No matter what the occasion is, live bands bring a vibe to the venue that can’t be matched with anything else. They make hearts pound, feet tap, and arms sway. People get an opportunity to get the adrenaline rush, come together, and enjoy singing, dancing to the same melody. What better place to dance than in Goa where the love for music is flourishing? Here are some popular bands in the State that can make everyone move to the groove.
Text: Sheryl Gonsalves
True Blue
“Being part of a band is the best job in the world. We love what we do and are paid to have fun. The band mates are a huge added bonus with their funny and caring personalities.”
True Blue
True Blue is known for their wonderful, energetic performances. They first started in the year 2013, and now perform in Goa as well as other international countries such as Oman, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Singapore, and Macau (China). In Goa, they play at the most popular pubs & clubs.
The band is very versatile as they produce fantastic tunes at all kinds of events such as weddings, sangeets, corporate events, music festivals, pub gigs, campus fests, etc. Needless to say, they are well equipped with all genres. Their focus is on English, Hindi, Portuguese and Spanish music. The genres they perform are pop, rock, ballads, retro, ballroom, funk, reggaeton, reggae, EDM, and acoustic.
“We are a team and we love doing what we do together.”
A26
Formed over a decade ago, this band is super popular in Goa as well as other countries like Denmark, UK, Croatia, Poland, Thailand, Kenya – Africa, Maldives, Dubai, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Oman and Bahrain.
This sophisticated group can satisfy everyone’s musical wants. If you want to see them perform, head over to Cohiba and Copa Cabana. They do a lot a genres that include classic rock, retro pop, new age dance music jazz and Bollywood. The band plays for weddings, dances, concerts, corporate launches and corporate parties. What brought them together was their love for music and the aim to become one of the best dance bands.
Members/ Instruments: Lester Rodrigues (founder, lead singer and manager),
Chrystal Farrell (lead singer), Alfin Fernandes (keyboards and trumpet), Joe Pereira (drums), Marwino Dcosta (bass and flute), Grayston Vaz (lead guitar), Ignatius Rodrigues (keyboard), Keenan Gomes (tech and sound engineer)
Groove Dakshina
“Each one of us brings a different skill and a different approach to what we do – the collaborative effort makes the outcomes very interesting.”
Groove Dakshina
Groove Dakshina is a Bollywood Improv band. Bollywood music brings a different kind of hype to an occasion. It amps up the energy with catchy melodies that are hard to forget and entices people’s hips to sway to the rhythm and let loose.
The band plays big Bollywood hits, largely retro and 90s, in groovy western styles such as jazz, reggae, rock, Latin, etc. They give a unique, modern, and contemporary twist to Hindi hit songs which leads to distinctive tunes. Currently, they play every Saturday at Kismoor, Sangloda and also perform at different venues, corporate functions, weddings, birthdays & anniversaries.
“What we like about being in a band is that we get to do what we love (i.e. perform). We love the hustle life and the adrenaline rush that comes with it.”
K7
This group of youngsters came together in 2015 and since then, till this day, they have been setting dance floors on fire. The K7 band regularly performs at Aura Cafe (Vagator), Cafe Jazz (Candolim), Mikey’s Place (Candolim), Oktoberfest, Inception (GIM), Summer Shred, Goan/ destination weddings, and corporate shows.
They play different genres of music right from retro English to pop, funk, Bollywood, disco, reggae, jive, pop rock, and Konkani songs. This is what made them rise in popularity as they are a good choice for any occasion. The band radiates enthusiasm and energy which spreads to the crowds.
“All of us band members are like a family. So we love being part of a band.”
The Rockers Bollywood Band
These musicians fantastically belt out Bollywood songs – fast tracks for energetic dance moves and slow romantic songs to get the best of both worlds. They also perform Bollywood Sufi music that needs a lot of training and voice flexibility. Other genres this group dabbles in are pop music, jazz, funk, reggae, and so on.
Since the year 2008, they’ve been doing live stage performances for different occasions like Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, Dussehra, Holi and many more, in various places in Goa. This talented band also performs at hotel shows for corporate events and weddings in and out of the State.
Members/ Instruments: Laxman Naik (lead male vocals), Karishma Chari (lead female vocals), Deepak Sawant (drums), Ashish Raikar (keyboard), Sanam Cochkar (percussion), Antonio Dias (bass guitar)
For us at Planet-Goa, our team is driven by that feeling of exhilaration that one gets when discovering that something ‘unique’ and ‘new’ about Goa for our ever-so-discerning readers.
