A nightingale flies back

What does a singer do when her mentor mdash the person who handheld her and made her a star who had such a hold over her that he forced her into a contract that barred her from singing with anyone else for 20 whole years mdash suddenly abandons her packs his bags and flies off to Dubai Feel a sense of betrayal thats tinged with helpless anger youd suppose But I didnt feel any of that says Lorna Cordeiro the Nightingale of Goa when we ask her about the time Chris Perry her musical benefactor left abruptly for the Middle East in the 1970s leaving her hands tied with the repressive contract he had made her sign I mean even if I did feel anger I definitely wasnt going to show it Cordeiro confesses after a seconds thoughtCordeiro on the cover of an EP she had recorded with Mohammad Rafi in 1970So for close to two decades after that she led a largely anonymous life in Mumbai doing ninetofive jobs to sustain herself such as that of a dentists compounder Imagine what this phase must have been like for her For much of the 70s Cordeiro had been the shining star of the Goan music circuit with people eating out of her hands as she belted out one Konkani hit after another Perry was her guiding light He personally oversaw her rise from being a naturally talented but unpolished singer to a professional who traversed different cities singing in the hottest jazz clubs of the time We sang at Firpos Hotel in Calcutta and moved to Gaylords in Delhi for a year after our extended contract ran out We then shifted to Mumbai and performed at the Taj Astoria Hotel and Blue Nile Cordeiro says of the heady days when her partnership with Perry was the talk of the town But then he left without warning and she was left in the lurch Cordeiro tells us I was basically a singer and never prepared for a ninetofive job So yes I did feel a sense of frustration and I stopped singing altogether as a result I didnt even hum tunes to myselfLorna CordeiroEnter Ronnie Monserrate He was a musician who had played in Perrys band for a while and knew Cordeiros mother Monserrate located her in her Dhobi Talao flat in 1995 Cordeiro was worse for wear over the years But the spark in her voice hadnt died out So he pleaded with her to make a comeback I was dead against the idea in the beginning I had this fear in me because I hadnt as much as hummed songs in all that time But he knew the horse he was backing and my mother encouraged him to keep coaxing me So ultimately I gave in since frankly I was disgusted with his perseverance Cordeiro tells us about the catalyst behind the second phase of her careerIts a phase thats seen herfly solo across the world now that she isnt under Perrys wings anymore he died in 2002 after a futile attempt at sabotaging her comeback Apart from concerts in Indian cities she has performed to packed houses in the Middle East the UK US and Canada There is in fact an online video of her gig at the UK Goan Festival last year where the love that people still have for her is as clear as the sunny London day that the event was held on Cordeiro enters the field where the festival was taking place in an open convertible Mercedes to a raucous reception literally mobbed by the crowd Thats also the sort of response she can expect at a charity concert she will play in Mumbai tomorrow organised by the Goan Outreach AssociationThe 75yearold confirms Life is being really good to me right now and what I am doing with my band constitutes the best years I have had Actually now that I am singing again there is no looking back even if I want to So its a case of alls well that ends well for a woman whose life has twisted and turned like a Formula One carBut she goes silent when we ask her what sort of legacy she wants to leave behind After a pregnant pause Cordeiro ultimately says I want to be remembered as a performer and nothing else Its a wish thats testament to her inherent desire of being a lifelong artiste and not a dayjob person The dark period in which she was consigned to anonymity as you might have imagined must have been a terrible time So heres a tip of the hat to Monseratte the man who helped the nightingale find the voice she had lostON February 15 6 pm AT Dublin Square Phoenix Market City Kurla West CALL 9987015223 COST Rs 250Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates