MONSOON MAGIC

MONSOON MAGIC


NAGUESH RAO SARDESSAI

Monsoon season, since long, has been a source of inspiration to the people on the creative side of the spectrum. Poets, painters, writers, singers, composers and the rest have waxed eloquent about the season. This is the season when the parched earth quenches its thirst and facilitates growth of green foliage and sooth the environment.

The Department of Art and Culture, Government of Goa, under the able Director, Prasad Lolienkar, put up an unique project this time of the year by organizing “Monsoon Expression” in mid-August. Differing creative genre worked in tandem to simultaneously produce a palpable orchestra of words, notes, tunes, paint, etc.

This weekend event, organized in Kala Academy complex, Goa, was a big hit with the audience. Sizable number of visitors was seen enjoying event. The event had a festive look with various creative personalities enlivening the atmosphere by throwing up their ideas and expressive creations.

Poetry reading session had a mixture of romantic to socio-political issues touched upon. If Fernandes touched the listeners with his acerbic lines Naguesh Karmali enthralled the audience with his simple yet touching poem. Vishnu Surya Wagh, Nutan Sakhardande, Leena Pednekar, Gopalrao Mayenkar were few of the others amongst the lot who presented their poems.

Vasantrao Khadnekar, Balkrishna Marathe, Aarti Nayak, Balkrishna Kelkar, Shashank Maktedar, Shakuntala Bharne, Shilpa Duble, Pravin Gaonkar, Nilesh Shinde and others presented their vocal recital. The veteran singer Dr. Alkatai Marulkar capped the last session of the festival with her soulful rendition.

Yogesh Hirve, Chote Rehmat Khan and Yogiraj Borkar had sitar recital whereas, Sachika Almeida, Sawni Hegde and Sapna Naik presented a dance performance.

An exhibition of paintings had on display works of veterans and seniors along with the upcoming artists from all over Goa. The likes of Sadguru Chendvankar, Hamid Farukhi, Nirupa Naik, Harshada Kerkar, Sridhar Kamat Bambolkar, Mohan Mayenkar and others put up their works.

Along side, the poetry reading session, dance and music performance, in the quiet corner room in the complex were contemporary Goan artists working their way, expressing their feeling about the monsoon season, with brush and paint on the canvas. Few of the artists like Sridhar Kamat Bambolkar, Willy Goes, Harshada Kerkar and Vijay Bhandari painted along with the performing artists giving the audience an experience in creative fusion of differing genres.

The department’s efforts gave the artists a platform to present their artistic streak and talent. This sort of events can be fine tuned and marketed to attract tourists and connoisseurs from outside the State, including the ones from across the globe.

It was a rare occasion to see the staff and director of a government department take it as a personal event and work together with a hands-on approach.

The show was co-ordinated by Sidharth Gaitonde.
Published in ‘The Navhind Times’ September 08.