Mukesh Ghatwal, a celebrated musician known for his beautiful song compositions and music arrangements is in the news these days for reinventing a melodious and evergreen dekhni.
Hanv Saiba Poltoddi Vetam is arguably the most popular dekhni song by Carlos Eugenio Ferreira which incidentally is first published in Paris in 1895 and then in Goa in 1926.
The St Estevam based Ghatwal was inspired in coming up with a refreshing adaptation of this song on an occasion for a birthday party. “Along with my friends we were singing this song and one sexagenarian was literally in tears hearing this song that left me speechless,” the artiste recalled. Stirred by the incident, later that evening as he endeavoured in creating music his disturbed mind was unable to do so which prompted him to play the song, Hanv Saiba Poltoddi Vetam and singing with the flow. The stimulation was such that it had drawn the musician to recorded his music and sing the song created with love, emotions and magical moments.
He also laid emphasis that doing the song was nothing less than creating an original tack. “I have rearranged the music by giving it a new touch without tampering the heritage feel of the song,” he disclosed. However he acknowledged that original songs are better received by Goans while at the same time pointed out that we cannot forget our golden past.
Through the track, his message is simple, loud and clear. “We should relax, enjoy and dream ourselves to golden memories about Goa and what you feel about your State,” Ghatwal maintained. He also added to say that there is nothing beautiful then his golden beautiful Goan memories and that he was certain that whoever listens to this song will cherish their own sweet memories of their motherland.
Drawn to comparing the song with the original dekhni, Ghatwal says “It is different as per the original dekhni dance song we have. This has a very relaxed and dreamy feel and as one feels emotionally connected to it. As a composer, it has to be different. The best way to present this song to our youth is by adding a modern flavour but retaining the charm of our culture and heritage.”
While doing the shoot, the locales and individuals for realizing the video in keeping with the lyrics came with the flow. “I did the shoot at my village, St Estevam and nothing was strictly planned. But one thing I made certain was that we had to go local and the best that we could do is inviting my village friends and neighbors to be a part of the video instead of taking some celebrity cast,” he explained.
While his wife, Celesta Saldanha who conceptualised the video showed certain locations from which his friend and a well known cinematographer, Sainath Parab selected some of the locations and superbly and beautifully did the DOP, the rest of the selected things that is seen the video like the use of canoe, frying mackerels was arranged by their village friends, namely, Roland Afonso and Vijay Menezes who were also part of the cast for the video. Others seen in the track include Francis Gomes, Sheldon Alphonso, Molivoi Silveira, while the ladies, Smita Naik, Pradnya Naik and Pooja Naik who are seen are waiting to cross the river in the canoe.
Ghatwal who has lent is vocals for the track stresses that the song is a dream sequence where everything does not need to be visualized. “Some things need to be remembered and felt. Given that this is an age old song which has been sung by both male and females it is a pure Goan treasure. When someone hears the song they get connected to their own set of memories,” he elucidated. The singer of the music video has also done the music arrangement, played, mixed, mastered and done the video editing as well. One can watch the music video on YouTube on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNP9N0XdQqU
The accomplished musician has two original music videos that are theme on love lined up which he plays to portray in his own unique style.
