Prutha Goa

Child’s Play (India) Foundation is an NGO that nurtures musical talent among underprivileged children in Goa, giving them a sense of accomplishment and confidence that helps build character and enables them to envision a better future for themselves. The NGO, which was founded by Dr Luis Francisco Dias in 2009, has completed ten years of transformative work.  Child’s Play (India) Foundation (CPIF) has had two major concerts every year since 2014, the Camerata Child’s Play India performed at the Monte Music Festival in 2014, Dr Luis has spoken about CPIF’s work at the INK Talks in 2010 and 2014. Aside from these achievements, CPIF’s work has been highlighted in well-known national and international publications such as the Reader’s Digest , The Hindu and Deutsche Welle . This year’s celebratory events started off with the successful Monsoon Concert on the 21st of September, which had performances by the Baridisi Quartet and the duo of Omar de Loiola Pereira (guitar) and Selwyn Menezes

It is a rare breed of humans who look for more than establishing their own worth and engaging in the pursuit of ambition. Indian-American Lara Saldanha is one of that rare breed. 14 January 2018 saw her playing a benefit concert for Goa’s own Child’s Play (India) Foundation, which was founded by Dr Luis Dias to bring the skill of reproducing Western Classical to underprivileged children on the lines of El Sistema. The 25-year-old pianist entertained the audience with a programme that included works by Bach, Haydn, Clara Schumann, and Messiaen. Lara Saldanha has a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and studied under the acclaimed pianist Alan Chow. She has an additional bachelor’s degree in economics from Northwestern University, USA and is at present in the process of attaining a Master of Music at The New School’s Mannes School of Music in New York City, being mentored by Vladimir Valjarević. An accomplished pianist in her own right, Lara has won prizes at competitions such as Gen

In January 2015, Goa was privileged to have Dr Eugene Alcalay perform at various places. It is rare treat to encounter a pianist of such excellence and one of considerable humility too. From the moment he stepped on to the performance stage, he had the audience enchanted, be it his humorous explanations of the pieces of music he was to play or his stupendous command over his art. The Institute Menezes Braganza had people who were taken up in rapt attention to call for encores at the conclusion of the recital. Presently a professor at University of Wisconsin—Platteville, USA, this native of Bucharest, Romania, proved he was of exceptional calibre when he began playing the piano at the age of two and composing at the age of eight. It is no wonder then that his genius, reminiscent of Mozart, brought him to the attention of Leonard Bernstein and in time caused him to be the first recipient of The Leonard Bernstein Scholarship at the Indiana University School of Music. Bernstein was a famed

Rarely is it witnessed that Goan potential is tapped to take it to international standards. This could only be achieved by someone who has had training of a high degree, someone who can gauge latent talent where others might be dismissing of the same. Choir master Santiago Lusardo Girelli, a native of Brazil, is one such person. Goa University has provided an opportunity to international educators and scholars to enrich their students and enquiring minds with knowledge of various subjects. These academics are welcomed by the Visiting Research Professors Programme (VRPP). In maestro Girelli’s case, it is specifically the Anthony Gonsalves Research Professorship in Western Music that brought him to Goa University. Girelli has an interesting background. An Argentinian of Italian origin, he has been a student of music and philosophy from his early years and has built a career patterned on these two spheres of knowledge. He is a choir and orchestra master, a performer in his own right and a

The Hard Rock Heals Foundation, in partnership with Hard Rock Hotel Goa, announced a $5,000 grant to be awarded to Child’s Play India Foundation in 2019 as part of its commitment to improving the lives and resiliency of local communities. Child’s Play India Foundation is one of 50 local grant winners around the world to get support from Hard Rock International’s charitable arm. Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognised companies. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's most valuable collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. The Hard Rock Heals Foundation is a registered 501(c) (3) charitable organisation and oversees all philanthropic outreach for Hard Rock International. Music is energy; it stirs emotion, inspires, connects and restores. The Hard Rock Heals Foundation exists to improve lives through the power of music. Since its inception in 1971, Hard Rock International has brought p

In an age where CSR has become compulsory in India and most corporations find the easy way out by doing as little as possible, Hard Rock Hotel Goa, which is part of Hard Rock Inc, is making a difference in the area of philanthropy like no other. Why is Hard Rock, a chain of hotels, cafés, casinos, and restaurants more geared towards charity? Hard Rock Inc began as Hard Rock Café and was set up in 1971 by Isaac Burton Tigrett and his partner Peter Morton. In 1984, the enterprising Tigrett relaunched Hard Rock as a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame which showcased memorabilia from rock and roll, R&B and country music icons. Today Hard Rock has a presence all over the world, including North America, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. Although Hard Rock is a celebration of music and its creators, Tigrett meant it to act as a promoter of the physical manifestation of the themes of love and peace heralded by the music that evolved in the