From Bebdo to Paskin: How Mumbai's live bands are on the rise this wedding season with foot-tapping Konkani and Marathi songs

The Vindaloos are a band that get as Goan as they get in Mumbai. They're not your regular four-piece rock band but one that plays delightful and foot-tapping English and Konkani music just like they do in Goa for weddings and ceremonies. If you've heard 'Maka Tuch Zai', 'Saiba Bhogos' and 'Find My Way', from 'Rainbow Rishta' recently, now you know who's sung it.

Started just before the Covid-19 pandemic by Kristofor Mendonca and his father Agnelo Mendonca, by chance, it has materialised into so much more. It happened after they were contacted by Aadyam Theatre for a play based in Goa called 'Loretta', and they haven't looked back ever since.

Interestingly, the Mumbai-based band are among quite a few that have been a part of the surge in live bands performing in the city. They perform at weddings, Catholic ceremonies locally while celebrating classic English music that most Mumbaikars have grown up to; they also indulge you with foot-tapping Konkani music that can get you dancing almost immediately.

With the wedding season here, Mumbai's East Indian community brings in the evergreen brass bands but the rest are not far behind as they have been increasingly opting to hire live bands to perform at their weddings over the DJs. While DJs are very much preferred because they are economically cheaper, the surge in live bands is a post-pandemic phenomenon, and The Vindaloos are only one of them.

Flavour of Goan music
Interestingly the formation of the band was accidental. Kristofor narrates, "A friend associated with Aadyam told me we had to form a Goan band, but I told him I had not done it before. So, I asked my dad, and he said why not because he loves Goan music." As luck would have it, Agnelo was an active member of the live band music scene in the 70s and 80s in Mumbai, before he stopped due to the dwindling interest. "We got my cousin Ranzel as the female vocalist at the time, and a friend named Jeremy, and started the band."

The band came together and brought back some good old Goan Konkani music that they hadn't heard in a while. Agnelo chimes in, "My mum and dad were really good singers. While mum would sing first, dad would sing seconds for Konkani songs which were really helpful during this play 'Loretta'." Growing up in a Catholic family, like most others, he had to also sing as a child in front of everybody on every occasion including Christmas, which used to get over as late as 6 am. Agnelo reminisces about how he used to sing 'Ek Matari Mojo Mogan Podta', the Konkani song that everyone loved in his voice. So naturally, he took to music like a fish takes to water. Singing with various bands, the Mumbaikar admits there was a dip in live bands over the years but the recent resurgence is encouraging especially for the Mumbaikar, who absolutely loves singing, and is also an emcee.

So, when they got the opportunity for the play, it was probably waiting to happen. They put the very same songs he grew up with together for a performance and started playing during the waiting time before the play was performed. Kristofor shared, "After the first show only, people started enjoying the music so much that they had to literally be pushed inside the theatre to watch the play. It was such a unique experience for them and they were dancing and enjoying it." It made the band realise how they had actually struck a chord.

However, the city-based music teacher says they realised they couldn't only sing Konkani, and that's how they extended their repertoire to the retro and modern English songs, and Bollywood as well. The name, The Vindaloos, came almost instantly as one may guess, because it had a Goan touch and who doesn't love the dish? Soon enough, they started performing at other places in the city, and in 2022, they even got the opportunity to open for Lorna Cordeiro, popularly know as Lorna, who is one of the finest Goan Konkani language singers in present times. Apart from their recent film gig with three original compositions, they also perform at O Pedro in Bandra Kurla Complex. "Even though people may not understand the language, the vibe is already created. Also, Goan music has a very peppy vibe to it and 'Maka Tu Zai' was one song that blew up for us," he adds.

Today, the band has Agnelo on vocals, Kristofor is on backing vocals, and also plays drums and percussion; they are joined by city-based musician Vernon Noronha, who plays guitar, trumpet and harmonica while aiding on vocals. However, it varies in number of members depending on requirement. Ever since they started performing, their audience has been a diverse mix just like their band, which usually keeps the music free flowing, according to how the audience reacts to them. The Mumbaikar explains, "We get a lot of calls for somebody's 50th anniversary or 75th birthday party, and someone getting married, and even roce, baptism, and christenings - the songs are a mix of old and new - and they all seem to enjoy the music we play. Even when we end with the Goan masala, it is something that gets people on the floor because it is something that is very high-energy."

Interestingly, over the years, he has noticed the shift in how people would traditionally go for a DJ but now they're opting for live bands.

A touch of Konkani and Marathi
Elsewhere, Vasai-based David Pereira's band Chasing Zenith has also seen a growing demand for their band ever since they started out in 2019. Predominantly playing English music, they started performing Konkani music, as an ode to their roots. He explains, "After a thorough western set, we play some of Lorna's hits like 'Bebdo' and 'Pisso' to name a few and it never fails to impress the crowd. Another one of our favourites is Paskin - a Marathi classic that always gets people on their feet." Singing in English, Hindi, Marathi, and Konkani, they also explore pop, rock, dance, EDM, regional and Bollywood genres.

In all these years that they have played at a variety of events, David says there is quite literally no better feeling than having a crowd of people dancing and singing along to your music. "It makes us quite happy to see that a lot of weddings and commercial gigs opt for live bands over regular recorded playback. The energy and excitement of having a live band play a show is always going to be unmatched."

So, it is no surprise that they are excited as they gear up to play at a church Christmas celebration this evening; they also have a wedding to play at later this week. Amid their busy schedules and day jobs, they come together to celebrate music. He shares, "Growing up the one thing all of us had in common was being surrounded by good music 24x7 -- be it on the radio or cover songs at a house party. It not just sparked a curiosity to pick up our individual instruments but eventually use our talents at various Church choirs and then take a full circle back with us forming our own band."

Today, the four-member band consists of David on bass and lead vocals, his brother Ian on lead guitar and vocals, Olav D'souza on drums, and Nikhil Rodrigues on keyboard and vocals. With a shared lineage between Goan and Mangalorean roots, it did not take long for everything to fall in place. He explains, "While Konkani songs was not something we actively rehearsed, it soon became a regular part of our set list not just due to its upbeat dance vibes at our shows but also its cultural significance for the four of us." The crowd not only grooves to Konkani songs like 'Bebdo' and 'Pisso', which is also sung by Rodrigues, but also the classic Goa and Bombay Masala, and Elvis Presley's classic Jailhouse Rock, and their very own pop mashup.

Just like The Vindaloos, they have mushroomed at a time when the demand for live bands is slowly on the rise, instead of DJs which took over in the last decade. For David and the band, it didn't take long for them to jump on the bandwagon and play not only at weddings but also other events including Catholic ceremonies. "For quite some time now we have seen the entire musicians community become a lot more organised in their craft. There's a clear distinction between an all-out rock band and bands that cater to commercial and wedding gigs." Vasaikar says expectations by event organisers today are not just to put up a great show but also to be presentable and professional. This always pushes performing artists to be innovative, and the Vasai band is stepping up their game.

Striking the right chord
Much before The Vindaloos and Chasing Zenith, 2 Girlz & A Guitar started playing in Mumbai, about 20 years ago. At the time, Bandra-based Nelson Vaz, who was an active part of the Mumbai music scene, had started bands since his teenage days and was dedicated to playing live music for people. One thing led to another and he started a band with his two daughters in the early 2000s. The family's shared love for music led to the formation of '2 Girlz & A Guitar,' featuring Vaz alongside his daughters, Sharon Van'Drine and Revlon Campos. The band is now also joined by Sharon's daughter, Kimberly Van'Drine.

In the last 20 years, they are popularly seen playing at many private gatherings in the city as well as the clubs like Catholic Gymkhana, Bandra Gymkhana and Willingdon Gymkhana too. Sharon shares, "Since we are Goans, Konkani music was everywhere around us. It was always a part of family gatherings and celebrations. So, when we formed the band, it felt natural to include Konkani classics in our repertoire."

Over the years, apart from English and Konkani, they have also sung in Hindi, Portuguese, Spanish and Swahili. With so many experiments, they have seen a big change in the way live bands are perceived in Mumbai. "In recent years, there's been a growing recognition of the value that a live band can bring to any celebration. It is more than just the music; a band infuses an event with vibrancy and interaction," she adds.

It is also why they have been able to play different kinds of songs over the years in genres like Jazz and Rock to Country and Pop. While the songs may change, the Bandra resident says there are some timeless classics like 'Sweet Caroline', 'Volare', songs by the Beatles, Elvis Presley and ABBA, that are always loved by people at weddings.

On the other hand, with the kind of response that The Vindaloos have got, Kristofor says they never expected to be playing in the band, but now it has taken off, they have worked on a few songs and hope to release them in the next few months after Christmas, for everybody who loves some Goan and Konkani music.