The recent production of ‘Suryan Uzvarh Fankarolo’ is a masterclass in honouring heritage. Its musical pedigree, the legacy of love it represents, and the cinematic modernisation of tradition make it truly special.
The mandó’s lyrics and music are the work of Torquato de Figueiredo (Loutulim, 1876-1948), recognised as one of Goa’s three major mandó composers, alongside Arnaldo de Menezes and Gizelino Rebelo. This particular gem was composed for the wedding of Riário Moniz (Curtorim) and Helena Quadros (Margão), held on 20 April 1940. The composition was perhaps at the cusp of the decline of the mandó tradition.
The initiative taken by the Moniz family to produce ‘Suryan Uzvarh Fankarolo’ nearly a century after its maiden live performance speaks volumes of the bond between generations. The backstory is deeply touching: as family elders met to arrange the match, the bride’s mother passed away, followed soon after by the uncle who had brokered the union. Despite this immense loss, the marriage went ahead three months later. Figueiredo, known for creating personalised wedding mandós, ensured that the raw emotion of the occasion was captured. He did so by working directly, as was his custom, with those involved—in this instance, Dr. Roque Menezes and Abelardo Valadares.
The third curiosity is the 8:22 minute video itself—arranged, performed, and directed by multi-instrumentalist Victor da Costa (Curtorim). The layered orchestral arrangements, while seeking to balance tradition and innovation in this mandó, provide an almost cinematic quality to the music. The vocal team—siblings Ivana de Delfino Pereira (Soprano) and Natasha de Delfino Pereira (Alto), supported by Siddharth Cota and Victor da Costa—aptly melodise the heartache. Considering that the lyrics in Konkani follow the dialectal orthography employed by Dr. José Pereira in his co-edited book, Song of Goa: Crown of Mandós, it is quite a challenge to be singing a haunting melody in a dialect geographically and temporally not your own.
Recorded and mixed by Andrew Ferrão of 3doors Music Studio, Verna, the audio is paired with sepia-toned visuals of family history, creating a nostalgic experience that brings the original 1940 moment to life. The video includes a poignant a cappella theme composed by Fr. António da Costa, a US-based musicologist who also translated the lyrics of the mandó into Portuguese (see Box) and is the uncle of Victor da Costa.
Beyond preserving the original composition, this project is a significant artistic contribution emanating from Curtorim, the cradle of the mandó. It is a blend of history, sorrow, love, and high-quality production.
(First published in Revista da Casa de Goa, Series II, No. 41, pp 65-66)
Uncle/Aunty of my wife Belivia. I was there at the function last year. At the request of their son Egidio Moniz the Mando composed by Torquato de Figueiredo was musically adapted by Antonio da Costa and arranged by Victor da Costa.
Torquato de Figueiredo has been my all time favorite composers.
Uncle/Aunty of my wife Belivia. I was there at the function last year. At the request of their son Egidio Moniz the Mando composed by Torquato de Figueiredo was musically adapted by Antonio da Costa and arranged by Victor da Costa.
Torquato de Figueiredo has been my all time favorite composers.