clashes, the younger generation had drifted away. And as the Clube turns 100, it is all set to shed skin, be more youthful and change for better. In fact the process and countdown has already begun to bring back the old glory and glamour under the able hands of current president Ameet Pinto, 37 who has roped in a young team. rThe young team comes from diverse backgrounds - from finance to medicine, law to human resource management. A BBA, Ameet himself has finance background. A common interest - to revive the club - has brought all together. rThe past president Soares too is anxious to extend his wholehearted support to in implementing new ideas. “We sincerely wish that this socio-cultural organisation must not only survive, but thrive. We must find a solution so that young and elderly, all feel at home here,” says Soares, 73. rBent upon revival and rejuvenation, the young team successfully managed to pull the crowds in for the traditional New Year dance which over time had been losing popularity as the younger generation were moving on to hotels and discotheques. Thanks to the new band, December 2016 was also a hit. The addition of concepts like Margao Tinto, Footloose Nights, Friday Forums, Sunday Whist, Discover Margao photography competition, quizzes, summer camps, workshops - have also proved to be tremendously successful. r“For youth to have parties, our club serves as a safe haven. Parents have always felt secure if their children were partying in our premises in a homely atmosphere. Good music is enough to get the youngsters in. The club has its plus points and we thought of strengthening them further by adding fun and innovative features,” briefs Ameet. He aims at offering multiple choices to both the generations. “No one should feel left out or no one should move out, all must move in,” he feels. rThe past stores many memories in its Pandora’s Box. But time is the best teacher and one must learn his lesson from it. Traditions and cultural ethos must not die. Instead, retaining their own goodness and warmth they must continue to be followed with zeal by the following generations. October 28, celebrated as the anniversary date, is sure to bring a new dawn in the life of Clube Harmonia de Margao as it moves into a new era and opens a new page in the history of Margao.