A Goan fiesta in Mumbai

This weekend, Mumbaikars will deep-dive into the vibrant culture, heritage, literature and performing arts from the sunshine state at a SoBo venue

Forgotten WhatsApp groups will rise from the ashes around this time of the year to plan the fabled ‘Mumbai to Goa trip’. The Goans, however, have different plans. Choir conductor Parvesh Java is packing his bags to board the Konkan Kanya Express to Mumbai, popular Fadista Sonia Shirsat is flying into Mumbai from Istanbul, and the finest feni from Baga has started flowing into the city.

“A hundred choristers in a train to Mumbai. You can imagine how electric the atmosphere is,” shares Java, who will be met with a change of scenery from the ethereal basilicas of Goa to the heritage Royal Opera House stage in the city with Festa de Goa. “Goa’s cultural heritage has long been relegated to the backseat amidst all the talk about its food, drinks, and its trippy nightlife. We wanted to unearth these gems and present them at one big festival,” shares organiser Asad Lalljee, of Avid Learning.

ON October 5; 4 pm onwards 
AT Royal Opera House Mumbai, Grant Road East.
LOG ON TO insider.in 
ENTRY Rs 199 onwards

The Guide’s top picks

The ensemble rehearses at the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa

All together now
The Stuti Choral and String Ensemble’s 112 musicians will present an exciting mix of classics by Johannes Brahms and George Frideric Handel followed by upbeat Konkani classics like Lisboa by the iconic Lorna Cordeiro. Don’t miss the finale where Shirsat will join the young choristers for a musical ending.
TIME 8 pm

Konkani calling
The 1983 Sahitya Akademi winner and eminent Konkani literature proponent Damodar Mauzo (below) will join authors Abhay Sardesai and Jerry Pinto for a discussion on the evolution of the language in contemporary literature. 
TIME 4.05 pm onwards

Bombay to Goa
Author-journalist Jane Borges and artist-writer Sheena Maria Piedade’s Soboicar project will unravel the rich history of early Catholic migration from the Konkan belt to South Mumbai. Join in for a fun lesson in history told through detailed documented oral histories.
TIME 4.50 pm

PIC COURTESY/ULKA CHAUHAN

Goa’s arc
Photographer Ulka Chauhan (right) and writer Samira Sheth have documented six 300-year-old traditional homes in Goa through photographs and oral histories in their upcoming book, The Memory Keepers & Future Seekers.

“If you trace your roots to Goa, this book launch will be a walk down memory lane,” Chauhan reveals.
TIME 5.20 pm

Fado revival
Sonia Shirsat, fondly known as ‘the ambassador of Goan music to the world’ for her expertise in the 18th century Portuguese art form Fado, will return to the city after five years. “Fado is a complex vocal genre marked by ‘saudade’, the emotion of longing and yearning. I will dive deep into each verse and break it down for the audience at the festival,” she tells us. The Fadista will be accompanied by an acoustic guitar and a traditional 
Portuguese guitar. 
TIME 7 pm

Finding feni
End the day in high spirits. Passed down through four generations of the Diniz family, this Baga-based distillery will serve feni that packs a fruity punch for true connoisseurs.
TIME 4 pm to 10 pm

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