RadioGoa, a unique venture by Dubai-based NRI Goan, has helped Konkani music transcend its traditional boundaries and be available worldwide.
PANAJI: RadioGoa, a unique venture by Dubai-based NRI Goan, has helped Konkani music transcend its traditional boundaries and be available worldwide.
"Being a NRI residing in Dubai I came across people here listening to Internet Radio in Malayalam, Tamil and other languages and have always thought to myself why not Konkani?,"
Benedict Lobo, who runs 'Radiogoa.net' venture, which is a non-profit making body, said that the actual RadioGoa idea was conceived when his US based friend requested to send him some Konkani CDs as he was longing to hear some of the old Konkani songs.
"Konkani music is not available in the US easily. A similar complaint was echoed by another friend of mine in Canada," Lobo said, recalling days before the entire concept were conceptualized.
RadioGoa, an internet based medium giving all kind of Konkani music, has become a hit with the non resident Goans and Goans alike.
"I wanted to take idea of RadioGoa further, I wanted to create a radio service that not only broadcast good music but provide good interactivity with the listener and was different and better then the existing radio stations," Lobo added.
For this purpose, he had developed an in-house software.
He said that the station aims to promote Konkani Music Worldwide and provides a Global platform for Konkani artists and specially the new talent.
"Our mission is to help spread awareness about Konkani Music Globally. RadioGoa Network is funded entirely by Donations from Konkani lovers," Lobo stated.
In UK the service is supported by NR-Goan Rene Barreto and back home in Goa by Cheryl Lobo.
The RadioGoa promoters feel that Konkani Music is losing its magic today as there is no originality anymore.
"Most of the konkani music released today are lyrics set to popular western tunes. We have a real-time voting system on Radiogoa from which we can calculate the popularity of any song and I must say the old hits are most popular on Radiogoa even though we play the latest hits as well," he said.
But off course there are some exceptions and to quote an example, the Album 'Dini Dini' by Melwyn Rodrigues playing on Radiogoa is one of them, he adds.
While transporting music from one corner of globe to another has traditionally been an ardous task, the boundaries has vanished with the onset of online radio
"The best way we could take Konkani Music to the World was via Internet Radio. Online radio does not have any geographical restrictions, which is why we can reach any Goan or Manglorean anywhere on this planet if he has access to an internet connection," Lobo says.
He adds, "One great advantage of internet radio is interactivity it has to offer, as you can interact with your listeners, be it voting for the song that is playing, or humming the lyrics provided with it, or simply providing the Biography of the artist with the now playing song. The possibilities are endless. But with the accessibility, the piracy issue also crops up for the promoters.
Speaking on the piracy issue, Lobo said, "Piracy is a debatable issue. We dont allow anyone to download music on our site and to further protect the content we have kept a very low bitrate for both the streams much below FM quality unlike some national and international internet radio stations which broadcasts CD quality."
The Konkani music industry presently is not as organized as their national and international counterparts and it has been a struggle to get contacts of the rights holders, specially the old songs, he added.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}