Alfred Rose ‘s widow Rita was in Goa on a private visit, and met The Goan during her short stay at Mapusa, for a chat on the scenes backstage in her husband’s life
Recalling the memories of the Alfred Rose tribute shows heldin Mumbai to commemorate Alfred’s 80th birth anniversary Rita said, “Thebiggest moment of happiness for me was when my son Engelbert Rose took part inthe show and sang after a very long time. Secondly the sensational duetcomposed by my husband Alfred Rose ‘Mummy Mhaka Vengent Tuje Dor’ the originalversion of which was sung by me and Engelbert in the First Musical show when hewas a kid was once again repeated in this tribute show. But this time thesingers were not me and my son, but my daughter Alria Dolly Rose and her sonEthan.”
Recalling her husband’s genius she said, “Writing lyricscame to him easily. Sometimes he would compose the lyrics first and then setthem to music, otherwise it was the other way round. There were times he wouldeven wake up in the middle of the night and jot down some lyrics or the melodyon a piece of paper and get back to sleep again.”
When asked to shed some light on the lyrics of Alfred’sall-time hit solo ‘Dotorancho Dotor’, Rita confirmed the facts were very muchtrue, and on two occasions whilst performing on stage Alfred just could notsing. His voice refused to open up. He went back stage and sipped some waterand yet he could not sing. He was advised to go to a place at Breach Candy,Mumbai, where the devotion of St Anthony was being held every Tuesday withgreat devotion. On doing so, he was cured miraculously. After five years hecomposed this solo and sang on stage. After that there was a deluge of thefaithful flocking to the devotion at Breach Candy. A laminated copy of thelyrics is displayed at the place of worship.
To the pointed question, as to how she met Alfred Rose, andwithout any hesitation Rita replied, “I first met him in my dad’s tiatr‘Gharachi Chavi’ and later ‘Sosnnikay’. I was a teenager then, and I remember,once I was playing with his wand and Panama hat which he used whilst singing. Iaccidentally sat on the hat and crumpled it. My mother was very upset with mybehaviour and offered to compensate Alfred for the broken hat. But he smiled asif nothing had happened and took the incident in his stride.” Later, Rita actedin the tiatr ‘Monis Vo Devchar’ staged by Alfred Rose. The rest, as they say ishistory. But critics and fans will undeniably agree that the coming together ofRita and Alfred Rose was nothing short of an act of God. Their contribution toKonkani music is unparalleled and cannot be ignored.
