Luís Remo de Maria Bernardo Fernandes (born 8 May 1953)
is a singer and musician from India with naturalized Portuguese citizenship. Known as a pioneer of
Indian pop music, he performs
pop/
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
/
Indian fusion and is also a film
playback singer
A playback singer, also known as a ghost singer, is a singer whose singing is pre-recorded for use in films. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras; the actual singer does not app ...
. His musical work is a fusion of many different cultures and styles that he has been exposed to as a child in
Goa
Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...
and in his later travels around the world. Such influences include
Goan
Goans ( kok, गोंयकार, Romi Konkani: , pt, Goeses) is the demonym used to describe the people native to Goa, India, who form an ethno-linguistic group resulting from the assimilation of Indo-Aryan, Dravidian, Indo-Portuguese, an ...
and
Portuguese music
Portuguese music includes many different styles and genres, as a result of its history. These can be broadly divided into classical music, traditional/folk music and popular music and all of them have produced internationally successful acts, wit ...
,
Sega music
Sega (french: Séga) is one of the major music genres of Mauritius and Réunion. The other genres common in Mauritius are its fusion genre Seggae and Bhojpuri songs while in Réunion there is also seggae and maloya. It has origins in the m ...
(from
Mauritius
Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...
and
Seychelles
Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, V ...
),
African music
Given the vastness of the African continent, its music is diverse, with regions and nations having many distinct musical traditions. African music includes the genres amapiano, Jùjú, Fuji, Afrobeat, Highlife, Makossa, Kizomba, and others. The ...
,
Latin music
Latin music (Portuguese language, Portuguese and es, música latina) is a term used by the music industry as a catch-all category for various styles of music from Ibero-America (including Music of Spain, Spain and Portuguese music, Portugal) ...
(from Spain and South America), the music of erstwhile European communist states, those of the dance halls from
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
and
Soca (from
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...
).
Writing and singing songs in English made his success more rare and distinctive in the context of the
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
-dominated,
Hindi language
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
-based, occasionally even
disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
music scene that was popular in the 1980s and 1990s. His compositions in English, reflecting life and socio-political happenings in India with which every Indian could identify. His Hindi pop/rock and film songs became instant hits with the Indian masses, earning him
Gold, Platinum and Double Platinum Discs. A popular stage performer in India, he has also taken part in many music festivals around the world. He has performed with members of international groups such as
Jethro Tull,
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
and
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
.
He now writes and sings his songs in five different languages: English, Hindi, French,
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
and
Konkani.
Life and career
1953–1977: Early life and musical influences
Remo Fernandes was born to the well-known
Panjim
Panaji (; also known as Panjim) is the capital of the Indian state of Goa and the headquarters of North Goa district. Previously, it was the territorial capital of the former Portuguese India. It lies on the banks of the Mandovi river estuary ...
family of Bernado and Luiza Fernandes on 8 May 1953.
He has a sister named Belinda, who sings Brazilian songs. Although brought up in a
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
family, Remo says he "realized that god is beyond religion". Remo's first introduction to
rock music
Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...
was at the age of seven, when a cousin returned from London with "
Rock Around The Clock
"Rock Around the Clock" is a rock and roll song in the 12-bar blues format written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers (the latter being under the pseudonym "Jimmy De Knight") in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was record ...
", a record by
Bill Haley & His Comets
Bill Haley & His Comets were an American rock and roll band founded in 1947 that continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band was also known as Bill Haley and the Comets and Bill Haley's Comets. From late 1954 to late 1956, the group record ...
.
He spent the next decade listening to music of that era's most popular icons:
In school, Remo developed his guitar playing skills along with a group of friends (Alexandre Rosario, Tony Godinho, and Caetano Abreu) and formed a school band with them, named 'The Beat 4'. He wrote his first songs around age 14. He won prizes best composer, best vocalist, and best lead guitarist in all-Goa competitions.
After graduating from school, Remo went on to earn a bachelor's degree in Architecture from Sir J.J College of Architecture in the city of
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
, greatly influenced by Lucio Miranda (
Mario Miranda
Mário João Carlos do Rosário de Brito Miranda (2 May 1926 – 11 December 2011), popularly known as Mario Miranda or Mario de Miranda, was an Indian cartoonist and painter based in Loutolim in the Indian state of Goa.
Miranda had been a ...
's cousin, who is an architect and musician). His love for music continued, and he often bunked classes to work on his technique.
He continued writing his own songs, playing solo or playing with different bands, including one of Bombay's top bands, The Savages, with whom he released an album, ''Ode to the Messiah'', on
Polydor Records
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
in 1975.
Mumbai being one of the few cities in India at the time with a niche audience for rock music, Remo played in concerts and venues such as Shanmukhnanda Hall, Rang Bhavan, and in all the major college campuses of the city. Remo brought an Indian element to his music with his
sitar
The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in ...
/guitar, and taught himself to play the
Indian flute.
1977-1985: Career beginnings
After graduating, Remo traveled in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
and North
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
between 1977 and 1980, performing with fusion rock bands and even releasing an album, ''Rock Synergie'', in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
in 1979. He then returned to Goa and immersed himself in its
hippie
A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to different countries around ...
culture. He met a group of travelling European artists who named themselves the Amsterdam Balloon Company, and began playing at their concerts at
Baga. He even invited them to perform at
Miramar Beach. Later, Remo performed in Amsterdam with Lucas Amor, the violinist in this group, and release a record called ''Venus and the Moon'' in 1981. He also formed his own band of fusion music called Indiana with bass guitarist Abel, tabla player Lala and the percussionist Bondo.
Remo recorded his maiden album ''Goan Crazy'' (in 1984) and a subsequent album ''
Old Goan Gold
''Old Goan Gold'' is a music album by Remo Fernandes and released in 1985. It consists of songs in Konkani and Portuguese. Alisha Chinai has also performed in the album.
The album, which was released on Remo's own record label, Goana Records, co ...
'' (in 1985) on a four-track cassette TEAC
Portastudio
The TASCAM Portastudio was the first four-track recorder based on a standard compact audio cassette tape. The term ''portastudio'' is exclusive to TASCAM, though it is generally used to describe all self-contained cassette-based multitrack rec ...
recorder in his home under the banner of 'Goana Records'. In these albums he played all the instruments, sang all voices, and was the only composer of its music and lyrics. He engineered the recording and mixing and designed the album covers. He had cassettes produced in Mumbai and personally went about distributing the cassettes from shop to shop in Goa with an illustrated book of poems he wrote (called ''Leads''), and postcards and T-shirts he designed.
1986–1994: ''Pack That Smack'', concerts, ''Jalwa'', subsequent successes and marriage
After releasing his first hit album ''Pack That Smack'' in 1986 and ''Bombay City'' the next year, he became the highest-selling English rock musician in India and the only one in the country to be awarded Gold Discs for this category.
''Pack That Smack'' was his first album to be released by a national record company,
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
. This was an anti-drugs themed album, especially against addiction to
heroin
Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...
, which contained songs such as "Just a Hippie" and "Down with Brown", as well as asocio-political satire titled "Mr Minister", a nursery rhyme-styled song on politician who went to sleep once elected to power; and "So Wie Du''",'' a recording of an award-winning live performance of his from the Dresden Song Competition. ''Bombay City'' contained hits such as "Against you/Against me", "Ocean Queen" and a hilarious take on the condition of telephone services in India, "Ode to Graham Bell".
Later in 1986, he was invited to play at an official government function in Goa for the Indian Prime Minister
Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi (; 20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991) was an Indian politician who served as the sixth prime minister of India from 1984 to 1989. He took office after the 1984 assassination of his mother, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, to beco ...
, who was visiting. There he sang a song titled "Hello Rajiv Gandhi", which spoke about the hurried completion of
Kala Academy
Kala Academy (Academy of the Arts) is a prominent cultural centre run by the Government of Goa, in Goa, India. Situated at Campal, Panjim
Panaji (; also known as Panjim) is the capital of the Indian state of Goa and the headquarters of ...
just before Prime Minister Gandhi's arrival, and requested Gandhi to visit Goa repeatedly to increase the speed of other construction work. The song caused an uproar in the local press and subsequently in the national press. Remo mailed these critical press clippings to the Prime Minister, who immediately replied saying that he and his wife
Sonia
Sonia, Sonja or Sonya, a name of Greek origin meaning wisdom, may refer to:
People
* Sonia (name), a feminine given name (lists people named, Sonia, Sonja and Sonya)
:* Sonia (actress), Indian film actress in Malayalam and Tamil films
:* Sonia ...
had loved the song and had found nothing objectionable in it. This letter, together with the whole story in pictures, was published in many publications in the country.
Later the same year, Remo sang in Bombay at a concert called Aid Bhopal, aimed at raising funds for victims of the
Bhopal gas tragedy
The Bhopal disaster, also referred to as the Bhopal gas tragedy, was a chemical accident on the night of 2–3 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. Considered the world's w ...
, in which he sang two of his songs, "Pack that Smack" and "Ode to Graham Bell". To his surprise, both his songs were televised by
Doordarshan
Doordarshan (abbreviated as DD; Hindi: , ) is an Indian public service broadcaster founded by the Government of India, owned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one of Prasar Bharati's two divisions. One of India's largest bro ...
, the government-controlled TV channel in India, on four successive Sundays at prime time.
He composed and performed music for ''
Trikal
Trikal (Past, Present and Future) is a 1985 Indian movie written and directed by Shyam Benegal, set in Goa during the twilight of Portuguese rule, It marked the return of Leela Naidu in her first film appearance since 1969.
The film was selec ...
'' by
Shyam Benegal
Shyam Benegal (born 14 December 1934) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and documentary filmmaker. Often regarded as the pioneer of parallel cinema, he is widely considered as one of the greatest filmmakers post 1970s. He has received ...
. In April 1986, he composed and performed the title song for the movie ''
Jalwa
''Jalwa'' is a 1987 Indian Hindi-language action film directed by Pankaj Parashar and produced by Gul Anand. The film stars Naseeruddin Shah and Archana Puran Singh in the title roles. The film is set in Goa, where it was mostly shot. The film ...
'', which was released in 1987. This 15-minute song made him instantly famous due to the popularity of
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
cinema and of the
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
language.
![Remo performing during Konkani Projecho Awaj in 1987](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Remo_performing_during_Konkani_Projecho_Awaj_in_1987.jpg)
He played music on the streets during the
Konkani language agitation
The Konkani language agitations were a series of protests and demonstrations in India, concerning the uncertain future and the official status of the Konkani language. They were held by Goans in the then union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu g ...
of 1986, spreading a message of peace to the violent protestors.
When invited to attend international music festivals and concerts, Remo again started travelling around the world. His first international event was at the 1986 Dresden International Song Competition in former
East Germany
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
. There he won three awards, the Press Critics Award, the Audience Favorite Award, and the overall Second Prize.
He once represented India, when it was invited, in the
Tokyo Music Festival
The Tokyo Music Festival was an international music contest that ran from 1972 to 1992. It was organized by the Tokyo Music Festival Association. The first edition of the Tokyo Music Festival took place on 13 May 1972 with 12 participating countri ...
. He also took part in the MIDEM '96 Music Festival in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
, Festival of India in the
USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
, besides Festivals in
Macau
Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...
, Germany,
Seychelles
Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, V ...
,
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
and
Mauritius
Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...
.
During a 1987 trip to
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
, Remo visited
Mother Teresa
Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu, MC (; 26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), better known as Mother Teresa ( sq, Nënë Tereza), was an Indian-Albanian Catholic nun who, in 1950, founded the Missionaries of Charity. Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu () was bo ...
as he was stuck for a day in the city. She managed to influence him deeply and he wrote the songs "Take Me to Calcutta" and "Welcome My Child" on the flight back home.
He had initially planned to release an album dedicated to her in 1990, with the tentative title of ''That Lady in Calcutta''.
However, these plans never came to fruition till 2019.
Around this time Remo married Frenchwoman Michele Delahaye, with whom he has two sons, Noah and Jonah. He has an ancestral home in the village of
Siolim
Siolim () is a village in Bardez taluka, and a census town on the central west coast of India, in the North Goa district of Goa. The 2001 population was 10,311, and 10,936 in 2011. Siolim is also the name of a constituency in the Goa assembly, ...
, in
Bardez
''Bardez'' ( kok, Bardes; pt, Bardes; IPA: ) is a ''taluka'' of the North Goa district in the Indian state of Goa. It was a ''concelho'' in the Portuguese State of India before 1961.
Etymology
The name is credited to the Saraswat Br ...
taluka of
Goa
Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...
, where they all lived.
Remo and Michele later separated.
The next album he released in 1992 with
Magnasound
Magnasound was an Indian record company that specialized in Indian classical music, Indian rock and Indipop. It was distributed by OMI Music Inc. Shashi Gopal was the managing director of Magnasound.
History
Shashi Gopal founded Magnasound in ...
was titled ''Politicians Don't Know to Rock'n'Roll''. Released in the backdrop of
communal violence spreading in India, events such as the
assassination of Rajiv Gandhi
The assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India, occurred as a result of a suicide bombing in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu, India on 21 May 1991. At least 14 others, in addition to Rajiv Gandhi, were killed. It was carrie ...
and the destruction of the
Babri Masjid mosque in
Ayodhya
Ayodhya (; ) is a city situated on the banks of holy river Saryu in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Ayodhya, also known as Sāketa, Saketa, is an ancient city of India, the birthplace of Rama and ...
, the album expressed the political tension of the time. It included songs such as "Don't kick up the Rao''"'', about the then Prime Minister
P. V. Narasimha Rao
Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao (28 June 1921 – 23 December 2004) was an Indian lawyer, statesman and politician who served as the 9th prime minister of India from 1991 to 1996. He is known for introducing various liberal reforms to Indi ...
, along with a song for India, "How does it feel?''"'' and a song about
safe sex
Safe sex is sexual activity using methods or contraceptive devices (such as condoms) to reduce the risk of transmitting or acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs), especially HIV. "Safe sex" is also sometimes referred to as safer se ...
titled "Everybody wants to".
1995–2000: Playback singing, advertisements and collaborations
In 1995, Remo finally moved into
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
pop and film music to become a playback singer, by teaming up with the director
Mani Ratnam
Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and few Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films. Ratnam has won six Nat ...
and composer
A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman (; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967) is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer and songwriter, popular for his works in Indian cinema; predominantly in Tamil and Hindi films, with occasional forays in int ...
. He sang the song "
Humma Humma
Antha Arabic Kadaloram () is a 1995 Indian Tamil language song composed by A. R. Rahman for the romantic drama film ''Bombay'' (1995) by Mani Ratnam. It was remade by Tanishk Bagchi & Badshah as "The Humma Song" (also known as "Ek Ho Gaye Hu ...
" in the Hindi dubbed of Tamil film
''Bombay''. The song went on to earn Remo a Double Platinum. "Huiya Ho" was the next hit he composed for the film ''
Khamoshi: The Musical'' which was released in 1996.
In 1995, during the
Channel V
Channel '' ("V" standing for the letter, not the Roman numeral "5") is a Chinese and former Asian pay television musical network originally launched by Star TV Hong Kong (now Fox Networks Group Asia Pacific). It was part of the unit of Disney ...
Music Awards, Remo, on a bass guitar, and
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
's
Roger Taylor Roger Taylor may refer to:
*Roger Taylor (Queen drummer) (born 1949), drummer for Queen
*Roger Taylor (Duran Duran drummer) (born 1960), drummer for Duran Duran
*Roger Taylor (author), author of epic fantasy Hawklan series
*Roger Taylor (college pr ...
on drums, played with
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
band members,
Jimmy Page
James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...
and
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the English rock band Led Zeppelin for all of its existence from 1968 until 1980, when the band broke up following the ...
.
When
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961.
History
Pepsi was ...
entered Indian markets in the 1990s as Leher Pepsi, they signed Remo for an endorsement deal and got him to star in their first two launch
ad films. He also advertised for
Raymonds.
In February 2005, Remo collaborated with
Jethro Tull along with renowned Indian percussionist
Sivamani
Sivamani (1 December 1959), commonly known by his stage name Drums Sivamani, is an Indian percussionist. He plays many instruments including drums, octoban, darbuka, udukai, ghatam and kanjira. He performed drumming during the IPL Championship ...
for a concert held in
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
. They performed tracks such as "
Mother Goose
The figure of Mother Goose is the imaginary author of a collection of French fairy tales and later of English nursery rhymes. As a character, she appeared in a song, the first stanza of which often functions now as a nursery rhyme. This, howeve ...
", "
Locomotive Breath
"Locomotive Breath" is a song by British progressive rock band Jethro Tull from their 1971 album, '' Aqualung''.
Written as a comment on population growth, "Locomotive Breath" was meant to replicate the chugging rhythm of a train. In addition to ...
", and Remo's now very famous Flute Kick also informally called "the flute song". Jethro Tull also backed Remo as he sang his own "Bombay City" and "Maria Pita Che".
Remo has long participated in and promoted a local festival called the ''
Siolim
Siolim () is a village in Bardez taluka, and a census town on the central west coast of India, in the North Goa district of Goa. The 2001 population was 10,311, and 10,936 in 2011. Siolim is also the name of a constituency in the Goa assembly, ...
Zagor''.
2001–2009: Microwave Papadums accident, its impact, reunion concert and subsequent projects
In 2001, three Microwave Papadums band members, Dharamedra Hirve, Selwyn Pereira and Victor Alvares, along with Remo's personal assistant Sunil Redkar, were killed in a road accident in
Kanpur
Kanpur or Cawnpore ( /kɑːnˈpʊər/ pronunciation (help·info)) is an industrial city in the central-western part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Founded in 1207, Kanpur became one of the most important commercial and military stations o ...
after a concert there. Remo was devastated and stayed away from music and performances for a year.
In 2002, Remo released two albums, ''Symphonic Chants'' and ''India Beyond''.
Tracks from ''India Beyond'' were signed to and released by Buddha Bar, Paris, France, and Opium Garden,
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
, USA. In India these albums went unnoticed.
In 2003, on his 50th birthday, Remo held a reunion concert in Goa with many of his former bands; The Beat 4, Indiana, and The Savages, besides friends like The Valadares Sisters and Lucio Miranda. It was a 4-hour concert attended by 25,000 people.
In 2007, Remo released the album ''Muchacha Latina''. For the title song he scripted, directed and edited the music video himself.
In January the same year, he was conferred the
Padma Shri
Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...
by the Indian government. He refused an award conferred by the Goa government's Department of Art and Culture later that year. He was then awarded the Karamveer Puraskar by a group of Delhi-based
NGO
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
s later that year for the social messages and the impact of his works.
2010–2014: Music close to his heart and political career
From then on, Remo made songs which were closest to his heart right from the start: socio-political comments and critiques, exposing corruption, communalism and other evils in India, and motivating people against them. He distributed these songs on the Internet for free, together with their music videos. Once again, they were scripted, directed and edited by him. The most memorable of these are "India, I Cry" (2009), "India Against Corruption" (in support of the 2011
Anna Hazare
Kisan Baburao "Anna" Hazare (; born 15 June 1937) is an Indian social activist who led movements to promote rural development, increase government transparency, and investigate and punish corruption in public life. In addition to organising an ...
movement of the same name), and "Vote: Tit for Tat".
In 2011, Remo was approached by the
Election Commission of India
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is a constitutional body. It was established by the Constitution of India to conduct and regulate elections in the country. Article 324 of the Constitution provides that the power of superintendence, di ...
to be their 'Youth Icon for Ethical Voting' in Goa. "Vote: Tit for Tat" was composed to encourage the Goans to vote out corrupt ministers. Later that year, Remo sang a song for a new film, ''
David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
'', by Bejoy Nambiar (maker of the 2010 film
''Shaitan''). This marked his return to Bollywood playback singing.
Remo was later seen working on three personal albums, one of them being a re-recording of his very first ''Goan Crazy!'', in 2013.
He later gave his tunes and voice to the title track of ''
Luv U Soniyo
''Luv U Soniyo'' () is a 2013 Hindi romance film directed by Joe Rajan and produced by Viacom 18, Harsh Jain Beena Hemanshu Mehta and Joe Rajan. Creative Producers – Gautam Buragohain, Shivkumar Parthasarathy. Cinematography by Kalpesh Bh ...
'' which released on 26 July 2013.
In December 2013, he signed up as a member of
Aam Aadmi Party
The Aam Aadmi Party (; AAP) is a political party in India, as one of the national political parties. The AAP was founded in November 2012 by Arvind Kejriwal and his then-companions following the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement, popular ...
, a political party, for Goa constituency.
He wrote a jingle for their campaign for the
2014 Indian general election
General elections were held in India in nine phases from 7 April to 12 May 2014 to elect the members of the 16th Lok Sabha. With 834 million registered voters, they were the largest-ever elections in the world until being surpassed by the 2019 ...
, but announced that he had left politics by March 2014.
2015–Present: Acting debut, son's incident, move to Portugal and subsequent projects
Remo appeared in the 2015
Anurag Kashyap
Anurag Kashyap (born 10 September 1972) is an Indian filmmaker and actor known for his works in Hindi cinema. He is the recipient of several accolades, including four Filmfare Awards. For his contributions to film, the Government of France a ...
film ''
Bombay Velvet'' as a Portuguese nobleman, marking his debut in acting. While he had previously appeared in films (singing his own songs), this was his first speaking role.
In 2015, he was involved in a case of the alleged verbal abuse of a young girl recovering in
Goa Medical College
Goa Medical College (GMC) is a government medical college and hospital in Goa, India. It is one of the oldest medical colleges in Asia.
It is currently an organic institution of the Goa University (GU), being its oldest unit.
History
Since ...
after she was allegedly hit by a car driven by his son, Jonah. The girl was walking towards
Old Goa
Old Goa ( Konkani: ; pt, Velha Goa, translation='Old Goa') is a historical site and city situated on the southern banks of the River Mandovi, within the Tiswadi ''taluka'' (''Ilhas'') of North Goa district, in the Indian state of Goa.
The ci ...
to complete her vow to
St Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; Latin: ''Franciscus Xaverius''; Basque: ''Frantzisko Xabierkoa''; French: ''François Xavier''; Spanish: ''Francisco Javier''; Portuguese: ''Francisco Xavier''; 7 April 15063 December ...
when the accident occurred. In 2018, the Goa Children's Court acquitted him after finding that there was "no consistency between the testimonies" of lawyer Aires Rodrigues and the alleged victim. The resulting investigation, however, revealed that Remo had long since been a Portuguese citizen, possibly even when he was awarded the Padma Shri.
By 2016, Remo had resettled to
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
. In 2019, he began working on his memoirs and on a concept album, ''Teresa and the Slum Bum'', reminiscing his time spent with Mother Teresa in 1987. An
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
featuring 26 songs and two instrumental pieces, it presents
pro bono
( en, 'for the public good'), usually shortened to , is a Latin phrase for professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment. In the United States, the term typically refers to provision of legal services by legal professionals for pe ...
works by 35 singers from Europe, USA and India. Remo has played all instruments himself.
Fleur Anne Dias is one singer who will be crooning in a song dedicated to Mother Teresa. Remo plans to
crowdfund
Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and alternative finance. In 2015, over was raised worldwide by crow ...
to cover the expenses of producing the album.
The album was initially slated for a 2020 release with the tentative title of ''That Lady in Calcutta''.
Discography
Studio albums
* ''Ode to the Messiah'' (with The Savages, 1975)
* ''Rock Synergie'' (Paris, 1980)
* ''Venus and the Moon'' (Netherlands, 1981)
* ''Goan Crazy!'' (1984)
* ''Old Goan Gold'' (1985)
* ''Pack That Smack'' (1986)
* ''Bombay City'' (1987)
* ''Politicians Don't Know to Rock'n'Roll'' (1992)
* ''O, Meri Munni'' (with his band Microwave Papadums, 1998)
* ''Symphonic Chants'' (2002)
* ''India Beyond'' (2002)
* ''Muchacha Latina'' (2007)
* ''Teresa and the Slum Bum'' (2019)
Singles
* "Flute Kick (The Flute Song)"
* "Hello Rajiv Gandhi"
* "Ode to Graham Bell"
* "Take Me to Calcutta"
* "Welcome My Child"
* "Bombay City"
* "Maria Pita Che"
* "India, I Cry"
* "Cyber Viber"
* "India Against Corruption"
* "Vote: Tit for Tat"
Soundtracks
Filmography
Awards
* Press Critics Award, Audience Favorite Award, and overall Second Prize at Dresden International Song Competition. (1986)
*
Padma Shri
Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...
by Indian Government. (2007)
* Karmaveer Puraskaar by Delhi-based NGOs. (2007)
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernandes, Remo
1953 births
Living people
Singers from Goa
People from Panaji
Konkani-language singers
Indian male playback singers
Indian male pop singers
Indian pop composers
Indian rock musicians
Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts
Male actors in Telugu cinema
Male actors in Hindi cinema