BRAZINHO SOARES ‘KALAPURKAR’
Brazinho De Santa Nunila Soares or Brazinho Soares ‘Kalapurkar’ as he is popularly known by Tiatr lovers was born on 24thOctober 1938 at Santa Cruz, Tiswadi.
Brazinho’s first poem ‘Doriachem Ojeap’ published in a Konkani weekly Aitarachem Vachop in the year 1958 saw the birth of a writer in Konkani literary field. Since then he has authored and contributed many articles, short stories, essays, dramas, poems in different publications with consistency like Ave Maria, Vauraddeancho Ixtt, A. Vanguarda, Porjecho Adhar, Goan Express, Vauraddi, Cine Times, The Goa Mail, Udentichem Noketr, Goencho Sad, Sot, Divtti, Uzvadd, Loksad, Gõykar, Novem Goem, Goencho Avaz, Goenchem Ful, Konkan Mail, O Heraldo, Goan Sports Weekly, Dor Mhoineachi Rotti, Konknni, Arso, Gulab, Goencho Porzoll, The Goan Review, Goenchim Kirnnam, Goencho Pormoll, Goencho Fuddari, Jivit etc. He was also Astt. Editor of Konkani monthlies Karnaval, Goencho Gulab, Hea Sonvsarant and Konknni Neketracho Uzvadd. He has also written and published Mogachi Doulot (Poems), Oparincho Jhelo (Collection of proverbs) and tiatrs, ‘Mogacho Xevott Ximiterint’ and ‘Konn To Khunni’. He is one of the few Konkani writers to figure in Sahitya Akademi’s ‘Who is Who of Indian Writers’.
Brazinho’s first taste of acting began in his parochial school days wherein he enacted the role of a blind boy in Luis Gonsalves’ famous Tiatr ‘Jurament Bhogsonam’. He made a hat trick by winning the first prize for 3 consecutive years in the year 1977, 78 and 79 for Best Setting for tiatrs written by Caetano Pereira in Kala Academy’s Tiatr Competition. He has also acted in Anthony Pereira’s ‘Kirmidor Bhav’, Paulino Dias’ ‘Norton Advogad’, Peter Fernandes’ ‘Noxibantlem Chukonnam’ Gabrial Moraes ‘Bebdo Put’. He has written some very famous Tiatrs entitled ‘Mogacho Xevott Ximiterint’,‘Konn To Khunni’ and ‘Bhutanchem Ghor’. The first two tiatrs are also published in book form. In 1982, he won Ave Maria Furtado Award (Second Prize) for his poem in a Competition in Doha Qatar. He bagged Second Prize for his script, ‘Konn To Khunni’ in Tiatr Script Writing Competition organised by Konkani Tiatristanchi Sonvstha in the year 1992.
Brazinho also had a stint in singing. He sang in many tiatrs in early years like Frank de Santa Cruz’s, ‘Angvonnecho Put’,Caitano Pereira’s ‘Kallokuch Kallokh’, etc. He has enacted four different roles in one Tiatr entitled ‘Goenchi Suttka’written by F. X. Dias. He has collectively written and directed passion plays ‘Ho To Munis’ and ‘Sodvonddar Mell’lo’ (in which he also acted) along with his three other colleagues.
Apart from tiatr and writing, Brazinho has got a hobby of collecting Konkani books and rare handbills of Tiatrs. Today his personal library has more than 2000 Konkani books and more than 1000 of these rare handbills of Tiatrs dating back to Portuguese era. In the year 2007, he had the opportunity of holding his exhibition of Tiatr handbills and also books on Tiatr in Kuwait at the invitation of Kuwait Goans Tiatristanchi Sonvstha. He was also invited by Dalgado Konknni Akademi to hold the exhibition during their ‘Tisrem Konknni (Romi Lipi) Sahitya ani Sonvskruti Sommelon’ and Kala Academy Goa during Celebration of 100 years of Tiatr in the year 1992.
He has several awards and felicitations to his credit. The noteworthy among them being Tiatr Academy of Goa’s Lifetime Contribution to Tiatr Award, Kala Academy’s Silver Jubilee Celebration of Tiatr Competition, Dalgado Academy’s Daiz Puroskar, Jack Sequeira Puroskar by Taleigao Songit ani Somajik Kala Kendra and felicitation by Konkani monthly magazine ‘Gulab’. He is also the recipient of prestigious State Cultural Award in the field of literature in the year 2004-05.
Profile Courtesy: Tiatr Academy of Goa
