·         July 18, 2010: - the successful Goa curtain-raiser.

·         July 19: Eric Baab along with Baab Vivek Mordekar and Baab Prashant Kamat toured the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra to identify and recruit Konkani troupes there. ‘Chaitanya Mahila Vikas Mandal’, Banda, Sawantwadi has been recruited to perform ‘Dashavatari’ – a traditional form of drama and Shri Edwin Francis D’Souza and team of Ajgaon has been invited to present a play.

·         July 21: A meeting of prominent Konkani leaders of Mumbai under the leadership of Shri Albert D’Souza, Patron of the Convention, was convened at St. Xavier’s Engg. College Conference Hall, Mahim. Shri Ronald Mendonca, Chairman, Kalaangann; Rev. Fr. Ramesh Francis Naik, Chief Patron, Kalaangann; Shri John D’Silva and Shri Pius Vas, both Directors, Kalaangann and Shri Lawrence Coelho, Editor, ‘Divo’ were a few among those present. At this meeting, the Mumbai curtain-raiser was discussed and Aug. 29, 11 a.m. was fixed as the date and time of the Mumbai curtain-raiser and Rang Sharda, Bandra was finalized as the venue. A meeting of leaders of all Konkani organizations of Mumbai was fixed for Aug. 14 at the same place.

·         July 23 and 24: Baab Stany Alvares and Baab Rony Arun, two leading activists of Mandd Sobhann, visited Goa to meet the Chief Minister and submit an application for financial assistance and also to meet the Chairman of the Entertainment Society of Goa, to request for involvement in the Film Festival. Special thanks to Baab Vishal Pai and Tomazinho Baab for their help and guidance.

·         July 26: Eric Baab was a Special Guest at the ‘Navayat Mehfil’ at M.A. Rehmaan Maam’s son’s wedding pendal. The ‘Mehfil’ which began at 9.30 p.m., reluctantly ended at 2.30 a.m., where more than 1000 people gathered. Eric Baab extended a cordial invitation to the Navayati Konkani Muslim community to present a one-hour ‘Navayat Mehfil’ at the World Convention. This invitation was gladly accepted.

·         July 27: Eric Baab sat with Shri Narayan Baab Kharvi, the President of Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy, to shortlist the teams from Uttara Kannada. Baab Naveen accompanied Eric Baab on this tour.

·         Aug. 4: Thanks to the initiative of Dr. Ashok Pai and Dr. Rajani Pai, world-famous psychiatrists, a meeting of Konkanis of all communities was organized at 5 p.m. at their Conference Hall. Konkanis of Shimoga were briefed about the World Convention and an official invitation was extended to all Konkanis to participate in the same. ‘Vagdevi Konkani Mahila Yaksharanga’, a fully female troupe, was invited to present their Yakshagana at the World Convention. Navayati Muslims, Christians, GSBs, Daivajna Brahmins, Saraswats were represented at the meeting. The Konkanis of Shimoga were so enthused, that they offered to form a committee to mobilize financial support from Shimoga.

·         Aug. 5 and 6: Eric Baab went round Bangalore to finalise the Konkani troupes. 5 teams have been selected for performance. They are :
1.       ‘Rasika Arts’ (drama) – Shri P.R. Nayak
2.       ‘Swar Saptak’ (Konkani ghazals) – Shri M.S. Kamath
3.       Shri Puttur Narasimha Nayak (Konkani songs)
4.       ‘Canara Union’ (Natak) – Saraswats
5.       Shri Bhadragiri Achyuthadasji (Harikatha)

On the evening of 6, Eric Baab had a meeting with the leaders of the Federation of Konkani Catholic Associations, under the Chairmanship of Shri Valerian Fernandes, the present Chairperson. The involvement of Bangalore was discussed in detail. The Federation was offered the leadership of one day of the Festival at the Convention as ‘Bangalore-Day’. The Federation, in return, promised every participation. In particular, the Federation would motivate and organize at least 2 youth teams to participate in the ‘Yuva Mahamell’, participate in the various competitions, recommend worthy individuals and organizations for the various awards and also help out in the effort of resource mobilization.

The Chairman of the Federation voluntarily came forward to hand over a cheque of Rs. 25,000/- as his personal contribution. This incidentally, is the first actual contribution received, though there are many other promises. We thank Shri Valerian Fernandes for this kind gesture.
Aug. 13: Eric Baab will be in Mumbai, recruiting 9 teams from that region.

Aug. 14: A meeting of leaders of all Konkani organizations of Mumbai has been convened to distribute invitations and to finalise details of ther Mumbai curtain-raiser, at St. Xavier’s Engg. College Hall, Mahim.

Aug. 16: The Hyderabad ‘Vovllig’ programme - Eric Baab will address the Konkanis of Hyderabad / Secunderabad, belonging to various denominations, brief them about the Convention and seek their involvement and participation. The meeting is scheduled at All Saints High School, Gun Foundry (Near Abids), Hyderabad at 5.30 p.m.

… As the great event approaches, the need for your involvement, both physical and financial, is felt all the more. Hope you will not let us down.

 

 

 

Greetings from Mangalore from the Mandd Sobhann family.

This is with regard to The First World Konkani Cultural Convention, a 25-days Festival of Konkani Culture (from November 25 to December 19, 2010), that we are organizing, to showcase to the world the rich variety of Konkani folk and performing arts, of every region, dialect and community.

Please find attached the preliminary details of the World Convention. www.daijiworld.com,

 our official web portal, has more on the preparatory events. For details of our organisation, please log on to our website www.kalaangann.com.

 

Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Eric Ozario.

 

THE FIRST WORLD KONKANI CULTURAL CONVENTION  Step by  step, towards the Convention June 17, 2010:
(i)      11.30 a.m.  Press Conference at the Press Club of Bangalore   regarding the World Konkani Cultural Convention Launching Ceremony. Over 40 representatives of both the Press and the electronic media were present. Eric Baab addressed the Conference. Shri Ronald Colaco, the Chairman of the Reception Committee, World Konkani Cultural Convention; was present along with Shri Stany Alvares, Co ordinator, Mandd Sobhann, and Shri Charles Gomes and Shri Naveen D’Souza, Chairman and Secretary of the Federation of Konkani Catholic Associations, Bangalore, respectively.
 
(ii)    Meeting of the leaders of the Saraswat  and G.S.B. organizations and Theatre and music artistes of these communities   at 6 p.m.   at Canara Union, Malleswaram   Nearly 50 individuals attended. Eric Baab briefed the gathering regarding the World Konkani Cultural Convention and requested the involvement and participation of every community in Konkani. He also invited the gathering, to the Launching Ceremony on Sunday. The gathering assured Eric Baab of its fullest support.
 
(iii)   At the dinner hosted by the Chairman at his Swiss Town Banquet Hall, that evening, wherein the Executive Committee of KCA, all Presidents and Secretaries of Konkani Catholic Associations and special invitees numbering around 170 were present; Eric Baab spoke and called for the participation of everyone gathered, in the World Konkani Cultural Convention. Shri Oscar Fernandes (a Patron of the World Konkani Cultural Convention), who was present along with his family and friends, was also felicitated on his victory that morning in the election to the Rajya Sabha.
 
June 18, 2010:

Meeting at Mysore, with the leaders of the Konkani Movement there. Around 30 individuals, mostly Executive Members of the Mysore Konkani Christian Association, were present. Eric Baab invited the leaders to the Launching Ceremony, as well as to participate whole-heartedly in the World Konkani Cultural Convention. The enthusiasm and the assurances were very encouraging.

June 20, 2010:

The Launching Ceremony of the First World Konkani Cultural Convention was held with great grandeur. The Chief Guest, Shri G. Janardhana Reddy, Minister for Tourism and Infrastructure, Government of Karnataka, arrived very much on time, and Shri Ronald Colaco, the Chairman of the Reception Committee, was there to receive him. At 6 sharp, the grand event unfolded with a song by the Goan troupe, ‘Goenchim Neketram’, which they followed up by the ever-immortal Dekhnni ‘Hanv Saiba Poltodi Vetam’

The formal programme on stage then began with the welcome address by Mandd Sobhann Gurkaar, Shri Eric Ozario, who also presented before the gathering, an idea of what the World Konkani Cultural Convention will involve. Shri Rony Colaco who spoke immediately thereafter, gave a call to all Konkani people to rally around this event which would showcase to the world, the beauty and the rich variety of Konkani culture. He then requested the Minister to contribute personally and also to impress upon the Government of Karnataka to contribute generously.

 

The Muhurth

The Muhurth was simple, but a very meaningful affair. Four ladies of the Goan troupe, dressed with the traditional costumes, ceremoniously brought betel leaves, arecanuts, rice,  kumkum, hald and jasmine, and placed it on the brass plate held in one hand by the Minister. A gent, dressed traditionally, brought a small pot of water and poured it into a smaller brass pot and gave it to the Minister. The Minister then handed over the plate and the pot to the Chairman of the Reception Committee with the words  Go unto the world and invite all Konkanis to participate in this world event. Rony Baab then stepped down from the stage, with the plate and the pot of water, into the gathering and welcomed them, to start with. The Muhurth was accompanied by fireworks and traditional music by the Goan troupe.

The Minister, in his speech, wished the Convention well and promised his own contribution as well as a considerable amount as grant from the Government of Karnataka.

Shri Titus Noronha, who compeered the programme, proposed the Vote of Thanks, and handed over the mike to Shri Arun Raj Rodrigues, PRO, Mandd Sobhann, to conduct the cultural presentation of the Goan troupe.

The audience was so enthralled, that they refused to leave even after the scheduled presentation was over and the performers obliged them with two sessions of medleys.

It was indeed a grand beginning to a grand world-event  The First World Konkani Cultural Convention. Mandd Sobhann is planning curtain-raisers in Mumbai, Goa and Dubai, in the coming days as a run-up to the event.

THE FIRST WORLD KONKANI CULTURAL CONVENTION  MEETING AT MUMBAI
 
On Sunday, May 30 2010, at 3.00 pm, at Gyan Ashram, Andheri(E); around 30 representatives of various Konkani organizations met, to acquaint themselves with the details of the First World Konkani Cultural Convention, a 25- days world-level Konkani cultural festival, to be held in Mangalore from November 25 to December 19, 2010.

Sri Eric Ozario, Gurkaar, Mandd Sobhann, who was in Mumbai conducting a Konkani heritage camp for adults, had convened this meeting. Sri John B. DSilva, Vice President, Konkani Bhasha Mandal, Maharashtra and Director, Kalaangann; Rev. Fr. Ramesh Francis Naik Bandodkar, Chief Patron, Kalaangann; Sri Ullas Kamath, President, Triveni Kala Sangam(representing Saraswaths and G.S.B.s); Sri Fausto V. da Costa, editor, Gulab and representing Goan Review Art Foundation; Sri Lawrence D’Souza Kamani, secretary, Konkani Bhasha Mandal, Maharashtra were on stage.

Eric Baab explained that the FIRST WORLD KONKANI CULTURAL CONVENTION would invite over 60 Konkani troupes consisting of over a thousand artistes from around the world, to present theatre, song, dance and folk performances. He said that the Cultural Convention, the first of its kind, would also involve a Konkani Film Festival, a Konkani Food Festival, a Konkani Youth Festival, a Konkani Art Festival, a Konkani Kavita Fest, a Konkani Bazaar and Competitions in Konkani games, costumes and cuisine. The ‘2nd Global Konkani Music Award’ as well as the ‘6th Kalaakaar Puraskaar’ would also be awarded at the Cultural Convention. He also stated that 25 institutions/individuals from around the world who have enriched Konkani culture will be honoured, as also dignitaries from around the world would be invited as Chief Guests and Guests of Honour every day. He called upon all Konkani organizations and individuals around the world to involve, to participate and to contribute towards the success of this world event.

All gathered unanimously congratulated Mandd Sobhann for taking this bold step to unite Konkanis of all regions, dialects, castes and creeds, and they also declared that this great event will showcase Konkani culture in all its variety, beauty and diversity and make every Konkani proud of his/her identity.