Goa’s nightingale Lorna on stage before an ecstatic crowd at the ‘Goa Day London’ festival at Hounslow in West London on August 26.
Photo Credits: Lui Godinho
THE GOAN NETWORK | LONDON
Goa’s nightingale Lorna enthralled an estimated 10,000 people at the ‘Goa Day London’ festival hosted at the Cranford Community College ground at Hounslow in West London on August 26 from 12 pm to 8 pm.
The weekend bonanza organised by Ultrasconic Impact Events consisted of music, food, dance, games and culture. The crowds came from different parts of London and surrounding areas, while many flew in from Ireland, Scotland, Canada and France. Some Goans who are visiting relatives and friends in the UK were also present at the festival.
While Lorna was back for a second year running and continued to be the main attraction at the event, a host of bands and dancers from Goa and London also performed at the festival.
The festival began with the compere Bunty Vaz welcoming the gathering followed by DJ Jonathan who warmed up the crowd with music and several Goan artistes who presented their skills. These included a Konkani comedy skit, a trio of Succoro, Costa and Baldwin, two groups, Lil Ferns and Tony Coelho as well as NLR presenting rap music.
A children’s dance group organised by Jason and Sylvia Dance Academy entertained the crowed with western dance acts.
A group performed the Corridinho and Goan Dulpod, while another group showcased the Kunbi dance in traditional attire, adding Goa flavour to the show.
An East London group, ‘Marley Experience Band’, performed and sang popular tunes from the Caribbean, giving a reggae feel to the festival.
The performances were well appreciated by the crowd, which began to swell as the day progressed.
Lorna then made a grand appearance in the evening, much to the delight of thousands present at the venue.
Accompanied by Framton and band, Lorna belted out her favourite tunes which included ‘Dennem’, ‘Kantaram Kortam’, ‘Sorg Tujea Dolleanim’, ‘Tuzo Mog’, ‘Nachom-ia Kumpasar’ and ‘Bebdo’. The crowds went ecstatic with each of these songs sung by Lorna and people of all ages were seen singing and dancing to these iconic Konkani songs.
Lorna returned on stage and jammed up with Goa’s popular musical group ‘Black in White’.
‘Black in White’ then continued playing popular English and Konkani songs, as the crowds danced to the music. The MCs at the festival were Bunty and Swinburne.
There were several food stalls catering to traditional Goan and India food, while other stalls were set up by organisations like Costco and Anthony Nolan Charity. The children were entertained to a number of games at the venue. Safaa Studio UK streamed the show live via YouTube and FaceBook. The other organisers included Somesh Velguekar, Nitin Thakur, DJ Salvino and Iam Lester Studios. Albano Fernandes was the stage/entertainment manager.
Towards the end of the festival, the main organiser Calvin Baretto thanked the crowd and the main sponsor, Rajdeep Builders, Hounslow Licensing SAG Committee, Ambulance Services and the Hounslow Police, He assured of an even better show next year.
Milla Hancock, organiser of the Goa Day in Ireland, had made a special trip along with a group comprising her family and close friends.
“I enjoyed the festival and danced throughout the day. By the end of the show, I could barely walk,” Milla told The Goan.
The ‘Goa Day London’ festival on August 26 featured live music, traditional Goan and electronic dance performances, Goan cuisine, displays and cultural exhibitions to provide an opportunity for the whole family to experience the best of Goan heritage,” said Calvin Barretto, one of the main organisers at the event.
“We wanted to create pure entertainment and a fun day for all. Last year, our Goa Day event attracted around 10,000 people and was considered the best event in whole of West London.”
Barretto said elaborate arrangements had been made at both festivals.
“Besides several volunteers, we had six managers and other staff appointments or temporary jobs in the areas of production, ticketing, stalls, customer services, traffic management, cleaning management and security,” he said.
Barretto said there was ample security on site, sanitised and clean amenities, as well as CCTV cameras for safety of patrons and staff.
