Viva Goa Reis Magos International Festival of Music Feb`15

FOCUS MUSIC FOR
MONUMENTS
The UK-based Deccan
Heritage Foundation
is looking at putting
a spotlight on the
disappearing heritage of
Goa through the
Reis Magos International
Festival of Music
By DIELLE D’SOUZA
O
nly recently, the Reis Magos fort
on the banks of the Mandovi
river resounded with the strains
of a small private music concert and
children’s festival inspired by the
heritage and culture of Goa. It was
conducted by the Deccan Heritage
Foundation as a prelude to a larger
festival set for December this year.
The driving force comes from across
the seas through people intimately
connected with Goa and the Deccan.
Based in the UK, venture capitalist and
business angel Mary Anne Cordeiro,
archaeologist and academic Dr Helen
Philon, and South Asian architecture
scholar Dr George Michell were pulled
together by their shared interest in
India’s dry plateau that produced
some of the greatest dynasties in the
sub-continent’s history.
They began the charitable Deccan
Heritage Foundation (DHF) to preserve,
restore and promote the heritage of
this region – particularly its rich variety
of monuments – through conservation
projects, cultural promotion and
educational programmes. One of the
foundation’s missions is to introduce
this forgotten legacy to a new
generation of Indians as well as
foreign visitors.
Their first project towards this
aim is the Reis Magos International
Festival of Music (RIFM) slated for
December 11-13, 2015 at the renovated
fort in the eponymous village, where
children will be encouraged to discover
reasons to conserve heritage through
a music competition and the chance to
perform with the prestigious London
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FEBRUARY 2015
Philharmonic Orchestra. “We chose
the Reis Magos fort primarily because
we want to show people how heritage
buildings can still be used for the
community. Currently, it is only used
for weddings, but there is so much
more that can be done,” Mary Anne
Cordeiro explained.
The group is hoping to expose
children to the beauty of heritage and
give them an understanding of the
need to conserve it. “There is no point
conserving a building for the sake of
it. Heritage is about people, not about
empty buildings,” she added.
The fort was restored by a trust
belonging to Lady Helen Hamlyn, a
good friend of Cordeiro, who found a
distinct lack of interest from the local
community in her restoration work of
the fort. As a person of Goan origin,
Cordeiro – who has ancestral roots
in Saligao – offered to help, joining
hands with Philon and Michell to raise
awareness about the importance of
heritage and monuments not just in
Goa, but in the entire Deccan area.
Seeing their work, Ranjan Mathai,
the Indian High Commissioner in
London, threw open the embassy to
the DHF, hosting 250 guests of Indian
origin and those with interests in India
to showcase the foundation’s work
and generate interest. “We’re hoping
to increase interest in Goa, not just as
a beach resort with parties, but as a
cultural hub. We’ve been talking to
the state and central governments
and they like the idea of cultural
tourism because it raises the level of
tourists who come here,” Cordeiro said.
Together, they look forward to building
up Goa as the hub of cultural tourism
from where it can begin radiating to
other parts of the Deccan.
At the prelude, held in December
last year, the theme of the event
was the sea, with children drawing
cartoons inspired by Mario Miranda
and performing songs which they
had composed or altered lyrics to.
The group worked with the Taught To
Teach music school which culminated
in a concert attended by government
dignitaries including Deputy Chief
Minister Francis D’Souza, Chairman
of the Goa Tourism Development
Corporation Nilesh Cabral, and Director
of Tourism Ameya Abhyankar.
“The prelude helped us understand
how the logistics will work for the
coming concert and also helped
show the government of Goa what
our vision is. We hope to have them
more involved in the Reis Magos
International Festival of Music this
coming December,” Cordeiro stated.
In the three months leading up
to the main festival this year, the
organisers will hold workshops for
students of music, introducing them
to composition of lyrics, arranging
music and altering tunes. Students
will undergo rigorous training until
the London Philharmonic Orchestra
arrive in early December, following Deccan Heritage Foundation trustees Dr George Michell
which the top young musicians will and Mary Anne Cordeiro with Ranjan Mathai (extreme
right), the High Commissioner of India in London
work with the renowned ensemble
the ancient city. The organisers are
before performing with them at the
also looking at working with luxury
festival gala.
resorts to invite guests through their
From December 11-13, the days
loyalty programmes, both the kind
will be filled with music and song,
of tourists the government itself is
with Friday featuring a competition of
hoping to attract to Goa to hike the
schools in the morning and traditional
calibre and spend of visitors.
Goan entertainment including
The challenge at hand is
mando, dulpod, fado and dekhni by
publicity of the festival and funds.
local artistes. The following day is
The DHF is raising awareness
a gala music recital by the London
around the world through media
Philharmonic Orchestra with a quintet
and Goan associations, particularly
of piano, violin, trumpet, horn and
the Goan Association in England. A
clarinet. The organisers will host a
crowd funding campaign and other
Champagne and canapé reception at
sponsorship is also on the cards.
the fort.
They are looking keenly at
The final day will see the children’s
buy-ins from stakeholders in
heritage project and contest – an
Goa, where at the moment many,
educational heritage project involving
according to Cordeiro, are nodding
500 local schoolchildren, performing
heads at the idea but don’t seem to
updated Goan and international songs
be dipping hands into their pockets.
and dances in traditional style that
Cordeiro has a lot on her plate –
they will have created through the
from her work as a business angel
three-month programme. The best
and venture capitalist to the DHF
pupils will play with international
and its activities and also as the
classical and Goan musicians later in
chair of the board of an all-male
the evening.
dance company called BalletBoyz.
“The whole idea is to get
“I don’t sleep that much!” she
international quality talent as well
smiled. Her connection to Goa is
as local people aspiring to the same
very strong, visiting the state as
level,” explained Cordeiro, adding that
often as she can every year, and
the foundation is hoping to see the
while she does love the place, like
festival grow with bigger choirs and
many others who remember the
other venues such as the Se Cathedral
Goa of old she longs to see a higher
or Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa.
class of tourists come over.
They are currently working with
Through RIFM she is hoping
Thomas Cook Airlines to organise
to use music “as an educative
special packages for visitors to Goa –
mechanism to get people to be
the first a one-week package including
the festival, and the second a two-week proud and inspired by their cultural
heritage” which will then hopefully
package including the festival and an
shine through to make Goa a
escorted trip to Hampi with foundation
cultural hub of India. 
co-trustee Michell who is an expert on
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