TIATR’S LATEST TALENT - KENNETH LOBO

TIATR’S LATEST TALENT - KENNETH LOBO
Jan 17th, 2009 | Category: Tiatr
BY DANIEL F. DE SOUZA
THE GOAN OBSERVER

IN RECENT years, we have seen many talented child artistes on the professional Konkani tiatr stage. Child artistes have been winning the hearts of the audience with their captivating performances. A couple of them are doing a delicate balancing act, devoting their time between school and stage performances. There are some who are selective and concentrate more on their studies. The young and talented Kenneth Lobo of Vasco da Gama belongs to the latter group.

Coming from the musically inclined Lobo family of Vasco da Gama, young Kenneth has been showing exceptional talent for his young age. His father, Assiz Lobo, is a professional musician and Kenneth has received the basic fundamentals in singing from his father. Kenneth’s foray into music and singing began at the age of nine in 2005 when he first sang two Konkani songs for a musical programme in Vasco. He was also part of a cultural troupe called ‘Swarashri’ from Vasco, which performed under the cultural exchange programme in New Delhi and Udaipur in Rajasthan in 2006. While performing with the group, as the only child artiste in the group, Kenneth was the cynosure of all eyes and won the hearts of the audience with his singing.

PRIORITIES

HIS singing prowess was noticed by playwright Maxcy Pereira and young Kenneth was offered an opening to sing in professional tiatrs. He sang a solo in Pereira’s tiatr ‘Tumkam Ugdass etolo’ and received a good response from the audience. Kenneth, however, has not stopped at that. His enthusiasm for singing keeps him in the limelight at regular intervals. He is not the type, though, who jumps at offers. He has his priorities cut out well. He says studies come first, other things follow. He has his parents’ support too.

Recently, Kenneth was in the news for his participation in the All Goa Singing contest ‘Adlim Kantaram’, organised by Mil-Mel-Nel at the Kala Academy, Panjim. For this competition, young Kenneth Lobo selected the all time hit ‘Dotik Lagon’, originally composed and sung by the late Miguel Rod. Displaying exceptional skill, young Kenneth was declared the first prize winner in this competition which had a large number of participants in his junior category group. Thereafter, Kenneth performed this song with Mil-Mel-Nel wherever the ‘Adlim Kantaram’ musical show has performed in Goa. On December 29, 2008, Kenneth performed for the musical show on his home turf of Vasco and won the hearts of Vascokars, bringing alive the memories of late Miguel Rod with ‘Dotik Lagon’.

Those who have seen this young lad perform will agree that he is gifted. With the backing of his musically inclined father, there is no doubt that Kenneth will surely display better singing talent in the future and enrich the Konkani stage with his voice.