Tuesday, February 19, 2008

BIRTHDAY GREETINGS - NORMAN CARDOZO





BIRTHDAY GREETINGS - NORMAN CARDOZO




We, the Nuvem-Kuwait Parishioners wish our Dynamic and Talented Musician friend Norman Cardozo a very happy 38th Birthday(20th Feb 2008).

We also take this opportunity to congratulate Norman for being part of the Goan ensemble and his unique participation as a singer and musician at the Konkani Nirantari 40 hours Konkani singing marathon in Mangalore-India which zoomed in the Guinness Book of World Records. Norman, you made our Nuvem-kars proud !

Here's wishing you all the very best and may you achive more success, always.
God bless. Bhesanv tumcher poddum re!

Ad multos anos.

Lino G. Fernandes
Gen. Secretary
Nuvem-Kuwait Parishioners (NKP)
linoferns2003@yahoo.com
http://nuvemparishionersofkuwait.blogspot.com/






More about NORMAN CARDOZO (as documented by Ron Fidelis and published in the Herald this week) - See newspaper clippping attached.

_____________

From: menino fernandes
Date: Wed Feb 20, 2008 6:50 am
Subject: Zolm Dissachim Porbim.

Mogal Norman Bab,

Zolm dissachim porbim anvdeun tujer bhorpur Devachim Bessavam otoi mhunn magtam. Sodanch tum khoxeal ascho ani ho tujo boro vaur Konkni pasot tum kortai tosoch fudem vorcho.
Tujea sangata donuch diss ravon tum kitlo mogal ani moval tazo anubhov maka meullo ami sogleani sangatan konkni Nirantar fudem velem mhunn maka anand bhogta.

Devan tuca ani tuje familik sodanch khoxi dourunk moji axea.

BESSAUM TUJER PODOM RE....

Tujo Konkni Niranter vangdi,
Menino Fernandes (Bahrain.)

____________________________

Norman Cardozo – the man who revolutionised
background music in tiatrs.


Daniel F. de Souza.

The konkani stage has seen many great musicians over the last many decades who have given their valuable talents to enrich Konkani music and thus making it popular among music lovers. Good music is essential for the success of any tiatr and so is a good music director. One musician who has worked his way up to the top in Konkani music with determination and perseverance and won him the enviable tag of Music director is non other than Norman Cardozo. Today Norman’s name is a part of most of the Konkani music albums produced in Goa.




Norman’s mother Flemina Cardozo sharing the glory and honours as she proudly holds the Gulab Award 2002 alongside her son.

Recently I had the opportunity to speak to this soft spoken, rather shy and very warm hearted musician who has trotted across the globe on professional assignments from the Gulf States to Europe, and far across the Pacific to Canada with his keyboards, taking konkani music to the world. Born in the picturesque village of Nuvem, in Salcette Norman had his primary education in Mae dos Pobres school there. Thereafter for his secondary schooling he was sent as a boarder to St. Joseph’s High School in Calangute. Having finished school through St. Joseph’s, Norman came back to R.M.S. (Damodar) Higher Secondary in Margao to continue up to XII STD.

Recalling his younger days Norman recalls fondly “ My parents were tiatr goers and I would accompany them during my childhood years. But, somehow I would push my way up to the stage and get enchanted watching the drummer at work from close quarters. On returning back home I would try imitating the drummer’s stunts using empty tins and creating all types of sound! My joining St. Joseph’s High school in Calangute helped me to further my interest in music. It was here at the age of 12 that I picked up the guitar and learned to play the same. Gradually, I was fascinated seeing the ‘Harmonium’ in the school chapel and I would make time to explore the same. I began exploring the chords from the guitar on to the harmonium. It was quite tough in the beginning without anybody’s guidance, but, with perseverance I managed to locate the chords on the harmonium. This thrilled me that I could handle two musical instruments effortlessly. ” For a musically inclined youth his age, it was not unusual to try his hands at different instruments. Taking advantage of the opportunities his school campus offered him, young Norman later began shifting his eyes to the Keyboards. It was a gradual shift no doubt, but, it was surely going to make a tremendous impact on his career which Norman did not realize in his teenage years.

Like any youngster his age, Norman was raring to go as a musician. He found the opportunity after he finished his SSC. Norman immediately joined a local beat group ‘Genesis’ as their vocalist and lead guitarist. He did a two year stint with ‘Genesis’. It was however, in the late 80’s that opportunity came knocking in the form of an assignment to play for a tiatr band in playwright Pascoal Rodrigues’ ‘Rozar’. He was taken in as the lead guitarist. More openings followed with other tiatr assignments as a guitarist, and he merrily obliged. But, the real good break came Norman’s way when Mario de Vasco entrusted him to provide music and background music in his new venture ‘Dumph’ on the keyboards under the guidance of Maestro the late C.P. Dias. Keyboards for live tiatr music were a still unheard of concept then, and hence the change did bring in some innovations and people accepted Norman on the keyboards for his talents.

Going down memory lane Norman said “ My brief encounters in music and the slow progress did not quite impress my mother. She was worried for me and my future. She coaxed me to take up a job overseas. On her advise I took up a job in Qatar on the rigs and worked there for 4 years. But, honestly while bodily I was there, my heart and soul was in Goa and into Konkani music. I filled the void by listening to Konkani music through audio cassettes and CDs and kept the desire alive”.

It was only on his return back to Goa from Qatar in 2000, that through Lawry Travasso he got introduced to playwright Mario Menezes, and from there on his career as full time musician literally took wings. There has been no looking back since then for this talented keyboardist. “Mario Menezes wanted some different background music in his play, he had confidence in me and gave me a free hand to experiment, at the same time demanding performance” remembers Norman. Mario’s show ‘He Chukhik Bhogsonnem Asa?’ took Norman to new heights in introducing out of the way and exceptional background music on the keyboards in tiatrs. Norman had arrived.

Norman Cardozo has bagged the prestigious ‘Gulab Award’ twice for konkani music in Mario Menezes show ‘Mhoji Maim Mhoji dusman’ (2002) and once again for Donald’s tiatr ‘Pallam’ in 2007. So far Norman has provided and scored music independently for nearly 30 odd Konkani music albums and equal number of VCD films too. Besides, he has played the keyboards for innumerable audio CD albums. During his musical evenings with drummer late James Rebello and his wife Vera at their Restaurant Picket Fences in Seraulim, Norman was spotted by nightingale Lorna, and that was beginning of another fairytale. Thereafter Norman has accompanied Lorna as her solo accompanist on the keyboard dishing out Chris Perry’s music during her long tours to entire Gulf, U.K., France, and Portugal, in Europe and in Canada too. He is a regular and frequent flyer to the Gulf for shows all throughout the year.

Lately Norman came in the news for a once in a lifetime event when he got the opportunity to play together with Elvis Goes’ cultural troupe at the Kalangan in Mangalore for the ‘Nirantori’ show organized by Eric Ozario, which catapulted Konkani music in the Guinness world record. ‘Ours was the only troupe in the show that performed with our own orchestra. We performed non-stop for one hour and did 15 songs without a break. I sincerely believe there was a ‘Hand of God’ a-la-Maradona in this event, by way of which I got my name featured in the Guinness record. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity’ said a beaming Norman in conversation with me.

While he is at the height of his career, Norman has not forgotten his formative years and reminisces “ In the beginning Edwin D’Costa of Nuvem has given me a lot of guidance, encouragement and imparted basic knowledge in music. I am thankful to him.” Among the present day younger singers on stage Norman holds, young and up-coming Alria Rose as highly talented. ‘We need talents like her, she is confident and can fire on all cylinders like her legendary father the late Alfred Rose. Wish to see her more on the stage.”

Before parting ways with him Norman had this message “ My message to the youngsters is, if you have a liking for music, go into it in a proper way, learn the Solfegio, and at the same time develop your natural ear for music. Work hard, believe in yourself and be committed. ”

25/3/2008
- Forwarded by Lino G. Fernandes

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