Museum of Goa’s ‘Concert for Goa’ to host Susmit Sen Chronicles

Goa Khabar : In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Museum of Goa (MOG), the museum is hosting ‘Concert for Goa’, where Susmit Sen Chronicles, comprising Indian composer and guitarist Susmit Sen, Goan percussionist Carlos Gonsalves and other talented musicians will perform in front of the iconic ‘Carpet of Joy’ art installation on the eve of Republic Day.

Honouring the occasion of India’s 76th Republic Day on January 26, Susmit Sen Chronicles’ latest album Azaadi (Freedom) will be launched at ‘Concert for Goa’ on Saturday, January 25.

In a significant milestone for the Goan Konkani language receiving recognition for its contribution to the Indian music industry, Azaadi features two tracks in Konkani, ‘Saiba Tandela’ (Master Boatman) and ‘Kuvar’ (The Prince). The album also comprises a composition in Sanskrit – the titular song Azaadi, which is a vocal rendition of India’s national song Vande Mataram – and a Tamil song, Mazaar (Shrine), further highlighting Sen’s dedication to showcasing cultural diversity and linguistic inclusivity through music.

Indian composer and guitarist Susmit Sen

“All four tracks on the album are produced in Goa. I have been living in Goa for a few months now and the two Konkani songs are my way of giving back to this land. The Museum of Goa showcases a lot of Goan heritage through its exhibits and I can’t think of a better place than MOG to launch Azaadi,” said Sen.

Lyrics for both tracks were written by Goan songwriter and poet Umesh Sardessai, the son of renowned Goan poet Lok Kavi (People’s Poet) Manohar Rai Sardessai, to the beats of the traditional Goan ghumat, performed by Goan percussionist Carlos Gonsalves.

Goan percussionist Carlos Gonsalves

Commenting on the upcoming ‘Concert for Goa’ event, Sharada Kerkar, operational head at the Museum of Goa and co-founder of the Children’s Art Studio, Pilerne, commented, “We are excited to have Susmit Sen Chronicles at MOG as part of ‘Concert for Goa,’ which will be a spectacular convergence of music and visual art. When Susmit visited MOG, he was drawn to the ‘Carpet of Joy’, crafted by Dr Subodh Kerkar out of one lakh recycled plastic bottles,  and was greatly interested in performing here. We believe that all forms of art must dialogue with each other, and this concert is the best example of one art falling in love with the other.”

Iconic Indian composer and guitarist, Susmit Sen, who co-founded the band Indian Ocean and has contributed to soundtracks for films like Peepli Live (2010) and Black Friday (2004), composed the Azaadi album with contributions from Sudheer Rikhari (vocals, keyboard), Gayathri Natarajan (vocals), Tatyana Dichenko (piano), and Carlos Gonsalves (drums, ghumat). The album was produced by renowned ex-BBC sound recordist Miti Adhikari.

Over the last decade, the Museum of Goa has supported 400+ artists and connected 70,000 people annually through various art forms that showcase Goa’s rich history and culture.