Goa CM Pramod Sawant inaugurates first World Konkani Music Conference in Mangaluru

Goa CM Pramod Sawant inaugurates first World Konkani Music Conference in Mangaluru

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, November 3, 2026: Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant inaugurated the first-ever World Konkani Music Conference in Mangaluru on Tuesday morning and extended his best wishes to the organisers. He announced that the Goa government would also consider Konkani achievers from outside Goa for its prestigious state awards.

The 13-day international conference, organised by Konkani cultural organisation Mandd Sobhann as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations, is being held at Town Hall in Mangaluru from November 3 to 15.

Congratulating Mandd Sobhann and the organising committee, Sawant said that although Konkani has several dialects, the language and emotions of the Konkani-speaking community remain united.

He appreciated the Konkani-speaking people of Mangaluru for keeping the language alive through their dedication and efforts, despite the absence of institutional government support.

He said that although Goa and coastal Karnataka are separated by state boundaries, both regions share the same coastline, culture and lifestyle. He expressed hope that their cultural bonds would continue to flourish.

Bishop of the Mangaluru Diocese, Dr Peter Paul Saldanha, delivered the blessings.

A major highlight of the conference is the attempt to create a Guinness World Record through a continuous singing marathon titled ’Konkani Niranthari – Sonsar Sorosori’ (Konkani continuously till the end of the world).

The 12-day non-stop singing marathon will feature 300 singing teams performing in rotation. More than 6,700 singers from different parts of the world are expected to participate, including 53 teams from Goa.

The event aims to present more than 4,500 songs representing different Konkani dialects, communities and musical traditions, without repeating any song or singer.

Sawant said that while Konkani enjoys official language status in Goa and receives government encouragement, the Konkani community in Mangaluru has sustained the language through its own commitment and hard work. He reiterated that Konkani achievers living outside Goa would also be considered for the Goa government’s official state awards.

Speaking on the occasion, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo recalled the lifelong contribution of late Eric Ozario to the growth of Konkani culture. He highlighted Ozario’s role in providing a platform for young talent and wished all participating teams success. He also expressed happiness over the participation of a large number of teams from Goa.

The conference is dedicated to the memory of late Eric Ozario, founder of Mandd Sobhann and a visionary leader who made significant contributions to Konkani language and culture.

Karnataka Legislative Council member Ivan D’Souza, Goa MLAs Michael Lobo and Delilah Lobo, reception committee member Dolphy Prashanth D’Souza, Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy president Stany Alvares, Joyce Ozario, Roy Castelino, Prakash Shetty Mangaluru, Eric Correia, Ronald Sylvan D’Souza and Krishnaprasad were among those present.

Mandd Sobhann president Louis J. Pinto welcomed the gathering, while Rainel Sequeira compered the programme.

At 6 am, Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant formally launched the continuous singing marathon by playing the Ghumat, a traditional Konkani percussion instrument.