Wilfy Rebimbus Day celebrated in Qatar

Wilfy Rebimbus Day celebrated in Qatar

Mangalore Today News Network

Doha, April 4:  The fans of  Wilfy Rebimbus have organised a programme to commemorate Konkani Kogul Wilfy Rebimbus birthday at the Indian Cultural Centre, Ashoka Hall on Friday April at 6:00 pm.
 

 

 

 

Wilfy Rebimbus, the great composer, poet, writer and performer of Konkani passed away in 2010, leaving behind a legacy of immortal songs, plays, stories and other literature.  In his 50 years of active life as poet, composer, singer, playwright, novelist, he gave more than 3,000 immortal songs, hundreds of ‘Wilfy Nites’ and other performances, few plays, short stories and poetry etc. He was admired and adored by Konkani speaking people all over the world for his literary contributions and simplicity in life.

The programme began with compere of the evening Eddie Sequeira, a longtime associate of Wilfy Rebimbus extending warm welcome to the gathering after the keynote address. Talented singers from Doha Launa, Sunita, Anisha, Preethi, Namita, Sony, Jovita, Neena and Veena with Rupert, Patrick, Vincent, Peter, Wilson, Remy, Naveen, Arthur, Joslyn and Kirthan then gave a rousing start to the programme by symbolically holding lighted candles and rendering ‘Konknni Amchi Bhaas, Konkann Amcho Ganv’, a song that was ever close to Wilfy’s heart and which he made his dear ones sing again and again while on his deathbed.  Fr Anand Castelino, the spiritual director of Qatar Konkani-speaking community conveyed his wishes for the occasion and exhorted the gathering to instill love for one’s mother tongue and culture among their children.

 

 

 

The evening was an effort to shed light on various facets of Wilfy’s unmatched talents. The evening then moved on to a novel turn with Stephanie Lobo reading one of Wilfy’s earliest stories ‘Pithram’. This was perhaps for the first time that a story was read during a Konkani programme, thus scripting sort of a new beginning in Konkani. It was such a perfectly planned evening that each of the item flowed smoothly without any confusion or delay, with the audience firmly glued to their seats in sheer appreciation and amazement.

While Veena Pais’ rendering of one of Wilfy’s greatest compositions ‘Jibek Tankana’ was nothing short of spectacular, the fast emerging and popular singing couple of GVOM fame Naveen and Prima’s ‘Mog Na Mog Na’ song received a thunderous applause from the audience. The evening also provided platform for talented Goan singer Paul Fernandes who presented Konkani’s all time favourite song ‘Mog Tuzo Kitlo Axelom’, much to the appreciation of the jam-packed audience. Noted musicians of Qatar Joslyn D’Mello, Kirthan Rodrigues and Remy D’Souza scored background music for the evening.

The much-awaited evening had some more surprises to the gathering as Sandeep & Jyoti mesmerized the audience with the presentation of a ‘nritya roopak’ set to the tunes of ‘Herodichem Pharmann’, a part of Wilfy’s devotional composition ‘Ankvaar Moriechi Katha’.

Eddie Sequeira, the veteran actor along with equally talented Alfred Crasta enacted a scene from Wilfy’s renowned play ‘K D Bona B A’. The programme came to a perfect conclusion with the poetry session wherein a few young and budding poets from Qatar recited their poems, as a tribute to Wilfy, the poet. While Veena Pais read two poems penned by Wilfy, including the masterpiece ‘Geet ani Jivit’, Gladson D’Almeida, RemyD’Souza, Glany Fernandes, Glen Carlo, Prabha Rego, Vivek Monteiro, Benjamin Rebeiro and Eddie Sequeira himself read their own compositions. It was for the first time that a poetry session was held in Qatar and even though it was held almost at the end of the programme, audience extended their full support with hardly anyone leaving their seats. Two of Wilfy’s longtime associates Felix Lobo and Wilfred Fernandes shared their personal experience of their association with Wilfy.

The evening also marked the release of Doha-based Konkani musician Norbert Pereira’s new music album ‘Do Re Me Fa’. Meena Rebimbus in the company of Fr Anand Castelino, Felix Lobo, Norbert and Nancy Pereira released the music album. Norbert also presented two songs, including a tribute song composed in honour of Wilfy Rebimbus, from his new album on the occasion.