CHRISTINE MACHADO
The Coffee Cats
The Coffee Cats have managed to create quite a buzz about their music in a short duration of time. Founded about a year and half ago, The Coffee Cats initially began as a trio. “Neil ( Fernandes) was my junior in Higher Secondary. Post that, he moved to Mumbai to study music production and I happened upon a video of his music on social media one day,” recalls Ian de Noronha. Impressed with what he heard and upon learning that Fernandes was in Goa, Noronha invited him to jam up. And so began the making of the band. Together with Jeshurun D’Cruz (drums), Fernandes ( guitar and vocals) and Noronha( keyboard), the trio began performing together. Along the way they added Jarryd Rodrigues (saxophone) and Gretchen Barretto (vocals). They also have two more members on the brass section who jam up with them sometimes.
“We enjoy doing a lot of jazz and funk and since people who play jazz are called jazz cats, that’s how our name sort of came about,” discloses Noronha. While the group enjoy doing a lot of Old School music, they do give their own twist to new tracks at times too. In fact their version of Rude by Magic won them the first place at the All India Band Competition organised by All India Radio.
Apart from their huge gig at the Spirit of Goa festival earlier this year, where they performed as a 9 piece band, their show at House No 248 at Sangolda recently was also hugely appreciated.
“Goa at the moment has reached a saturation point where you have people playing the same thing over and over again. But we don’t want to do the same thing. We want to make a difference and give people something they have never heard of and so far we have been pretty successful in that respect,” says Noronha. He adds that Goa infact has a lot of talent but people are afraid to step out of the comfort zone, change the scene and come up with original music. In fact, The Coffee Cats, are working on an EP which they hope to release in November this year.
Adrian and Dylan
Adrian and Dylan initially started off as part of a full fledged band set up. However they realised that they were limited by what the crowd wanted from them. “I am not against a band set up but a lot of times, in a band you have to play a tune the way it is. Even if you can change it and play it better than the orignal, it is expected that you play it exactly as it should be,” says Adrian Sequeira, keyboardist. Thus in April last year, Adrian and Dylan Carvalho decided to become an acoustic duo instead. “Here, you have the freedom to express yourself and add what you want to the track,” says Sequeira, while stressing that he isn’t against the concept of a full fledged band. And while he feels most at home in this set up, he states that this is definitely a lot more challenging. “In a band set up, you have five or six people doing their thing and contributing to the song, but here you have to make up for all the other music instruments too and still make it sound as good if not better than them. But it’s still fun at the end of the day,” he says. Also, he says, because they are acoustic, people already come in with the mindset that they are going to be different from the rest. And while, people are definitely opening up to new different music today, the same cannot be said about hotels, he adds. “The laptop world, use of backing tracks etc is messing with the market for live acts and it is harder to get shows,” he admits. “In fact we recently came back from a gig in Hyderabd where we were told to use backing tracks. We ended up doing a live show however which was really good.” Sequeira also adds that they are coming up with a video series called Spotlight soon.
Radical
Radical all began with Aditi Silveira starting a Youtube channel to showcase some of her original music. She got noticed by a lady who handles events for a popular pub who suggested that she perfom her music there. “But I didn’t have anyone to perform with!” recalls Silveira. She then decided to get her friend Richard Pereira to accompany her for the show and another friend Nikhil Pinto requested whether he could join them too as a trio. “The name Radical is thus basically a combination of our names,” says Silveira, adding that they may think of adding another member if things work out in the near future. “We like to do pop and a lot of retro. We also do mash ups of tunes in our own styles, and especially like combining two tunes that you can’t imagine being combined,” she says. They also do perform the original tracks that Silveira has released so far and have been pleasantly surprised with the response. “ I have had people come up to me and saying that one of my songs has made them nostalgic and reminds them of certain things and they enjoy playing it in their car,” she says, adding that this gives her a huge boost. In fact, she states, there is a need for people to encourage new upcoming bands more. “In a few years time we will be the future of music and if only established bands are encouraged how will other new talent make it?” she asks. “New bands should be given an opportunity to be heard and original music should be appreciated. Also all music groups should build each other up instead of bashing them.”
The Runks
In January 2016, Georgie Dias and Kassel Gomes decided to enter Infusion 2k16, a competition held in association with the Swargandha Social, Cultural and Musical Association in Curchorem. However, they didn’t have a band in place. In fact the two of them used to perform in two separate bands at that point. After music deliberation they brought on two new members and The Runks were born. With rock and funk being their favourite genres, they fused the two words together and formed the name ‘runks’. Two and a half years later, the band now consists of Gomes on the drums, Dias on the lead guitar, Sheldon Gomes on the keyboard and Edelbert Azavedo on the bass guitar.
Apart for previously performing at Showbar and Brittos, the band now perform regularly at Deltin Royale.
“It is important for a band to keep the bond going between them in order to ensure smooth performances,” says Dias, adding that they usually live together for a few days each month to maintain this bond. “I would strongly suggest that people should let others develop and grow rather than bringing them down. It often happens that even established bands, instead of giving new bands a push, rather prefer to compete and can’t see anyone doing anything different,” says Dias, adding that the need to come up with original music is also important and while they have performed a few originals they have not yet recorded these. “You need to give the crowd something special and original or else you will stay stagnant,” says Dias.
Stardust
Carolyn Nunes, a music teacher, happened to meet Reiniel Martins at a choir at Arrupe, Raia. Following a successful performance there, Nunes randomly suggested that they get together as a duo. “ I didn’t expect him to say yes because he lives in Margao and I live in Panaji, but he did! And somehow we make it work,” says Nunes. Going by the name Stardust, Nunes plays the ukuelele and cajon while Martins plays the guitar and they have performed in places like Mokos, LVC Music Cafe, Orion and at Ledas in Siridao. “Although I have sung in bands before, I have never done a duo like this and it it like a dream come true because out voices blend together perfectly.We do
songs that we love and which are close to out heart instead of the commercial rubbish that other bands do and that is the beauty of it,” says Nunes. And they have gotten quite a lot of appreciation. “We have people coming up to us and telling us that they love our voices and style of playing and nothing makes me happier,” she says. Nunes also adds that lot of bands today dont feel the music that they play. “At events like New Years for instance you will have three
bands playing the exact same thing. No one wants to get out there, compose new music and be different,” she laments. And Nunes is happy
that they are changing things
up.
