‘Make your passion your profession’

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A prominent face in the world of pop and rock music of the ‘90s, Remo Fernandes seemed to be away from the spotlight for a long time till he composed Maria Pitache from the film David. While the film may not have fared too well, Remo’s tunes with their Goan flavours seemed to recreate the veteran’s magic on screen once again.

“Not Goan, Portuguese,” he is quick to correct us. “The essence of the music is very similar because the influences overlap. But this song in particular has Portuguese influences from Daman and not Konkani from Goa,” he points out.
As someone who has never conformed to popular stereotypes, Remo admits that he has always strived to create independent music with a non-Bollywood soul. “My songs have always conveyed a social message. What inspires me most are the evils that plague society like drugs, corruption etc,” he says.
Reminiscing a memorable incident he adds, “When I released my album Pack That Smack that dealt with the issue of substance abuse, I received a letter from a father saying he had given up smoking after he listened to my songs being played in his son’s room. It made him guilty of setting a wrong example for his son and he kicked the butt since that day. It was probably one of the most rewarding moments of my life,” he says.
He is happy that people all over the world have become more open to new music. Not a big fan of the techno-era he adds, “It’s a byproduct of a mechanical lifestyle. I cannot relax to tense beats — 120, 140 beats per minute. For me it’s about sitting under the starry Goan skies with a guitar, flute or a bongo.”