Portuguese Guitar’s Leading Lady to Come to Goa

Portugal based Marta Pereira da Costa to Perform with Goan Sitarist Ustad Chhote Rahimat Khan

~ Dona Paula-based Communicare Trust brings together Portugal and Goa’s musical heritage this September, with proceeds supporting the NGO’s community programmes.

Goa KhabarAcclaimed Portuguese guitarist Marta Pereira da Costa, famous for breaking a centuries-old tradition to become the first woman to play the Portuguese guitar professionally in fado, will team up with popular Goan sitarist Ustad Chhote Rahimat Khan at a concert in Goa soon.

The concert, organised by Communicare Trust with the Consulate General of Portugal in Goa and Camões – Centro de Língua Portuguesa, will be held at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao, on September 24, where Marta Pereira da Costa will perform with Goa’s sitar maestro Ustad Chhote Rahimat Khan, a sixth-generation exponent of the Dharwad Gharana, celebrating the musical traditions of Portugal and India.

Joining her are João José Pita Junior on seven-string guitar and Carlos Miguel Antunes on percussion, presenting a contemporary take on Portugal’s iconic fado infused with jazz, Cape Verdean morna, Brazilian choro and world music. Her accolades include the Instrumentalist Award from the Amália Rodrigues Foundation, a Warner Music Portugal album, performances at the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center, an NPR Tiny Desk feature with over a million views and the Best Instrumental Award at the 2025 IPMA Awards.

Opening the evening will be Ustad Chhote Rahimat Khan, showcasing India’s traditional string instruments. The concert will culminate in a joint performance between Costa and Khan, bringing Portuguese fado and Indian classical music together on one stage.

The evening doubles as a fundraiser for Communicare Trust, with proceeds supporting five ongoing community programmes: Stories from Here and Beyond IV, an India-Portugal-Brazil children’s storytelling collaboration; Kalakriti II, a book-making initiative with Bookworm libraries; From Seed to Grain, a farming skills programme for differently abled youth at Little Angels home; the Little Angels Bakery, a livelihood project under construction in Chorao and Cantaram for the Community, reviving classic Konkani music for Goan youth.

Nalini Elvino de Sousa, Founder, Communicare Trust, said, “Music has always been a bridge between people, and this concert is exactly that — two extraordinary traditions, Portuguese fado and Indian classical strings, coming together on one stage in Goa. Every donation pass bought is also a contribution to a child’s storybook, a young farmer’s future, or a family’s bakery dream. We’re grateful to the Consulate General of Portugal and all our partners for helping us bring this evening to life.”

Ahead of Portuguese guitarist Marta Pereira da Costa’s September 24 fundraiser concert at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao, the Consulate General of Portugal in Goa and Communicare Trust will host three outreach events connecting Goa’s creative community with Portuguese culture through music. The programme includes a Zoom interaction with Portuguese language students on August 18, a poetry event at Camões – Centro de Língua Portuguesa, Panaji on August 22, and a mime competition at Carpe Diem, Majorda, on August 28, offering students, poets and artistes an opportunity to engage with Costa’s artistry before her performance with Ustad Chhote Rahimat Khan.

The concert is sponsored by the Consulate General of Portugal, alongside Camões — Centro de Língua Portuguesa, the Goa government’s Directorate of Art & Culture, Fortune Miramar, Real Group of Companies, Padaria Prazeres, Machado & Sons, and Victor Hospital.

Donation passes will be available at Furtados Music and Pedro Fernandes & Co. outlets in Panaji and Margao (cash only) as well as online.

1. Stories from Here and Beyond IV : This series is an international collaboration between India, Portugal and Brazil. A school from each country writes a story based on UNESCO’s Sustainable Development Goal ‘Life on Land.’ These stories are then swapped amongst the three schools to be illustrated, animated and translated into the regional language of each country. This will cover printing costs of the books that will be distributed to all participants from St. Bartholomew’s High School, Chorao.

2. Kalakriti II: The series brings together young, imaginative minds from the Bookworm libraries of Seraulim, Saligao, Aldona, Chimbel, Cacra, and Mala. Over the course of 15 immersive workshop sessions, these children have not only conceptualized, written and illustrated their own story but have also engaged in the physical craft of hand-binding their own books. This will cover distribution costs.

3. From Seed to Grain: This year-long project aims to empower differently abled youngsters of Little Angels home with sustainable life skills. Through guided, hands-on sessions with Cleto Fernandes, an enterprising young farmer and the Vice-Curator of Global Shapers Community- Panjim hub, we will teach them how to cultivate their own fruits and vegetables, such as brinjal and cucumber and at a later stage, their own rice. Ultimately, this will enable them to sustain themselves with fresh homegrown food and generate income by selling excess produce for profit, allowing them to feed themselves and provide for their home. 

Costs to be covered are the fees for the resource people and material for farming.

4. Little Angels Bakery: For the past year, the Little Angels home has been slowly working toward building a small bakery on their property to serve not only their residents, but the community of Chorao. Simultaneously, Rehman Shaikh, a long-time resident of the home has been studying at IHM, honing his baking skills to put them to use. Construction progress has been stagnant since funds come through small donations. Through this fundraiser, Communicare Trust aims to help them realise their dream.

5. Cantaram for the Community: This is a musical outreach initiative designed to reintroduce Goan youth to the familiar-yet-forgotten melodies and pioneers of classic Konkani music, played on vinyl and brought to life through live performances.