UAE : Robin Sequeira, Sabitha Mathias enter finals of GVOM 5

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MANGALORE KONKANS DUBAI 

 

Started in 1988 by visionary couple Hilda and (now late) Jerome Pereira, Mangalore Konkans Dubai, is the largest organization of the catholic Diaspora in the UAE. 

 

MKD was established with the basic objective of promoting Konkani language and culture among the Mangaloreans in the UAE.  It also intended to extend financial support to the Mangalorean community in Dubai and in undivided Dakshina Kannada district.   Without diluting the original objectives,  even with the passage of time, the organization followed its goals solemnly to emerge as a major force to reckon with in the UAE.  

 

Over the years, with an array of activities aimed at the general welfare of Mangaloreans, Mangalore Konkans Dubai has played an essential role in keeping the pennant of Konkani language and Mangalorean culture flying high in the desert land.  This is the only association which has been recognized by the Indian consulate in the UAE, amply demonstrating its significance. 

 

Since most of the people working in the gulf were away from their motherland and some even from their families, providing wholesome entertainment was on the top of the agenda of MKD.   This was done by organizing various programs such as musical nites, family fiesta, singing, painting, elocution, extempore and fancy dress and cookery competitions, conducting workshops, seminars and cultural events. Apart from entertaining these programs provided an opportunity for the community people to display their talents.

 

From the beginning,  MKD has been organizing ?Gulf Voice of Mangalore?, the Konkani singing talent hunt show which has become the biggest reality show in the Middle East.   Many a singing talent has been brought to light through this program, bringing both name and fame to the winners.  The second season of GVOM was successfully organized by the Mangalore Konkans Dubai IN 2010, which also brought in lots of new talents.  In a way it has built a special musical bond between Mangaloreans residing in the Middle East and brought them together under one roof called GVOM. With the success of the programme MKD has become a household name not only in Dubai and UAE but also in other part of Gulf and undivided Dakshina Kannada district. 

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JOSHAL AND VINCENT TO REPRESENT UAE IN GVOM-4 FINALS

Dubai, Sep 27: In a nail-biting finish, the UAE leg of Gulf Voice of Mangalore (GVOM) Season 4 semi-final contest, which was witnesssed by a packed audience at Emirates Theatre on Friday September 26, saw Joshal Dsuza from Ujire and Vincent Rodrigues from Bela, Kasargod make it to the finals in Muscat, to be held on November 7 this year.

Considered as Konkani's biggest reality show that has generated enormous response from all around the Gulf countries, GVOM-4 has now reached its finale. The semi-finalists from UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman, comprising six male and six female singers from each of these countries, will now contest for the coveted titles of best male and female voices, and a cash prize of Rs 1 lac each.

 

 

The UAE semi-finals, hosted by leading organziation Mangalore Konkans Dubai on September 26, was fun-filled event with 6 male and 6 female singers contesting in two rounds to prove their calibre.

Joshal, Jane, Nisha , Vinola, Fabella and Sharon contested in the female category wheras Mewyn, Vincent, Brian, Alwyn, Anil and Jeevan vied for the top spot in the male category. Ramiro Mascarenhas provided music for the competition as well as for live performances by visiting artistes.

Well-known faces from the Konkani music world Melwyn Peris, Alwyn Fernandes and Anitha D'Souza were in the panel of judges.

Roshan D'Silva and Roweena Menezes beautifully compered the event which lasted for around 5 hours.

A song by Melodia and a dance performance by Feat Beat group led by Arun Lobo added more spark to the evening's entertainment.

Melwyn Peris, Anitha D'Souza and Alwyn D'Souza rendered some of the best Konkani numbers that thoroughly entertained the audience.Former GVOM winners Vinay Lewis and Ivan Fernandes too joined the veterans to entertain the crowd.

During the intervals, sponsors of the event were felicitated by the organizers. Mangaalore Konkans president James Mendonca thanked the participants, the sponsors and the audience for making the show a huge success.

Melroy D'Cunha's maiden devotional album was released during the event. Daijiworld founder Walter Nandalike, after releasing the album 'Tannem Kelyanth Vichitram' said that it is encouraging to see today's young generation interested in Konkani music. "This is a bright sign for Konkani music as youngsters are the assets of any community or language," he said. He advised the contestants of GVOM-4 to take the results in a positive manner without harbouring any hard feelings, as everyone cannot win and only two can go to Muscat for the final, though every contestant deserved to win.

Dunes Hotel Apartments was the main sponsor, and Daijiworld.com the media partner.

Broadway Event Management, Abu Dhabi proved they are the best sound providers in the region after successfully engineering the sound system for the event. Video, sound, and lighting was managed by Broadways, Abu Dhabi.

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Twelve enter semi-finals of Gulf Voice of Mangalore 4

Dubai, May 18: Give them a platform and they will shine. This is what happened at the Konkani Gayan Spordho 2014, conducted by Mangalore Konkans Dubai on Friday May 16 at the Jordanian Social Club, Dubai.

The event also played as a preliminary round for the selection of 12 semi-finalists, 6 men and 6 women for Gulf Voice of Mangalore Season 4. The preparations for the event which commenced three months back ended with a perfect day that brought talents to the fore. It was an exciting as well as entertaining event to the hall full of audience.

 Mangalore Konkans Dubai, which is known for its meticulous planning and surgical implementation, did not let anything on the way hamper the event.

The programme commenced with a hymn dedicated to the month of May “Thum Kalzacha Gondya Moja” followed by welcome speech by Paul Almeida, one of the founder members of Mangalore Konkans Dubai. The contest started right on time at 10:30 am, with the ladies 18 years and above performing their best to wow the audience as well as the judges with their singing capabilities. Men above 18 years, many of whom were new talents on the stage, did their best to impress the judges. There were 10 categories in the event, however the highlight of the show was the performance by the children, who with their animated performance stole the hearts of the audience.

A new addition to the event was the senior's singing competition for people above 50 years, a new category of competition held for the first time. It was heartening to see that there is immense music and singing talent at all levels of ages in the Konkani community. It is very satisfying to note that the Goan community was also well represented in the various categories of the singing competition, winning prizes.

The panel of judges comprised the following four proficient people in the field of singing and music:

- Divina Moraes who hails from well-known Braganza family in Goa and is now in Dubai. She recently released her debut music album called 'Here I Belong'.

- Arun D’Silva, a young and proficient vocalist and musician well-versed in piano and violin, who leads the Sunday morning choir at St Mary’s Church, Dubai.

- Norbert Pereira from Doha, Qatar, a premier musician and melodious Konkani singer who performed his debut night in Doha recently. He is well known for his music albums ‘Love Hits’, ‘Konkani Pops’, ‘Tuzo-Muzo Mog’ , ‘Naach Naach’ and ‘Do Re Me Fa’

- Ramiro Mascarenhas, an all-round musician playing the keyboard, trumpet, guitar and the drums, leads the Ramiro Band which is well-known not only in the UAE but also in other Gulf countries. He leads the only brass band in the UAE.

Speaking after the announcement of the results, James Mendonca, president of Mangalore Konkans Dubai said, "I congratulate all the winners and especially the GVOM 4 semi-finalists. Although we expected the hall to fill to the capacity of 250 with the contestants and their well-wishers, the gathering in the hall is overwhelming with more than 350 people. At one point I thought we would not be able to manage the crowd. But in a true Mangalore Konkans spirit, the members extended their every effort to manage the event with professionalism."

Roshan D'Silva, event coordinator, said, "We have been in preparation mode for this event for nearly three months and I am very happy with the outcome. We were able to manage the event within the stipulated time systematically and the judgment by the respected judges has matched the expectations of the audience."

Besides the entertainment part, everybody was treated with a sumptuous lunch. The event brought out some good Konkani singing talents into the light and provided a platform for the budding singers to showcase their hidden talents.

The event was ably compered by Ajith Peter D'souza, an award winning Konkani composer and lyricist. He kept the audience busy with mind boggling quiz mostly on singing related questions which kept them actively involved during the course of the event.

The trophies of the event were sponsored by Shobha Mendonca of Middle East Factory LLC. Henry Nazareth of Nestle Waters provided Pure Nestle water to quench the thirst of the audience. Godwin Castelino of Digital World sponsored the impressive backdrop banner for the event. Joel of Broadway, Abu Dhabi provided spotless sound for the whole day proceedings.

Valerian D’Almeida, yet another founder member of Mangalore Konkans Dubai raised the vote of thanks and expressed gratitude on behalf of the organizers to all who supported for the success of the event. He especially thanked the enthusiastic audience who motivated the participants by cheering them throughout the contest.

The programme concluded with a thumping announcement of the winners by Roshan D'Silva, the main coordinator for Konkani Gayan Spordho as well as for Gulf Voice of Mangalore (GVOM 4), Dubai chapter.

The next event of Mangalore Konkans Dubai is semi-finals of GVOM 4 UAE chapter, details of which will be announced shortly.

Results

Solo Female (Age Group: 18 Above)

1. Joshal Sweeda D’souza
2. Jane Baretto
3. Nisha Sequeira

Solo Male (Age Group: 18 Above)

1. Melwyn Antony D’souza
2. Vincent Rodrigues
3. Brian Fernandes

Solo Seniors (Age Group: 50 )

1. Santanho Rodrigues
2. Lancy Madtha
3. Rony Lobo

Solo Kids (Age Group: 6 – 8 Years)

1. Delisha Vaz
2. Joshua Jonnath D’souza
3. Ishney Fernandes

Solo Young Kids (Age Group: 9-11 Years)

1. Melroy Shawn Moras
2. Calvina Pinto
3. Ivin Vidisha Alva

Solo Young Teens (Age Group: 12 –14 Years)

1. Clare Moras
2. Alvina Mendonca
3. Riva Jane

Solo Youth (Age Group: 15 - 18 Years)

1. Calvin Rodricks
2. Lanita Noronha
3. Nigel D’silva

Duet (2 Men or 2 Women - Age Group: 18 Years)

1. Sumeetha Lewis & Swati Mallya
2. Santanho Rodrigues & Edwin Rodrigues
3. Nisha Sequeira & Vinola Sequeira 

Mixed Duet (Age Group: 18 Years)

1. Santanho Rodrigues & Preema D’souza
2. Joachim D’souza & Nisha Sequeira
3. Jeevan Vas & Prathima Pinto

Group Singing (Open to all)

1. Santanho Rodrigues & Group
2. Diany D’souza & Group
3. Joachim D’souza & Group

Gulf Voice Of Mangalore, UAE chapter – Semi-finalists

Category - Female :

1. Joshal Sweeda D’souza
2. Jane Baretto
3. Nisha Sequeira
4. Vinola Sequeira
5. Fabella Anugraha Pinto
6. Sharon Rego

Category - Male :

1. Melwyn Antony D’souza
2. Vincent Rodrigues
3. Brian Fernandes
4. Alwyn Mendonca
5. Anil Thimothy Mascarenhas
6. Jeevan Vas

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