As pandemic cripples Goan gig industry, musicians change tempo to survive

When he began receiving demand letters from the bank in May, Emmanuel Antao knew he was in trouble. The Chandor-based entertainer had regaled audiences in India and abroad over the years and had packed weekly schedules at several hotels and restaurants as a one-man band. But none of that could keep his family afloat after the Covid-19 outbreak and consequent lockdown brought tourism and allied sectors to naught.


So, he began selling fish. In fact, over the past couple of months, Antao has expanded his services to deliver seafood to one’s doorstep anywhere in the state.

“My life has changed and so has the perception of some of my colleagues. For instance, when I went to deliver fish to an acquaintance, I was asked why I hadn’t opted for any other kind of work. I told him that if he could give me a job that could pay my loans, I’d gladly work for him,” Antao said.

Desperation and a weak economy forced the entertainer to make some tough decisions. He sold his limited-edition SUV at half the price to save his house from foreclosure and removed his children from an unaided school as he could no longer pay their fees. “If this situation continues for a year, I might even have to sell my house,” Antao rued. “Full-time

musicians

now have no source of income at all.”

That the pandemic has been particularly cruel to Goa’s once thriving entertainment industry is evident. Up north in Nagoa, Bardez, Jude Davitoria – a solo artiste and events coordinator – found himself grappling with a fate similar to Antao’s. Unable to pay the EMI on his car loan in May, ‘Country Jude’ had to sell his vehicle for a song along with some music equipment that he had purchased for his teenaged son. It didn’t help that his teacher wife hadn’t been receiving her salary either.

With their backs to the wall, the couple decided to convert their passion for cooking into an

occupation

. Today, they prepare and deliver a range of Goan masalas and pastes, pickles, curries, pulao and even an entire fish thali to most parts of the state. Their son chips in too and makes a delectable Goan caramel pudding.

“What has happened over the past few months is a good lesson for all us musicians, especially those who’ve relied on the industry as the sole source of income. My parents always told me to have another trade in hand because tourism is not eternal. I now fully understand the significance of that advice,” Davitoria said.

The path ahead is uncertain but the nascent cook has no plans of slowing down. Just recently, he introduced ready-to-fry beef croquettes and fish cutlets. “The profit margins are not high, but I am glad that I am at least able to pay my bills,” Davitoria said.


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