Lorna Cordeiro, known :wikt:Mononym|Mononymously as Lorna, is a Konkani language singer from the coastal state of Goa, India, and is popularly known as the "Nightingale of Goa".
Early life
Lorna was born in Saligao, Goa on 9 August 1944 to Cecelia and Teofilo Cordeiro, the third child born in a family of three boys and three girls. Her siblings were Elvino, Albert, Jean, Oscar, Salvador and Clementine. Her sister Jean was also a crooner in a different band. Their ancestral house in Saligao is in Tabravaddo; the family would often visit after they moved to Bombay. Lorna belongs to the Goan Catholic community; Fr. Nascimento Mascarenhas, their immediate neighbour in Goa, recalls being very impressed by the family's singing of Konkani hymns after the night Rosary. Lorna recalled how as a young girl another Parsi neighbour in Mumbai would clap and gift her four annas, whenever he heard her sing along with the radio. "My girl, one day you'll be a big singer," he'd often say. Lorna's father Teofilo, came from a family of musicians and he always encouraged his children in music and to speak Konkani at home. Her mother, Cecelia, died on 4 March 2002, a month after her 89th birthday.
Career
Initial career (1960–1973)
Lorna's singing career began by singing at weddings as part of a band called 'Bajaj and his Dance Band'. She was recognized by singer Raymond Albuquerque, who first heard her sing "Where The Boys Are" on Marvé Beach. He then invited her to sing "Under the Mango Tree" from Dr. No with his band at the Bandra fair. This performance impressed Chris Perry, who was in the audience and had been looking for a crooner. After an audition, she began singing for Perry's band at the age of 15 and continued with them until she turned 26. He thus helped her launch her career and she regards him as her guru. She was a popular jazz singer in nightclubs and star hotels in Mumbai, Calcutta, Madras, Delhi and Bangalore. Later, she sang songs composed / arranged by Chris Perry. Lorna's first song was "Bebdo", which she performed on Miramar Beach, Goa, shocking the crowd with a song of this type in Konkani. She soon became well-known for her other songs, such as "Nachomia Kumpasar", "Pisso", "Red Rose", "Lisboa", "Adeus", "Tuzo Mog", "Noxibak Roddttam", "Abghat", "Calangute", "Aik Re Khobrankara", "Sorga Rajeant", "Pavsachea Tempar", "Amerikak Pavxi", "Sorg Tujea Dolleamni", "Tum Ani Hanv", "Ugddas" and "Mhoji Mai". She became so popular that the public started demanding just her solo performances from Perry, who bound her by contract to not perform with anyone else for twenty years. She subsequently left music for a period of 23 years after a disagreement with him when she was 26 years old.
Comeback and other projects (1995–present)
In 1995, music director Ronnie Monseratte, who had been a part of Perry's band, managed to convince her to sing again. After a year of hesitation, she agreed to perform in a concert titled 'Hello Lorna', which was directed by Monseratte. However, on the day of the first show at Miramar Beach, on 1 December 1995, Perry came to the venue and showed the media the contract that she had signed to not sing with anyone else and threatened legal proceedings. After hiring new musicians, the concert began with Lorna performing "Aikat Mazo Tavlo". The concert's songs were released in a 1996 album of the same name. In her illustrious career, Lorna has sung for many great Bollywood music directors such as Bappi Lahiri, Kalyanji-Anandji, Laxmikant–Pyarelal and Rajesh Roshan. She has even sung alongside Mohammed Rafi and Sudesh Bhosle. After her comeback, she has performed in countries of the Middle East like Dubai, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain and even in parts of Europe like London. She is seen performing in the 2004 Konkani film Aleesha, and the 2019 Konkani musical film, Kantaar, features Lorna singing some jazz songs.
In popular culture
Films
Bombay Velvet, the Bollywood film, is set in the 1960s and Lorna's voice was inspirational to Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma. Anurag Kashyap says that Anushka's character is a tribute to Lorna.
Nachom-ia Kumpasar, is a Konkani film. It is based on the lives of jazz musicians Chris Perry and Lorna. The film takes its title from the name of a song by the two artists. The story is told through over 20 popular Konkani songs from the 1960s and 1970s that have been re-recorded for this film. It is set in the 1960s and is a tribute to the 'unsung' Konkani musicians of that era.
Advertisements
An international ad campaign by Nike for its cricket equipment featured a Konkani song "Rav Patrao Rav", sung by Ella Castellino, based on the song "Bebdo" as the theme music. The lyrics to the new song were written by Agnello Dias and it was recomposed by Ram Sampath. Lorna inaugurated "The Goan Sip" packaged drinking water. She appears in the advertisement campaign video singing in the tune of "Tuzo Mog".
Awards and accolades
In 1997, she was awarded the title of Best Female Singer in Mumbai, alongside Alfred Rose, who won the title of Best Male Singer
In 2015, Lorna was presented with a Lifetime Achievement award at the "Film, Food, Fashion Festival", by Vishnu Wagh, then MLA and Vice-Chairman of Entertainment Society of Goa.
In 2018, she was awarded the Krutadnyata Puraskar at the 11th Goa Marathi Film Festival, held at Kala Academy.
Lorna was in a brief relationship with Chris Perry while they were both working together. However, after their disagreement on her 27th birthday, in 1973, she did not perform for nearly 23 years, mainly because Perry would threaten or even strike anyone who would approach her to sing. This extended to any possible suitors, too. She began working as a compounder in a dentist's clinic, and was a victim of alcohol abuse before Ronnie Monserrate convinced her to start singing again in 1995. She now lives in Dhobitalao, Mumbai.
