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World Goa Day, U.A.E. 2017

Presented by Abu Dhabi Goans in association with Razzmatazz 360 degrees.

Instituted to commemorate the inclusion of Konkani in the 8th schedule of the Indian constitution on 20th August 1992, WGD is a celebration of "Goa" and the "Goan identity".  The 3rd annual WGD, U.A.E celebration was held at Al Qasr Ballroom, Hilton, Abu Dhabi on the 20th of October, 2017.

Packed to the rafters, a sellout crowd enjoyed a truly memorable day.  Abu Dhabi’s popular and famed DJ Rudy set the ball rolling with a Konkani special musical set bringing back nostalgic memories of Goa and of our yesteryear star musicians and singers. The charismatic Perviz D’souza, well and truly set the tone for the full house assisted by Conrad Caeiro, with their witty repertoire and Goan cultural awareness. Abu Dhabi’s very own young Goan band, La Vida rocked the dancing crowd with rendition of their favorite music. One man band rockstar Darin Fernandes, once again proved his prowess to keep the crowd in awe of his mix.  Flown specially across the seas from Goa, Sky High, an acclaimed and distinguished Goan band, led admirably by Blasio Pinto and superbly supported by an awesome team, set the bar of music very high throughout the evening.  Champion stuff and a splendid performance from a delightful band.

Against the back drop were powerful dance performances by Abu Dhabi Goans. The seniors presented a traditional Dekhni, a semi classical Goan dance to welcome the guests, followed by Kunbi, a tribal folk dance of Goa. In between the juniors delivered a dulpod performance which was well appreciated by the crowd. There were prizes and surprises galore. A traditional Goan costume competition threw up a worthy "Ramponkar" as the winner.

His Excellency, Navdeep Singh Suri, ambassador of India to the U.A.E. addressed the diaspora on the occasion, highlighting the cultural diversity and richness of India while congratulating Goan’s for bringing their tradition to the fore in U.A.E, through this event. The ambassador of the Republic of Seychelles to U.A.E.  His Excellency Jean- Claude Adrienne also graced the occasion.

The event’s precious and treasured moments were captured on lens by celebrated and acclaimed Neil Rodrigues of Photooneil Photography, Abu Dhabi. The event attracted attendees from the GCC countries in addition to Goan’s and likeminded Indians from all over the UAE.

A well organized and highly successful event well and truly appreciated and applauded by attendees.