Goa CM Pramod Sawant Inaugurates First World Konkani Music Conference in Mangaluru

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant inaugurated the first World Konkani Music Conference at Town Hall in Mangaluru, Karnataka, on November 3, bringing together Konkani-speaking communities from across the world to celebrate their language, music and cultural heritage.

The 13-day international conference, organised by Konkani cultural organisation Mandd Sobhann as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations, will continue until November 15. The event is dedicated to the memory of its founder, late Eric Ozario, who played a significant role in promoting Konkani language and culture.

A major highlight is an attempt to enter the Guinness World Records under the title 'Konkani Nirontari – Sonsar Sorosori'. The initiative involves a continuous singing marathon lasting 300 hours and 12 minutes, featuring 300 singing groups performing in rotation. More than 6,700 singers are expected to participate, including 53 groups from Goa. The marathon aims to present over 4,500 songs representing different Konkani dialects and musical traditions without repeating any singer or song.

Participants are expected from countries including Australia, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar, representing diverse Konkani-speaking communities. The conference will also organise 12 seminars covering devotional and folk music, music and health, theatre, cinema, intellectual property rights and artificial intelligence.

The organisers will honour 12 senior musicians with the World Konkani Musical Excellence Award, including five posthumous recognitions. A special programme, 'Ful Fulota', will provide children aged 10 to 16 an opportunity to showcase their musical abilities.

Cultural exhibitions, a musicians' Hall of Fame and traditional food stalls are among the other attractions. Preparations involved more than 250 composers and music arrangers, with the event's estimated budget standing at Rs 3 crore.

Sawant pledged his government's support for Konkani language and culture and announced that the Goa government would consider Konkani achievers living outside the state for its prestigious awards. He also inaugurated the singing marathon by playing the traditional Ghumat instrument.