Remo laments Goa’s woes, India’s ills in latest video

PANAJI - Rampant mining, beach erosion and over zealous exploitation of land resources in Goa find ‘top of the chart’ mention in noted musician and singer Remo Fernandes’ latest video “India, I cry”.

The video was exclusively premiered on popular social networking site Facebook Oct 3, a day after Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday in an uncharacteristic low key online launch.

The 5:27-minute video, which sees Remo speaking about the perils of Goa and India, has an interesting note addressed by the Padma Shri Award winning artist to all his fans, asking them to post it on their Facebook walls and spread the word.

“This is a brand new song and video, previously unreleased, being premiered here on Facebook on Oct 3, 2009, a day after Gandhi’s birthday. It’s being given out for free. There’s just one thing I ask in return: if you like it, please post it on your Wall. And ask your friends to post it on theirs. Spread the music,” Remo, who is known for his inimitable style of singing, has said.

Remo, who has in the past lent his voice to various social movements in Goa, including the official language agitation to make Konkani the state language, adds credence and endorses the rising civil protests against the mining and mega housing projects in the state, He also highlights the rapid erosion of the popular Candolim-Sinquerim beach stretch due to the state government’s inability to remove a beached trans-shipping vessel MV River Princess.

His angst finds expression in this stanza.

“Goa, I cry

I cry, Goa

Paradise of sea and sky

How we suck and bleed you dry

We can’t look you in the eye

As we watch you… slowly die.

Your miners corrode you

Your Princess erodes you

Your builders dig your grave”

Using powerful visuals of a gun-toting Pakistani terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Amir alias Kasab and a burning Taj Mahal hotel, Remo’s video also speaks the story of India’s gradual decline from a “world spiritual power to starving nuclear power”, which has attracted nothing but hatred from its neighbours.

Remo, who has in the past sung several popular Bollywood songs, is one of the early breed of indigenous Indian singers to cut English pop/rock albums in the 1980s with “Pack that Smack” and “Bombay City”. Remo has also jammed with legendary artists like Led Zeppelin and Jimmy Page.

The Goan artist has made political statements earlier in his musical with an album called “Politicians don’t know to Rock n Roll”, which was released in 1992 by Magnasound. The hit album had several tracks critical of the establishment, in light of the communal violence prevalent in the times.

A song in the album titled “Don’t kick up the Rao” was also ‘dedicated’ to then Congress prime minister the late P.V. Narasimha Rao, who was at the helm when the Babri masjid was demolished.