Goa’s nightingale Lorna captivated thousands of people at the 'Goa Day London' festival at Cranford in Hounslow, West London, on Sunday evening.
Photo Credits: Lui Godinho
LONDON
Several thousand people sang and danced to music by Goa’s nightingale Lorna and leading Goan musicians, while also savouring traditional Goan cuisine at the ‘Goa Day London’ festival at Cranford in Hounslow, West London, on Sunday evening.
The festival began with a concelebrated Mass presided over by Goa’s Auxiliary Bishop Simião Purificação Fernandes, while the other concelebrants were Fr Renato Andrade and Fr Feroz Fernandes, who are based in the UK, as well as Fr Movin Menezes and Fr Luis Alvares, who have been on a visit to the UK. A Goan choir from the Cranford Catholic Church led the congregation in the hymns.
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.
The cultural programme followed after Mass, with several musical performances and various stalls selling traditional Goan food.
Among the guests present on the occasion were UK Minister of Home Affairs, Seema Malhotra, Goa’s MLA Reginald Lourenco, and Leader of Hounslow Councillors, Rajanat Shantanu.
The various groups, musical bands, and dancers performing at the festival included the Jason & Sylvia Dance Academy children’s dance group, the bands ‘NH17’, ‘ClayJars’, and ‘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, which have made her a household name in Goan homes across the world.
DJ Jonathan Barretto and his 7-year-old daughter, DJ Jonaisa, also kept the crowd on their toes. MC Bunty Vaz kept the crowd entertained throughout the day.
This show was organised by Showbiz Global Ltd in partnership with Impact Events, comprising Somesh Velguekar (Director), Nitin Thakur (Finance), Brunette Pereira (PR & Legal), Calvin Barretto, Jonathan Barretto, and Peter Miranda (Planning and Stage Managers).
