Frederick Noronha (FN)
2003-10-21 17:38:07 UTC
ALFRED ROSE: OBITUARY -- GOA'S MELODY KING IS NO MORE
Goa's Melody King Alfred Rose faded away on Tuesday, even as his song will
continue to inspire the tens of thousands of listeners it enchanged when
played on the radio or across cultural performances of local Konkani-loving
audiences that cut across dividing lines of religion, caste, or state.
"Remember, the singer with a Panama hat on his head and a magic wand in his
hand delivering the opening song for tiatrs in English-Konkani in the
'60s?," reminisced Isidore Dantas, in a recent profile published in the
local monthly 'Goa Today'.
Rose had the ability to appeal to a wide range of taste; one recalls his
performance at an 'international' Konkani meet organised in Mangalore in
1995, where his acceptance by a wide range of Konkani speakers was quickly
apparent.
Besides being called Goa's Melody King, Alfred Rose was also called The Man
with the Golden Voice by the HMV recording company, and gifted other
sobriquets like Konkani's Ambassador, International Superstar, and the
Living Legend of Konkani Music.
Rose had been ailing for some time now, and was tended by his musician-wife
Rita and their family.
Born Rosario Alfred Fernandes in 1932 at Calvim, Aldona, he got his stage
name from his father Ambrose Fernandes, who's name is believed to have got
shortened to AMB Rose by the Karachi Jesuits.
He has six decades of musical popularity to his credit, and was
christened Junior Rose by versatile Konkani tiatrist C Alvares, being the
youngest among the actors during his tiatr debut way back in 1943.
Alfred Rose, who had directed the music for the film "Bogllant", is also
credited with recording all eight songs in a single day.
Rose spoke highly of the patronage of Goans abroad, saying he has toured
globally and performed his Konkani musical show in almost every Goan
centre of emigration.
Tributes to the artiste recall that Alfred Rose who started out in fifties
with ever popular hits such as "Sui Sut Ani Cator" (The Needle, The
Thread, and The Sissors)) and "Dev Nidonk Nam" (God's Not Asleep) is
credit with having charmed the air waves of Portuguese-run pre-1961 era
Emissora de Goa and All India Radio.
Archive reports noted Alfred Rose's recent felicitation in Goa, which took
place before his bout of illhealth. Together with the Aldona-origin singer,
also feted were his singer-actress wife Rita and daughter Alria.
For some reason, the Goa government's lack of public recognition to this
talented musician who won the heart of lakhs of fans, has been critically
commented on in various fora. In Mapusa too, the felicitation was not by the
government, but by the local Konkani Seva Kendra.
In the presence of Konkani scholar Dr Tanaji Halarnkar, then Tourism Minister
Victoria Fernandes did the honours of felicitating the ageing singer, amidst
a thunderous applause.
She also promised to take cognizance of the memorandum handed over to her by
the Konkani Seva Kendra, and said she would work towards getting Kala
Academy's open air auditorium named after Alfred Rose, the Goanow webzine
reported.
In his short but inspiring speech then, Alfred Rose then emotionally
exhorted Goans not to look down upon Konkani, but to wholeheartedly
embrace it and speak it in the homes.
Goan philanthropist Jerome Mendes is credited with being the first Goan to
take Alfred Rose and his troupe to the UK with his tiatrists and produced
his first Konkani long-play record called 'Londoncho Mog' with English
musicians.
Together with popular singers, Alfred Rose is also credited with having sung
for Bollywood's film industry. Others besides Rose who have this to their
credit include Lorna (who sang chorus for Mohamed Rafi, Asha Bhonsle, Lata
Mangueshkar), Asha Bhonsle, Francis Vaz ('Baarish'), Usha Mangueshkar, Usha
Amonkar, Sudesh Bhonsle, among others. Rose's performance was for 'Love in
Goa'. (ENDS)
Goa's Melody King Alfred Rose faded away on Tuesday, even as his song will
continue to inspire the tens of thousands of listeners it enchanged when
played on the radio or across cultural performances of local Konkani-loving
audiences that cut across dividing lines of religion, caste, or state.
"Remember, the singer with a Panama hat on his head and a magic wand in his
hand delivering the opening song for tiatrs in English-Konkani in the
'60s?," reminisced Isidore Dantas, in a recent profile published in the
local monthly 'Goa Today'.
Rose had the ability to appeal to a wide range of taste; one recalls his
performance at an 'international' Konkani meet organised in Mangalore in
1995, where his acceptance by a wide range of Konkani speakers was quickly
apparent.
Besides being called Goa's Melody King, Alfred Rose was also called The Man
with the Golden Voice by the HMV recording company, and gifted other
sobriquets like Konkani's Ambassador, International Superstar, and the
Living Legend of Konkani Music.
Rose had been ailing for some time now, and was tended by his musician-wife
Rita and their family.
Born Rosario Alfred Fernandes in 1932 at Calvim, Aldona, he got his stage
name from his father Ambrose Fernandes, who's name is believed to have got
shortened to AMB Rose by the Karachi Jesuits.
He has six decades of musical popularity to his credit, and was
christened Junior Rose by versatile Konkani tiatrist C Alvares, being the
youngest among the actors during his tiatr debut way back in 1943.
Alfred Rose, who had directed the music for the film "Bogllant", is also
credited with recording all eight songs in a single day.
Rose spoke highly of the patronage of Goans abroad, saying he has toured
globally and performed his Konkani musical show in almost every Goan
centre of emigration.
Tributes to the artiste recall that Alfred Rose who started out in fifties
with ever popular hits such as "Sui Sut Ani Cator" (The Needle, The
Thread, and The Sissors)) and "Dev Nidonk Nam" (God's Not Asleep) is
credit with having charmed the air waves of Portuguese-run pre-1961 era
Emissora de Goa and All India Radio.
Archive reports noted Alfred Rose's recent felicitation in Goa, which took
place before his bout of illhealth. Together with the Aldona-origin singer,
also feted were his singer-actress wife Rita and daughter Alria.
For some reason, the Goa government's lack of public recognition to this
talented musician who won the heart of lakhs of fans, has been critically
commented on in various fora. In Mapusa too, the felicitation was not by the
government, but by the local Konkani Seva Kendra.
In the presence of Konkani scholar Dr Tanaji Halarnkar, then Tourism Minister
Victoria Fernandes did the honours of felicitating the ageing singer, amidst
a thunderous applause.
She also promised to take cognizance of the memorandum handed over to her by
the Konkani Seva Kendra, and said she would work towards getting Kala
Academy's open air auditorium named after Alfred Rose, the Goanow webzine
reported.
In his short but inspiring speech then, Alfred Rose then emotionally
exhorted Goans not to look down upon Konkani, but to wholeheartedly
embrace it and speak it in the homes.
Goan philanthropist Jerome Mendes is credited with being the first Goan to
take Alfred Rose and his troupe to the UK with his tiatrists and produced
his first Konkani long-play record called 'Londoncho Mog' with English
musicians.
Together with popular singers, Alfred Rose is also credited with having sung
for Bollywood's film industry. Others besides Rose who have this to their
credit include Lorna (who sang chorus for Mohamed Rafi, Asha Bhonsle, Lata
Mangueshkar), Asha Bhonsle, Francis Vaz ('Baarish'), Usha Mangueshkar, Usha
Amonkar, Sudesh Bhonsle, among others. Rose's performance was for 'Love in
Goa'. (ENDS)