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The best of both worlds

The most awaited music festival of the year ‘Monte Music Festival’ will begin on February 1 at the Chapel of Our Lady of the Mount, Old Goa

| JANUARY 18, 2019, 03:03 AM IST

TG LIFE


The 17th edition of Monte Music Festival 2019, presented by Fundação Oriente and Cidade de Goa, begins on February 1 at the Chapel of Our Lady of the Mount (Capela de Nossa Senhora do Monte) at Old Goa and after a three-day musical bonanza of performances from national and international artists, will conclude on February 3.   

Monte Music Festival is not a fusion festival and it does not aspire to be so: it is a platform for the two rich cultural traditions in the East and the West to simply communicate. From a small festival, Monte Music Festival has grown to become one of the most important cultural events in the Goan calendar.   

Announcing this year’s dates for the festival at a joint press conference, Neeta Brid (general manager, Cidade de Goa) and Ines Figueira (director, Fundação Oriente) briefed on this most awaited festival that is expected to be attended by 3000 plus music enthusiasts including locals as well as national and international tourists.   

This three-day festival will attract an audience of minimum 500 persons per concert and around 3000 in total. It is noteworthy that with the first edition in 2002 after the restoration of the Chapel by Fundacao Oriente in 1999, the festival has continuously gathered attention and interest from Western and Eastern music and dance enthusiasts. The sunset on the hill top has become a perfect spot for the East and West to meet, interact and enjoy the music and the serenity of the site.  

Held at the one of the most spectacular locations in Goa, the Monte Music Festival is a unique event, which has carved a niche of its own among all cultural events held in the state. With performances held inside the old heritage chapel and its courtyard with a backdrop of the picturesque Chorao and Divar islands on the banks of river Mandovi, the festival begins at sunset and goes on till about 9 pm.  

With a unique blend of international, national and local artists, Monte Music Festival has the privilege to count on an annually growing number of followers that make their pilgrimage to witness a celebration of cultural dialogue, heritage, music and dance.  

Supported by the Directorate of Archives and Archaeology - government of Goa and the Archdiocese of Goa, Furtado’s Music Company and the Goa College of Hospitality and Culinary Education, the festival will open on February 1 with an interplay of dance, music, theatre and Bhakti poetry titled Jheeni, presented by the Mumbai based group Beej and will end in the Monte Chapel with the concert Ave Stella Maris by the Pilar Music Academy Choral from Goa, directed by Fr Peter Carvalho.  

At the sunset on February 2, the Maxican flautist Nathalie Ramierez and Indian guitarist Shyamant Behal will delight the audience with melodies for flute and guitar from European and Latin American composers. The same evening, Sonia Shirsat and her musicians will render a combination of mandos, dulpods, and dekhnis in a concert titled Sounds of Goa.  

Closing the festival on February 3, the celebrated Portuguese fadista Carolina and her musicians will perform a number of traditional fados along with new songs written by Portuguese contemporary poets for the artist. The final concert of this Monte Music Festival promised to be unforgettable. The chapel of Our Lady of Monte will be the stage for a multi arranged presentation of Seven Last Words of Christ (Haydn) directed by Parvesh Java, featuring Eshivita Menezes and with the special participation of the renowned pianist Marialena Fernandes.  

As there is no parking arrangement at the venue, shuttle services will be provided by the organisers from Gandhi Circle to the Chapel.   

Performances inside the chapel require passes which will be available from January 24 at the office of Fundacao Oriente, 175, Filipe Neri Road, Behind People’s High School, Fontainhas( Panaji) during working hours (contact 0832-2230728 / 24336108)  

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