Goan music icon Remo may have bid adeus to the stage but he has no plans to stop making music
CHRISTINE MACHADO
Earlier this month, Remo Fernandes announced at the U.K. Goan Festival that he was retiring from live public performances due to health reasons. He talks about his final performance, making music from home, and the future of original music in Goa.
Excerpts from the interview:
You have been planning to retire from the public stage for the last year. How difficult was it to make this decision?
It wasn’t very difficult because I was tired of performing the same old songs. My new songs are more serious and slow and they’re not really concert material. Besides, my health limitations made the decision easier. I felt I would be cheating myself and the audience if I couldn’t give 100% of myself, so I decided that the best thing was to stop doing stage shows completely.
What were the emotions and thoughts running through your mind before your recent U.K. performance?
I was hoping the audience would accept me performing while sitting down. But I needn’t have worried, as they were very receptive right from the word go. They were chanting my name, requesting my hit songs and cheering lustily after every number. They warmed the cockles of my heart.
The organisers put together a tribute to you at the end of your show. How did it feel to watch this?
That was a very emotional moment for me. They kept the whole tribute a secret and I had no clue what was coming when they called me back on stage. It moistened my eyes.
You have mentioned that you will continue making music at home as and when you wish. How will you adapt to your health requirements?
Firstly, I don’t need to stand up and run around the studio when I record there.
Secondly, while recording, there are lots of second chances compared with performing live, where everything is live and you get only one chance at singing and playing a song. So, in a way, it’s easier in the studio.
Besides music, what more do you plan to do going forward?
I plan to spend time doing other things I love: reading good books, watching good movies, listening to good music, and travelling to places I haven’t yet seen.
You were one of the few musicians back in the day who not only released original music but also had huge success with many of your songs. Today, many Goans are choosing to release original music instead of sticking to covers. What are your thoughts on this?
This new trend makes me very happy indeed. I’ve been advocating original music for a very long time. I think The Seven Notes’ ‘Avoi ghe, dukota’ has really inspired a lot of bands to come up with their own songs. After all, The Seven Notes are one of them, a wedding and dance band, that did it, not a Chris Perry or Remo. So the other bands felt, ‘If they could do it, why can’t we?’
I look forward to the day when a Goan artist or band will be able to do a whole concert of nothing but original music.
What do you see the future of music in Goa looking like?
Very bright indeed, if this trend of original songs, whether in Konkani or English, persists.
