Changing trends and setting the standard for tomorrow.
‘Heritage jazz’; a name, a brand that has nestled in our hearts! It has infused the two most intimate attributes of Goa on a single platform; music and home. The concept was laid to nurture two old and graceful legacies of Time itself – the living heritage of Goa, which needs to be preserved and jazz music. But who is the driving force behind this brilliant and novel idea? The founder, MD and chairperson of ‘Heritage Jazz’, Mr. Armando Gonsalves, a multifaceted talent, has been the vanguard of art, culture, music, heritage and journalism in Goa. He is a writer, a pianist, an entrepreneur and a humanitarian. When asked about how he times and manages himself between so many things and still deliver quality, “I never plan anything. I just get up in the morning and start working” he says smilingly.

He simultaneously runs a hard core real estate business but, with a very different outlook. In the past few decades, Goa witnessed a rampant sale of lands, concrete jungles brimming up, sky rocketing real estate rates. It was high time something had to be done. It had to be stopped; it was Armando’s initiative that forestalled the sacrilege of the rich Goan heritage. In 2004 he laid the concept of ‘Heritage Jazz’ creating a niche for the essence of Goa to endure. “It is the pursuit of dream, a purpose to bring together world class entertainers from across the globe under one roof. Love, feelings, morals, ideals and mind cracking ideas lays the foundation of Heritage Jazz. It is not a pursuit for money!” he states candidly.

“It is not just about music or heritage; it has a lot to do with art and culture, human emotions and global integration. It’s a melting pot of varied styles, culture and music.” continues Armando.  

Starting with simple yet enthralling musical evenings at the verandah of his shell, the beautiful ‘Gonsalves Mansion’ at Campal; the spirit of the shows elevated dramatically. The beauty of hosting shows at home provided a very affable environment. “Artists were very excited to play at home. We provide a homely accommodation to the musicians and serve delicious food cooked by my mother, Aduzinda at our dining table. ‘Palatial home’ doesn’t mean it has to host something grand and opulent. It’s about compassion and emotions of heart. Moreover the stage in our courtyard is not at a height, making all the people feel at the same level, making them very interactive.” says Armando.  His love for his children, son Nihal and daughter Zenisha was the true inspiration and driving force. At the tender age of 7, Nihal set a milestone by shooting videos of shows at the jazz courtyard which was remarkable and well appreciated. Seeing the zeal of the young talent, Armando was driven to come up with an incredible concept of ‘Heritage Jazz’ which was later well received.  Talking about the future plans of Heritage jazz, he says he wants to expand its dimensions and harness talents from the villages of Goa. “We want to take music to the grass root level and provide a platform to musicians from every nook and corner of Goa”. Further, he says, “We have come up with the ‘Konkani Rocks’ concept to promote our local lingo. Konkani seems to be fading in younger generation, kids nowadays shy away to speak their mother tongue. Learning Konkani through music and dance would be very interesting; the whole idea was to impart knowledge of Konkani merged with fun and music thereby preserving our dialect.”  

There is another important facet to Armando’s personality. He is a philanthropist and a humanitarian. Through Heritage Jazz shows he has conducted several fundraising programs for Tsunami victims, National Association for the Blind, orphanages and various NGO’s in Goa. Armando never loses a chance to do things for the community, and as can be seen from “Jazz for a Cause”, most of the shows were organized to raise funds for a needy cause. He is also the Chairman of Spirit of Goa Charitable Trust. He is closely involved with Heritage especially, towards bringing more attention to the heritage homes in Goa, many of which are in a state of ruin. For this, he has personally forfeited business profits to ensure that this heritage continues. Environment protection and fund raising for musicians and sportsmen are the other areas that he has been deeply associated with. He has been continuously involved with taking music and quality education to schools via various workshops. Through his Spirit of Goa organization, he organized a peace concert and several candle light vigils post the 26\11 terror attacks in Mumbai – all of which revolved around the common agenda of Peace. For his altruistic work, he was honoured with the ‘Karmaveer Puraskar’ for peace and harmony in the year 2009. He accepted this prestigious honor very modestly and dedicated it to love and brotherhood; his message is simple, “Keep loving, giving and believe in peace. Harness the pursuit of giving and cherish humane feelings.”

With so many things up his sleeve, Mr. Armando Gonsalves drives himself with passion, creativity, compassion, benevolent thoughts and a willingness to serve the society. He says, “My faith in God has brought me so far and will take me further”. He has set up an example to the youth and left footprints for them to follow.