Francis Anthony while performing the Geet Ramayan at the Ram Temple in Mestawada-Vasco on the occasion of Ram Navami.
Photo Credits: Vikram Nayak
VASCO
It was a perfect presentation of communal harmony, quite literally, in music.
A Christian singer enthralled devotees with Marathi devotional songs at the Ram Mandir in Mestawada at Vasco, during the Ram Navami celebrations on Wednesday.
Francis Anthony presented several devotional songs and presented Geet Ramayan (Story of Ramayana through songs) in Marathi, as a large audience was in awe of his performance.
Francis, who hails from Sanvordem, has been performing Geet Ramayan at the Ram Mandir in Mestawada-Vasco for over three decades. Devotees from across the port town wait for Ram Navami for the Geet Ramayan and devotional songs in Marathi language.
When contacted, Francis said his annual performance at the Ram Temple on Ram Navami began over 30 years ago after being connected with his best friend, late Gokuldas Chari, a musician from Mestawada-Vasco.
"I am from Sanvordem and would participate and win in several singing competitions in Vasco. I would go and meet Chari who used to stay at Mestawada. Chari was also a musician in the famous Diamond Orchestra in those times and he invited me to join him in the orchestra,” said Anthony.
“In his free time, Chari would go to temples to sing Bhajans and I would accompany him as well. Since I love Marathi, I would also sing with him as well in the orchestra and also during his Bhajan programs at temples," said Anthony.
"One day, it so happened that his regular Bhajan singer did not turn up at the rehearsal for the Ram Navami programme at Mestawada and Chari requested me to be the main singer.”
Having accompanied Chari at various bhajan programmes, Francis knew a few devotional songs and parts of Geet Ramayan.
“Chari, however, insisted I prepare for at least 5-6 devotional songs and sing them the next day for Ram Navami. He even arranged a room for me and got me several cassettes and I tried to get the songs right by rehearsing it the entire day. I finally sang all six songs in Marathi the next day at the Ram Mandir in Mestawada. People loved it very much and we were appreciated by one and all,” recalled Anthony.
“In those days, there was no social media but people in the temple spread the word and we became a hit pair and we started getting several shows for Geet Ramayan and other musical programmes.
Francis said they increased their repertoire and would sing as many as 30 songs for a show.
“However, 30 songs would consume a lot of time and our friend, Sharad Honnaverkar, who used to play tabla, suggested that we stick to around 15 songs of Geet Ramayan and restrict the programme to two hours, which again became a hit strategy,” said Anthony.
Francis lost his dear friend, Gokuldas Chari, to COVID-19 but he continues to perform at the Ram Mandir in Mestawada and even performs alongside a photograph of Chari.
"It has been three decades since I first performed the Geet Ramayan at the Ram Temple at Mestawada on Ram Navami. Devotees have given me a tremendous response so far. I also visit all the places where the Geet Ramayan is organised and perform there if requested, but I can never miss the Ram Mandir in Mestawada and perform the Geet Ramayan on Ram Navami," added Anthony.
