The 11th Month Music Festival began with much aplomb on February 1. The Monte will play host to a musicians and their music from over the state, the country and the world
The hillock in Old Goa on which the Chapel of Our Lady ofMount is located, stands solitarily, now and then graced with the with a visitfrom the occasional tourist who has the tenacity to walk up the not-so-invitingslope. In the days leading to the Monte Music Festival however, this chapel isspectator to bustling activity, with its façade and surroundings getting acomplete makeover.
The Festival, organised by Fundação Oriente and Cidade deGoa was always about the combination of Eastern and Western music, as EduardoKol de Carvalho, Director, Fundação Oriente, puts it. “Cidade de Goa identifieswith the goal of the Monte Music Festival to bring together the classicaltraditions of India and the West, to link heritage with culture and to make Goaa cultural destination. Although the festival was conceived by Fundação Orienteand first held in November 2002, by 2003 Cidade de Goa came on board as anorganizational partner,” says Vinnie Timblo, Marketing Manager, Cidade de Goa.“Both organizations take the responsibility of sourcing renowned musicians fromoutside Goa and within Goa. On average 7 to 10 concerts are held during the 3-4days of the festival with over 45 Indian and Western classical musiciansparticipating. Other aspects involved in organizing a festival such as this aresplit between both organizations, and planning usually starts 9 months beforeeach festival,” she continues.
The 11th edition of the Monte Music Festival was held onFebruary 1, 2 and 3, and saw a delectable platter of performances on threestages that included one inside the chapel. “The chapel has wonderful acousticconditions, not to mention that it overlooks a panoramic view,” says Kol deCarvalho. Among the performers was Marco Rodrigues a young popular singer fromPortugal, who with a voice glistening with emotion sang the Fado. “The Fado wasdeclared intangible World Heritage in November 2011. It is not anymore just asong of Lisbon, it is a voice of the world,” says Kol de Carvalho. The last dayalso saw Dr Anasuya Kulkarni from Bangalore playing Carnatic music on anIndonesian instrument called the Anghklung. The other performances includedthose by Pravin Gaonkar and Sonia Shirsat, Stuti Choral Ensemble, KathakRecital by Abhimanyu and Vidha Lal from Delhi, Giving Voice to India soloistsand the Capital City Minstrels from Delhi.
Speaking about the future of the Festival, Kol de Carvalhosaid that he was saddened that the chapel that was restored with much effort isnot being taken care of. “The people who visit the place destroy things for thepleasure of destroying and litter the surroundings,” he says. “How can we havea better festival if people do such awful attempts at heritage?” he shakes hishead sadly.
