A Conversation Across Cultures: Goa’s Young Students Interact with Composer Marta Pereira da Costa

Goa Khabar:Ahead of her Goa performance, Portuguese guitarist and composer Marta Pereira n da Costa sat down for a conversation with students from schools across the state. Their questions take her from her journey from civil engineering to becoming a professional guitarist, to the evolving sounds of fado, the universal appeal of the Portuguese guitar, and the challenges of forging a path in a traditionally male-dominated musical world. With Goa and Portugal sharing deep historical and cultural ties, the conversation also reflects on music as a way of building bridges between cultures. Marta will bring this spirit of musical exchange to the stage in Goa on September 24, where her trio will blend the traditions of Portuguese fado with jazz and world music, alongside a special performance with Goan maestro Ustad Chhote Rahimat Khan.

Jose Antonio Simplicio Viegas – Bloomz International School, Nuvem

What were the most important moments of your journey as a guitarist?

Marta Pereira da Costa: Well, I think my first gig as a professional guitarist was undoubtedly a very significant moment for me. I didn’t play the guitar very well yet, but I had decided to leave Civil Engineering which was my job to pursue another career: being a professional guitarist. And that first gig I played I felt a sense of great responsibility and realized a new path was beginning. It was an open-air concert in Lisbon, right in front of the Museum of Fado. I invited several fadistas to sing at the concert, and it was a very special moment. I’ve had many special moments, but that was undoubtedly one I will never forget.

Mariah Martires – Carmel College, Nuvem

What is it like for audiences in different countries to experience the Portuguese guitar, especially those who have never heard fado before?

Marta Pereira da Costa: Well, I have traveled to many different countries places

whose cultures I wasn’t familiar with and the feeling I get when I perform and speak with people afterward is that they fall in love with the sound of the Portuguese guitar. I often say that the instrument almost casts a spell on those who hear it.

It has such a beautiful sound and an expressive quality we can make the guitar cry. We can evoke a lot of emotion when we’re playing the guitar, and I think people don’t… Excuse me, let me explain it simply so you understand. What the guitar does, I think it touches anyone, even those unfamiliar with the culture. And what has been happening is that afterwards, many people want to learn more about the Portuguese guitar and start listening to music they’ve never heard before because they fell in love at that concert.

Shae Maria Francesca Sardinha – Our Lady of the Rosary High School, Dona Paula

Portugal and Goa share a very special bond. What does this visit mean to you?

Marta Pereira da Costa: It’s a trip I’ve wanted to take for a long time. I know that several guitarists I admire have visited Goa and played with musicians from there. Being able to follow that same path is very special for me, too. I consider myself an ambassador for Portugal and Portuguese culture, and whenever I travel abroad, I seek to build bridges with other countries and cultures. I was very curious about visiting India. I had been to Bangalore last year, or maybe two years ago but I had never been to Goa. Given the historical context, I really wanted to bring my Portuguese guitar; it embodies tradition but also holds a bit of the future. Meaning I try to create new things with the Portuguese guitar. Being able to take my music to Goa and meet musicians there will be very special.

Andrea Colaco – Loyola Higher Secondary School, Margao

What has been the greatest reward of sharing fado and the Portuguese guitar with audiences around the world?

Marta Pereira da Costa: Well, the best reward is what I feel at every concert when I sense that people enjoyed what I prepared for them, what I shared with them. And, at the end, getting feedback…hearing people say how much they enjoyed it is the best reward I can get from any show.

Kripa Khattar – St. Xavier’s Higher Secondary School, Mapusa

When did you realize you wanted to leave civil engineering for the

Portuguese guitar?

Marta Pereira da Costa: Well, that’s a good question. For a long time, I was afraid to take the risk afraid of becoming just a guitarist and giving up engineering, which is a stable profession with a guaranteed monthly paycheck, in favor of music, which is full of uncertainty. But what prompted the change was an experience I had while recording a fado album I had to learn a great deal to record it. It was an album that my husband, a fado singer invited me to record on; it’s called Fados de Amor. I had to work very hard on that album, and it was a deeply impactful experience for me. I realized that if I dedicated more time to the Portuguese guitar, I could create something special something that hadn’t been done in fado before, a path I could forge. So, I gathered the courage and spent a year preparing to leave engineering so I could work 100% as a professional guitarist.

Agnes Josepha Raposo – Don Bosco Higher Secondary School, Panjim

How do you think fado can evolve without losing its essence and tradition? 

Marta Pereira da Costa: That’s a very good question. We always have the traditional fados what we call the “parents” of all fados. And then there are new fados that emerge as variations, featuring more complex music not as simple as the original fados. I think it is possible to introduce other instruments something that has already been done in fado but above all, I believe simplicity is what keeps the tradition alive. Fado began with just two notes, only two, and everything else was built upon that foundation. So, I think it’s important to honor our influences to always acknowledge the guitarists and fadistas who serve as major inspirations while also introducing new elements; that way, we can keep fado alive and evolving.

Liezel Mariazinha Fernandes – Our Lady of the Rosary High School, Margao

Throughout your career, what were the biggest challenges you faced as a woman in a musical world traditionally dominated by men? And how did you overcome them?

Marta: That’s a very difficult and very good question. Well, it’s true that there have been challenges, but those challenges end up being positive because they give us the strength to overcome them and become better. What I felt early on was that people weren’t prepared to see a woman playing the guitar in fado. It wasn’t common. Some were surprised “Wow! Something  different” but there were also those who thought, “This isn’t the place for a woman to play; a woman sings.” There were always people defending tradition who held certain prejudices. So, that… that drove me to want to play even more, to work hard, so that when I performed in public, those people…more traditional, more conservative to see that I was truly committed to doing things right, to playing well. And I think those challenges gave me the strength to play even better. I’m trying to recall other situations. It always had a lot to do with being a woman, with the fact that things in Portugal or Lisbon are very male-dominated. So, we women have to fight harder for our rights, for our space, but looking at the big picture, in music, every woman has to prove herself more and earn her place because there are far more men playing than women. And in Fado now, there are many young women learning to play the Portuguese guitar and performing in Fado houses. So, the story is gradually changing.