As Nelson Mandela said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart”, and that is exactly what the two Goan sisters – Lanisha and Delisha Vaz – did at the 75th Republic Day which was held at the High Commission of India, London, UK.
For the first time a Konkani song by Alfred Rose – Ami Soglim Ek – was presented at the official Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 2024.
In a candid chat with Gomantak Times Digital, the sisters and their parents spoke about their love for Konkani and how social media is influencing people to learn about their roots.
LOVED WATCHING TIATR AS KIDS
“Our parents have taught us the love of our mother tongue Konkani. Aside from the tiatr that would come from Goa, there were a lot of Konkani programmes in our parish and in the society which accommodated the interests of the big Konkani speaking community in Dubai,” said 20-year-old Lanisha.
Her father Pascoal Vaz is quick to intervene. “For Lanisha and Delisha, it was mostly their anticipation to watch the tiatr which came from Goa, so that they could see their favourite artistes perform. Also at that time, DVDs and Konkani telefilms were on the rise. Most weekends were spent watching those DVDs together as a family." He adds, "It was because of Clayton Antonio Barreto, who works as a social secretary to the High Commissioner, who had proposed my kids names to perform at the the High Commission of India in London, UK. He always wants to promote Konkani,” he said.
Pascoal was over the moon as Bollywood Actor, Boman Irani, showered praises on the girls for their melodious singing and discussed the meaning behind the song and its message of unity. This is the second time that the Vaz sisters have performed at the High Commission of India, London, UK.
AMI SOGLIM EK IS ABOUT UNITY
Alfred Rose’s song Ami Soglim Ek was appropriate due to the nature of its lyrics being about cultural diversity of India and the people of the Konkan region.
Explaining about the song Delisha said, “The tune of the song was optimistic and lively, making it engaging for the audience to enjoy it and join in. The message of the song is quite simple and timeless; we may be from different states, speak different languages and we may be Christian, Muslims, Hindus or Sikhs, but at the end of the day, we are all united as Indians. The song was originally composed and sung by Goan legend and melody king, late Alfred Rose.” Delisha is currently pursuing her A Levels.
IT’S ALL ABOUT MANAGING STUDIES AND MUSIC
Lanisha and Delisha, born and brought up in Dubai, now residents of the United Kingdom have been performing since the age of 6.
“When we were young, we used to dedicate more time to learning music but now we have to divide our time between our studies and other duties whilst also spending some time on music. During the weekends, we spend afternoons practicing and singing our favourite songs. We also dedicate some time for recording, mixing and video editing for our YouTube Channel – Lanisha Delisha Music Production,” said Lanisha.
Their favourite singers include Bab Peter, Alfred Rose, M Boyer, Remo Fernandes, Chris Perry and Lorna.
SOCIAL MEDIA HAS CREATED A KONKANI VIBE
Talking about Konkani gaining popularity, Pascoal said, “I have noticed that there is a rise in the love for the language due to social media content, influencers and artistes who promote the language through their relatable content and songs. Youngsters are now interested in performing for khel, commercial tiatrs, tiatr and singing competitions. There is lot of young talent making waves on YouTube and other platforms too.”
Lanisha and Delisha started their musical journey at the tender age of six and completed the Trinity College London Music exams. They play various musical instruments such as violin, keyboards, guitar, trumpet, trombone, ukulele and the French horn.
The Vaz sisters sing in Konkani and English and have won many prizes and accolades.