Sacred music fest to reverb at St Augustine ruins

Panaji: Capella Della Luce from Spain will kick off the first Ketevan World Sacred Music Festival on Friday evening with colonial sacred music from the archives of Cathedrals in Mexico, Guatemala, Bolivia and Peru composed by Portuguese, Spanish and Italian composers four centuries ago. This opening performance at Santa Monica Church will have soloists Miguel Angel Hernandez, Francisco Dias Carrillo and Rocio de Frutos accompanied by Leo Rossi on the violin and Jana Lalovic on the flute.The Goa University choir and ensemble will also perform on the first evening.
Canadian Kathak dancer Joanna De Souza will step into the shoes of the 16th century Georgian Queen and Saint Ketevan on Saturday, recounting her life and journey. The Ketevan Confluences Oratorio will be performed by the Goa University Choir and an interesting European-Indian- American Ensemble. Spanish soprano Rocio de Frutos together with percussionist David Ruiz will also treat the audience to Jewish and Sephardic Music. "This music from the Jewish diaspora has been passed down from generations and I will be singing in Ladino, old Spanish with many Jewish words," says Rocio de Frutos, visiting and performing in the state for the first time.
Spanish musician Ignacio Monteverde performing on the following Saturday, February 20, will share centre stage with Ustad Chote Khan for a special Flamenco and sitar program.
The festival in particular will see a fantastic fusion of various types of sacred music.
Art director of the festival Santiago Lusardi Girelli says artistes at the festival have been especially encouraged to step out of their comfort zones and collaborate.
The ten-day festival beginning February 12 will see more than 100 musicians and artistes from around the world bring religious and devotional music of different faiths to the public at a number of performances at St Monica Church and at the Ruins of St Augustine, Old Goa.
Executive director of the festival Rudolf Ludwig says ASI, Goa circle fought hard for this sacred music festival with the intention of keeping the dead St Augustine ruins site, steeped in history, alive.
In a special outreach programme the musicians will also hold a series of small concerts in nursing homes, orphanages and schools in villages around Goa.