I have been writing about Goan events in Kuwait – football, dances, festivals, films, dramas, etc, or whatever requested or involved with, ever since I stepped foot in Kuwait some 20 years back.
Some of my news articles are splashed all over the internet and archived on my website: https://gaspersworld.blogspot.com/
I do like to chip in whenever called for.
Interestingly, the other day, my social-media alerts started to go off like a popcorn machine, and my WhatsApp messages got flooded.
The breaking news was: KUWAIT STOPS MUSICAL SHOWS & CONCERTS!
Is that true? Everyone wanted to know.
Well, Kuwait has almost zero or little entertainment in recent times; competitive football too is almost dead since Covid.
Only the dramas had just begun to take centre-stage. Last September everyone enjoyed an entertaining drama by a London starcast.
This month, Maestro Shahu Almeida was all set to stage his annual musical show on 20th Oct 2023 when the unwelcome headlines broke out.
The suspension of musical events is indefinite. It was in view of Kuwait’s solidarity with the Palestine people in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
A lot of events of all nationalities, including one huge festival by Mangaloreans’ TuluKoota-Kuwait was canceled on Friday 13th Oct.
WHAT DO GOANS GOT TO DO WITH ISRAEL?
I was part of Shahu’s show, that’s one reason people think I could have all news on the fate of the show.
But I observed, people who were most
interested in knowing the status were those who never showed any interest
before; even being the first to spread the news instead of showing solidarity
towards our own Goan cause.
I am not like some dumb ass who can just ignore or block nasty messages or rude comments. It was time to answer or play defense. Why give some haters extra repositories for their bile?
I messaged jokes about the situation, to let them know that there is one thing they cannot cancel — is my sense of humor.
Given the social media attention, some suggested, if there is NO PEACE between Israel-Palestine, the debacle could ‘blow-up’ the entire Middle East, and chances of having any shows in future was gonna be bleak.
I do not know about that.
What I do know is that I like to stand for what I believe is right -- to support any PEACE concerning our own Goan causes.
For me, it has always been: RIGHT IS RIGHT, WRONG IS WRONG.
A lot of bad blood is seen flowing from Kuwait lately similar to Israel and the Hamas. And there seems to be a shortage of peacemakers among us or anyone having marbles to condemn inhuman acts.
Also, it looks like, living in
hatred, is part of some people’s lives which is being openly observed by
everyone throughout the world – and proves who the buffoons are among us.
CAUSES & DAMAGES
Canceling a show can cause huge damages – morally as well as monetarily, this could happen to any organizer; any director.
In Kuwait, it last happened to director Fidelis Fernandes when the latter’s show organized by Goa Maroons was canceled due to the onset of Covid in February 2020.
No one is greater than any showpiece on earth.
A show, a drama, or mega events can be canceled in Kuwait or elsewhere, but that’s not the end of the world.
There will be plenty of shows in future. The show must go on.