Measures of a man can be taken in many ways, but one of the most accurate might be how people speak of him after he's gone.
Local musical icon, Terence Vaz, founder of renowned Goan band The Lynx, who passed at the age of 56 on July 17, has had tribute paid to him by people from all walks of life. Right from countless posts on a facebook page, to having two minutes silence in his honour at the legislative assembly.
But what would truly describe the man loved so dearly by all who knew him are the words of his fellow musicians who will now have to do without him onstage.
Lawry Pires, founder member of band Lace, and Terry’s childhood friend from Tanzania, states, “We both grew up in the same country, which served as a home away from home. Therefore, we naturally had a lot of things in common. In Terry, we not only lost a good musician, but also a good man.”
“Say Terry, and I see a big man, a big heart, a beautiful deep voice which was pretty unusual in the Goan band scene. I remember him most for his sincere, ego-less smile and genuine warmth towards all, including musicians from friendly as well as rival bands. This made him stand out like a healthy thumb,” adds established musical maestro, Remo Fernandes.
Music technician and fellow musician Tony, of Goan band Tidal Wave adds that “It is a sad day, considering that he was a figure that younger musicians in Goa looked up to in a paternal sense as a role model.”
In Terry’s own words, ‘he was an entertainer since the day he crawled’. A journey that began with him watching his parent’s performances at churches and as a popular band for gigs in Africa, where he was born.
Doubtlessly, there will be a great gig in the sky, as the measure of this man was taken and will most assuredly be found good.
