Konkani
Tiatr in Toronto
Incredibly Entertaining!! Goemcho Avaz"
By:
Pamela Vasandani |
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[Click
images to enlarge] |
Stupendous
is the word that comes to mind!! Never before have
Canadian audiences of Goan descent laughed so much.
The jam-packed hall, bursting at the seams with
a crowd that sang along and totally connected with
the stars. "GOEMCHO AVAZ", the Musical
Tiatr, produced by Francis D'Costa President of
D'Costa Financial Group is definitely the best Konkani
show I have seen in Canada so far!! I overheard
scores of people saying their jaws ached from so
much cackling!! Hilarious, riotous, uproarious comedy
was the order of the day!! People were practically
rocking off their seats in side-splitting laughter,
the sounds resounding off the walls so much, the
laughter was bouncing off them. |
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The
inimitable Succorine the ‘Comedy Queen’
extraordinaire, well deserving of her title, was
no doubt ‘Queen of the ‘applause meter’
while the Duo of Agustinho and John D’Silva,
jockeyed for the same position. Legendary singer
Antoinette of “Amchem Noxib” and “Nirmonn”
fame brought back a plethora of old memories with
her unforgettable voice, while Rosy Alvares pumped
up the heartbeats of many males. |
Jose
Rod, blessed with one of the melodious voices, poured
out several numbers with a ‘honey and molasses’
smoothness. His rendition of soulful songs enchanted
the audience. All in all, these Goan Stars, who
have graced the Canadian stage for the very first
time, are a fabulous bunch of crowd pullers, exuding
oodles of experience and stage presence which seamlessly
flowed off the stage in waves and blanketed the
audience. Pravin’s
keyboards were vibrating off the stage and the ivories
would have played on their own, such was the level
of energy and verve rolling off. |
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He
was centre stage – literally – while
Pauly’s expertise on the Skins provided resounding
backup. Young Ben’s flawless performance was
noted by one and all. Now, there’s a young
lad to watch out for in the future – Him and
his singing violin!
Jr.Nelson
and Damacian from U.K. were also much appreciated
as were the couple who coordinated the tour –
Mr. & Mrs. Simeo Fernandes. |
Francis
D’Costa, who spoke with heartfelt emotion,
while thanking the stars, thanked the audience in
a very special way, for supporting Konkani Tiatr
and helping D’Costa Financial Group keep the
‘Goan Tradition Alive and Kicking’.
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He
requested the audience to spread the word and ensure
that more Goans come out in strong numbers in support
of shows such as these, which are redolent of memories
and bring out nostalgic sentiments. Only with the
support of Konkani-speaking people, will the word
spread, enabling entrepreneurs like Francis D’Costa
to sponsor and produce shows of this class and caliber.
All
in all, the evening will live forever in people’s
memories, rocked with laughter, redolent with Goan
flavors and reminiscent of …. ‘Goemcho
Avaz’!! |
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London
(Ontario) diocese to undergo massive reorganization
BY
RON STANG
Catholic Register Special WINDSOR, Ont.
Click
here for details
The
diocese of London — with 164 parishes and missions
and 153 priests serving a population of more than 400,000
— has announced plans for a massive reorganization
that will see clustering, amalgamation, closures and possibly
new parishes as part of a plan to be fully implemented
by June 2008.
One of the country’s largest English-speaking dioceses,
London geographically ranges from Windsor in the west
to Woodstock in the east, Point Pelee in the south to
Goderich in the north, encompassing nine counties and
seven deaneries.
The
reorganization follows from the diocesan post-Jubilee
pastoral plan that, according to Bishop Ronald Fabbro
in a newsletter to parishioners, has seen “the importance
of connecting” the spiritual and pastoral with the
diocese’s structural needs, building “strong
and vibrant communities of faith.”
The
reasons for the reorganization aren’t surprising,
given North American trends related to shortage of priests
and changing demographics. The diocese faces a projected
declining number of priests from 153 now to 99 by 2020
with 23 under 50 years of age. Moreover 40 per cent of
church buildings are more than 100 years old requiring
repairs estimated at $150 million. This is a financial
burden too heavy for the church to carry, the diocese
says.
And
changes in population, from city-suburban shifts to the
impact of immigration, mean many inner-city churches are
under-populated while suburban and even some rural parishes
are growing and in need of more church buildings.
While
full implementation of the reorganization plan is as long
as three years away the process of deciding on which parishes
to close, cluster, amalgamate or open will be done over
the next year through a decentralized process via local
deaneries.
Stang
is a freelance writer in Windsor, Ont.
Returning
to More Normal Summer Conditions ?
Excerpts:The
Weather Network's Updated Summer Outlook
MISSISSAUGA,
ON, July 18 /CNW/
With
a summer that has so far featured a record number of "dull
days" in southern British Columbia, record flooding
in the southern Prairies, record heat and smog days in
Ontario and Quebec, and frequent fog days in the Maritimes
and Atlantic Canada, many Canadians are now wondering
what the rest of summer has in store.
In
their just-released Updated Summer Outlook, meteorologists
at The Weather Network say improving weather conditions
are on the way for most regions. As the summer progresses,
look for warmer temperatures to take hold on the West
Coast, fewer rainfall events in the Prairies, cooler,
more comfortable temperatures in Ontario and Quebec, and
warmer, more summer-like temperatures in the Maritimes
and Atlantic Canada.
In
central Canada, temperatures for the first 6-7 weeks of
summer have been above normal. As the summer continues,
Butler predicts temperatures across much of Ontario and
Quebec will gradually cool off ranging from near normal
to above normal. Rainfall amounts should be near normal
except in southwestern Ontario where it will be drier
than normal under the scorching heat.
The
Maritimes and Newfoundland will see a warming trend in
temperatures as the summer progresses with few days dropping
below 20 degrees C, similar to last year.
Precipitation-wise,
near normal conditions are expected although Butler says
meteorologists are keeping a close eye on the track of
Atlantic hurricanes. With the Atlantic hurricane basin
warmer than normal, tropical storms and hurricanes are
more likely to track up the East Coast of the United States
and possibly move into Canada.
For more details on The Weather Network's Updated Summer
Outlook including temperature and precipitation maps,
visit http://www.theweathernetwork.com
Temperature
and Precipitation Outlook for Ontario & Quebec:
| |
Temperature
Outlook |
Precipitation
Outlook |
| Ontario |
Near
normal across most the western half of the province,
warmer than normal in the eastern half. |
Near
normal precipitation across the north and east of
the province, drier than normal in the southwest.
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| Québec |
Near
normal across most of the eastern portion of the
province, with above normal in the west and extreme
north.
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Near
normal conditions across the province.
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