The main organiser, Simon Rodrigues, (right) presents the prize to Peyton Pires, winner of ‘Aikat Mozo Tavo’ in the presence of the organising committee and judges.
LONDON
Goa’s very own Peyton Pires was recently crowned the winner of this season’s first-ever mega Konkani singing contest, ‘Aikat Mozo Tavo’ which was organised in West London.
Pires walked away with a Grand Prize of £20,000, while other participants were praised for their performances.
According to Simon Rodrigues, a Goan based in the UK who was one of the main organisers, a special portal was created to allow hundreds of prospective candidates to take part from various locations around the world.
“Candidates had to log in, create an account and sing, which the system recorded their tune/song. Over a 1,000 had applied when the portal was opened in June. The Konkani speaking public voted the candidate by email after listening to the singers based on their performance,” said Rodrigues.
The high-energy live rounds took place on November 13 (Round 1), November 14 (Round 2), and November 15, at the Harrow Leisure Centre in the UK. Contestants battled to impress a star-studded panel of judges whose contributions to music are legendary.
The judging panel included Hemaa Sardesai (India’s famed playback singer and lyricist), Sonia Shirsat (the Ambassador of Goan Music and a fadista who has performed in 16 different languages), Risma Leitao (vocalist and daughter of the legendary Christopher and Meena Leitao), and Oliver Sean (MTV Europe Music Awards Nominee and Platinum-selling singer-songwriter).
Judges at the contest (from left to right) were Risma Leitao, Hemaa Sardesai Sonia Shirsat.
The contestants delivered laudable performances in three rounds, captivating both the judges and the public to earn their place in the finale and vie for the title of ultimate Konkani Superstar.
“The singers gaining the maximum point were selected by the panel which were selected from the top scoring participants. From the selected 100 singers, the panel further picked up the best 20 as the finalists,” said Rodrigues.
Eighteen of the 20 finalists managed to attend the Grand Finale on November 15. Ten were from the UK, five from Goa and one each from Mumbai, Gujurat and Dubai. Two candidates from Goa candidate could not participate in the final.
“Contestants from outside the UK were sponsored with a Certificate of Sponsorship visa, flights and accommodation to compete in this prestigious event. Rehearsals and jamming sessions kicked off a few days before the live shows,’ Rodrigues said.
The singers were supported by Goa’s well-known music director, Norman Cardozo, who performed alongside the female ensemble ‘Norman’s Angels’, comprising Stacy D’Cruz (bass guitar), Delcy Silveira (trumpet), Madonna Fernandes (saxophone), Fevila Fernandes (drums) and Joanro Gomes (violin).
Adding to the excitement were backup dance performances by the UK-based cultural dance group ‘Goenchim Dulpodam’ choreographed by Anslem Fernandes. The event was hosted by the Bunty Vaz – a footballer, singer, actor, and emcee – who kept the audience entertained throughout the night.
Visual effects and marketing for the show were handled by ‘We Do Effects UK’ led by Tarun Nagpal, a film director now based in the UK. The pre-event buzz was amplified by a live performance of Konkani songs on Hounslow High Street by a local UK-based band led by Russel D’Costa.
The evening’s highlight was the launch of the event’s title track, ‘Aikat Mozo Tavo’, performed by Risma Leitao.
“With the overwhelming success of the first season, preparations for Season 2 are already underway, promising even more excitement and grandeur than its predecessor. Stay tuned,” said Rodrigues.
This international show was produced by Simon Rodrigues, alongside Amit Basnet, owner of AB Internationals. The organising committee also included Vivek Ganachari, Suil Albuquerque, and Tarun Nagpal.
