Fado Meets Sitar as Marta Pereira da Costa and Ustad Chhote Rahimat Khan Share the Stage in Margao

~Communicare Trust’s fundraiser concert supported by the Consulate General of Portugal in Goa and Comões – CLP drew students, musicians and two cultures onto one stage at Ravindra Bhavan

Goa Khabar: Portuguese guitarist Marta Pereira da Costa performed alongside Goan sitar maestro Ustad Chhote Rahimat Khan at Ravindra Bhavan on Thursday, in a concert organised by Communicare Trust with the Consulate General of Portugal in Goa and Camões – CLP, marking a rare on-stage meeting between Fado and Hindustani classical music.

The evening opened with remarks from Manuela Franco, Consulate General of Portugal in Goa, before Ustad Chhote Rahimat Khan took the stage with tabla artist Mayank Bedekar, accompanied by a mime performance from students of V.M. Salgaocar College of Law mentored by Ms. Jyoti Kiran Pisipati,  Costa then performed with her ensemble, João José Pita Junior on seven-string guitar and Carlos Miguel Antunes on percussion, alongside a mime piece by students of Carmel College of Arts, Science & Commerce for Women mentored by Vishwapratap Pawar . As they entered, the audience was greeted by another mime performance by the Caramia group from Help India choreographed by Drupad Gaonkar. 

The night’s centrepiece came, when Ustad Chhote Rahimat Khan and Mayank Bedekar joined Costa and her ensemble for a collaborative set, before Costa’s trio closed with a solo performance that included her compositions “My Soul” and “Memories,” the latter written for her grandmother. Goan fado singer Sonia Shirsat joined Costa and Pita Junior on stage for a rendition of traditional fado.

Speaking after the concert, Communicare Trust Founder Nalini Elvino de Sousa said the evening had met its key goal. “I think it really went well. My main thing was to start on time, and we did start on time, and I’m really happy with the result and to see everyone enjoy the music of Marta and Ustad Rahimat Khan. Sonia Sirsat joining on stage was wonderful too.” she said.

Costa echoed the sentiment. “I’m so, so happy. I think it was beautiful, it was memorable,” she said. “We all put our hearts into this concert, the musicians, the team from Communicare Trust. Everyone made such an effort for this to happen, and I felt a lot of love from the audience. I really want to come back soon for more concerts, more connections with Chhote, I’m a fan now, and with everyone.”

The concert doubled as a fundraiser for Communicare Trust’s community programmes, including its India-Portugal-Brazil children’s storytelling initiative, a farming skills programme for differently abled youth, a bakery livelihood project in Chorao, and an initiative reviving classic Konkani music for Goan youth.