This is a list of musical bands from the region of Goa, which is a prominent musical center in South Asia. In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music.
Orquestra Sinfonica de Goa. Founded in 1952.
Goa, which sits on the Arabian Sea in southwest India and is the nation's smallest state, was a territory of Portugal from 1510 to 1961. While its official language is the Konkani language, until 1961, most Goans were educated in Portuguese. Today, many Goans are Catholic, speak Portuguese and have Portuguese names. Between the Portuguese colonization and the 19th century influx of the British and other westerners, Goa was the most westernized area of India. It is where western music took root and most of India's jazz musicians came from Goa.[1]
Aparupa Mazumder has written that, in 1934, "Goan musicians formed the Bombay Symphony and in 1947, they formed the Bombay Madrigal Singers Organization".[2] She also notes that Goa has "given birth to famous artists" like Chris Perry, Chic Chocolate and Lorna "though many got their break in Mumbai".[2]
Brass bands have also been popular in the region but are now dying out.[3][4][5]
Following is a list of bands, compiled from various sources, some print[6] and also online, such as the WhatsApp-based Bands in Goa groups which as of September 2020 link around 200+ musicians connected to Goa
Brass band
Don Bosco's, Panjim, had school brass band from 1968 onwards, from memory, trained and conducted by Mestre Santana Cota of Mercês. Among the players, Darryl Figueiredo played the trumpet and Ian Figueiredo (then a student) played the saxophone.
Ultra Brass Sound (Rui Lobo)
The Rubber Band, headed by A D Deniz, active around 2011.[7]
Pop star Remo Fernandes, at his recording studio in Siolim
* Beat 4 (1960s and 1970s)[16] Beat 4 was led by Remo Fdes, composed of late Alexandre do Rosario, late Caetano Abreau, tony Godinho/Steve Sequeira. Their rivals were Beethovens and later on Brood of Vipers, Scorpions of Africa, etc. for the annual Simla Beat Contest qualifiers.
Beatovens from South Goa. Dr. Roy Sales Andrade from Margao (now in Brazil) led the band. Among others were late Nobby Noronha from Seraulim and Chris Dias from Navelim.
Jazz 5, Carlos Monteiro's band (with Avelino, Douglas, Anthony, Caji, Crispin, Tino, Ivo
Jazz Junction
Jazz Messengers
Jazz Quartet
Karma
L'ace (Panjim)
La Scala
Lemongrass Acoustic Trio,[22] consisting of Joy Dawson on guitar and voice; Anand Lobo on mandolin, viola, cajon, and voice; and Malaika de Souza as the lead vocalist
Legends
Les Vandals
Luis & His Melodians
Lynx (see Link below)
Limits
Link (formed by Xisto, Georgie, Ponos. Agusto joined later. There was another bass player before Agusto. Terry was the additional fifth member who joined them just one year before the Oberoi contract. In 1981 Darryl Rodrigues joined the Link and in 1983 Bangdo joined. In 1989, Conny and Miller joined them at Oberoi's after Bangdo and Darryl left. Later Conny, Agusto and Terry formed Lynx with James Rebello and Jude Vaz. Xisto carried on with the Link at Oberoi's. We still have the Lynx uptil now, Sept 2020. The Band of the Sand with Sandy on the lead vocals.)
Milestones (Benaulim 1997 - Lead Derick Pereira, Terrence Fernandes, Harish, Julios, Michael Carvalho* )
Music Company
Muzik Mann
New Generation
New Human Touch, 1986–90
Nexus
NH17
Obligato
Obsession
Oramins & Orabeats were Don Bosco Oratory Panjim bands started by Fr. Edward. Oramins had Bondo on drums, Abel on Bass, Darryl Figueredo on Rhythm guitar, Zito Menezes on Lead guitar and Henry Pinheiro on vocals.
Pirates
Phoenix
Pure Magic
Purple Rain (Ribandar)
Raagas to Riches
Radio Serenaders, possibly mid-1950s till 1970s.
Rainstorm with Diana
Remo & Bondo
Ringers, 1950s–1970s, played for weddings, Colva and Margao clubs and radio Emissora de Goa, Carnival, serenading, cabaret dances. Led by Emercio Rodrigues (guitar, violin, vocals) with members Stephen Dias (Bass on rabeca), Crescencio Dourado (mandolin), Luis Joao Rodrigues (gumott, violin, guitar, vocals) and Domingos (guitar). Played Portuguese, Konkani songs, mandos, Spanish, Brazilian numbers, and a few Hindi songs.
Rocking Beats
Rolling Beats
Rome of the East
Ronnie M in Bombay in the 1980s led by Ronnie Monserrate
Royal Symphony, Varca, with Dominic
Rhythm and Blues
Seby N The Wings
Shades (Curtorim)
Santimano Family Band. Parents and eight children. Performed at Panjim gardens, mando festival, Clube Nacional and Clube Vasco da Gama.
Silk Route
Silver Lining
Silver Strings, Margao-based early 1990s
Silvia and the Beat Route Jam
Simplicity
Sixth Sense
Sky
Sky High
Smooth
Sonia and Fausta
Sparks
Spiders
Square Heads
Status 4
Sting (also called The Sting, with August, Alex, Savio, Donny—later Darryl R.)
Orquestra Sinfónica de Goa (Goa Symphony Orchestra), first orchestra to be launched in 1952 under the baton of Maestro António Fortunato de Figueiredo.[32][33]
Following bands were known in the past, but are no longer extant.
Johnson and His Jolly Boys, from Siolim, prominent all over Goa. Also known as Orquestra Johnson de Siolim and Joãozinho e o seu Conjunto Alegre.[37][6]
The Miranda Brothers of Loutulim, charmed audiences in Pangim.[32]
Mestre Pedro Fernandes of Ilhas (Tiswaddi), sought after band from 1928.[32]
Mestre Caetano Varela Caiado from Merces conducted Banda Municipal de Pangim.[32]
Mestre Paulo Dias from Divar nicknamed the Lotachem Band.[32]
Mestre Manuelinho Menezes, from Divar, and the Danddeachem Band.[32]
Merry Makers, Saligao
Ignatius and his Swinging Boys
Joe and his Havana Boys
John Moonlight
Jolly Brothers of Andrew
Cuban Boys Serenate
Goan bands outside Goa
AudioCITY (Dubai), July 2019 till mid-2020. First line up: Blythe Rodrigues vocals, guitar. Denzil: vocals keyboards. Anselm: drums. Ryan Simoes: vocals, bass. Rodney: vocals, lead guitar. Second line up: Anselm Noronha on drums; Ryan Simoes on Bass; Denzil on keyboards; Shane on vocals, rhythm; Rodney Vaz on lead guitar. All in Dubai
Top Ranks (Goan Band in Kuwait)
Stepping Stones (Goan Band in Kuwait)
Goans may have had an influence, and indeed a band or two, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A Gomes (perhaps the father of Prof. Alberto Gomes) was a pianist there. Theresinha Gonsalves from my neighbourhood was a pianist in Malaysia for many years.
Canadian rock band Billy Talent has Ian D'Sa[38] as its lead guitarist. The band from Mississauga, Ontario was formed in 1993 and formerly called Pezz. Billy Talent has sold over 900,000 physical albums in Canada alone and nearly 3 million albums internationally. It was among the top 10 best-selling Canadian bands in Canada.
^Correia, Joaquim (2018). A última dança em Goa: música popular nos últimos anos do estado da Índia portuguesa. Lisbon, Portugal: Ideias com História. pp. 35–37. ISBN978-98998201-9-7.
