Prutha Goa

The first time I heard Selwyn Menezes play was a pleasant surprise. Having been accustomed to village violinists squeaking out notes on improperly tuned violins, my surprise grew into tremendous appreciation as Selwyn worked his violin to produce upbeat melodious music, accompanied by the equally talented Omar de Loiola Pereira at Child’s Play India Foundation’s Monsoon Concert 2019. Selwyn is the quintessential Goan, brimming with love for his land and a sure sense of social awareness. He says, ‘I come from Curtorim, a scenic green village, untouched by the building mafia.’ After completing his schooling from Manovikas High School, Selwyn obtained a bachelor’s degree through correspondence from Osmania University. He opted for a correspondence course because by 16 he had already begun working as a music teacher at Music Circle. He finished his 8th grade in music from the Royal Academy of Music and Trinity College London while he was in the 10th standard. By 18 years of age Selwyn was

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