Mandd Sobhann, the veteran Konkani cultural body celebrating its Ruby Jubilee, will host the inaugural World Konkani Music Mahasammelan from 3 to 15 November at the Town Hall in Mangalore. The six‑day launch begins at 5 a.m. on 3 November 2026, when Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant will formally open the event.
President Louis J. Pinto announced the programme at a press briefing, explaining that the conference honours the late Eric Ozario, Mandd Sobhann's Gurikar whose contributions shaped modern Konkani music. The Bishop of Mangalore, Most Rev Dr Peter Paul Saldanha, will deliver the benediction, while Dr Ronald Colaco, head of the Welcome Committee, will preside over the proceedings.
At 6 a.m. on the opening day, organisers will attempt a Guinness World Record for the longest continuous group singing – a run slated for 12 days, 12 hours and 12 minutes. Titled "Konkani Nirantari – Sansar Sarasari", the effort will involve more than 6,789 singers from Christian, Hindu and Muslim communities across India, Australia, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. Participants will perform over 4,500 Konkani songs in diverse dialects, drawing on the work of more than 250 composers. A total of 300 teams will each sing for one hour, with no vocalist repeating, under the musical direction of Sangeet Guru Joel Pereira. Senior adjudicators from the Guinness office in London will verify the attempt.
To give the celebration an academic edge, twelve seminars will run alongside the performances. Topics range from Konkani devotional and folk music in Goa and Mangalore, to music for health, international influences, Baila, theatre and cinema scores, intellectual property rights and the role of artificial intelligence in music. Speakers include Fr Onesis D’Cruz, Dr Cosmo Fernandes, Ankush Nayak, Dr Paolo Pacciola and Rev Dr Victor Ferrao, among others.
The closing ceremony will honour twelve stalwarts of Konkani music with the World Konkani Music Achievement Award. Five of the awardees – Chris Perry, Lawrence Saldanha, Fr Lino D’Sa, Vasanthi R. Nayak and Alfred Rose – will receive the accolade posthumously, alongside living legends such as Sridhar Kharvi, Melwyn Peris and Nemiraja Gowda.
Image: varthabharati.in
📰 Source: Vartha Bharati DK