WALTER FERNANDES
Making music
I WAS born in Nairobi, Kenya in 1941.
My first love in music was the drums but fate took another hand as I will
explain. When I was around 6 years of age, I was struck by then the relatively
unknown disease, polio. I was paralyzed in the leg whilst my sister Thelma was
affected in the left hand. I was
surprised one day when my dad surprised me with a drum set. Being still unable to use one leg, dad would
rent the set to a Goan band for 50 shillings. Unfortunately, after a few
rentals, one drum came back home with a large hole. That did it, he promptly
sold it. I was very, very fortunate to recover from polio.
I attended Dr Ribeiro Goan School.
One Saturday my dad returned from an auction with a violin that he purchased
for 12 shillings and 50 cents. My
musical career kicked off the next Monday when dad arranged for me to be
tutored by A.R. Da Costa who was the choirmaster at St. Francis Church.
Sometime in 1957, Dr Ribeiro Goan
School Ex-Students awarded me a bursary
together with the Diana D`Souza, Rudolf
Gonsalves and Leandro Saldana to study music at the East African Conservatoire
of Music where I initially was coached by Nat Kofsky and then Anthony Alvares,
a brilliant violinist.
Following that, I won at the
Kenya Festival of Music the best violinist under the age of 16 and was very
proud to be presented with the trophy by the Governor-General Sir Evelyn Baring.
Dad would make me practice 5
hours a day come whatever, so by the age of 18
was pretty good. Having completed school in 1957, I played as a second
violist with The Nairobi Orchestra and in the orchestra at various musical
plays brought up by City Players.
I had the pleasure to get to know
prominent Goan Musicians well known to the Nairobi musical circles. They were
Anthony Alvares, Anthony Noronha (better
known as Oboe ), Albert Rodrigues (Viola), Luis Pires (Violinist) Guilherme
Pires (Bass).
On July 20th 1966, a
farewell recital was organized for Anthony (Oboe) Noronha at the residence of J.
M. Nazareth Q.C. Oboe had sacrificed so much of his time promoting music within
the Goan community. For years, he conducted
the junior orchestra. At this farewell
recital, nearly every known Goan musician took part. Oboe soon left for the UK where he,
unfortunately, passed away.
In 1984, I was running my own video business. On this
particular day a woman, unknown to me, walked into my office, asked me if I was
Walter, then asked me if I would like to take part in a movie that was going to
be shot in Nairobi. I said yes, after which she asked me if I could arrange for
a Goan drummer and pianist. I arranged for Clifford D`Souza who is an excellent
pianist and Ronny Coutinho, drummer. It
turned out to be Out of Africa
with Merle Streep and Robert Redford. This movie won 9 academy awards. (The film clip will be on my FB page, Blogger down seem to allow it, Cyprian).
Isabella Wise nee de Souza: Sadly, Albert Rodrigues, the violinist mentioned passed away in Goa on March 29 2020. RIP>
Unknown: Isabella, Albert was a great violinist. Very often Albert with Anthony Alvares, Pires (second violin), Albert (viola)... I forget the fourth, would play quartets. Sorry to hear of Albert's passing. Cyprian Fernandes: This was the golden age of classical Goan music in Kenya.
Unknown: Going through my files I found a copy of "A FAREWELL CONVERT TO OBOE". The concert took place at the home of JM Nazerath QC on July 20 1968 and included sopranos Helen de Souza and Euphemia Fernandes. Brought tears to my eyes. Oboe taught me chess.
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