Roz Angon (Rose Garden) – A small courtyard at the center of old houses in the Konkan region of India, that brought air, sunlight, and a rose garden into the home.

I believe the language that you learn first determines how you perceive the world. Growing up in Goa in the early 90’s, Konkani was that window I saw the world from. I partially forgot about that for a decade, when I lived in Bombay.

The irresistible urge for nostalgia, made me revisit and deconstruct the tunes I heard as a kid, on the radio. An attempt to recreate that warmth I felt, growing up in Goa in the 90’s.

Interestingly, the songs that have been reimagined, are mostly from the 60’s and the 70’s. Some from popular Konkani pop albums by Chris Perry, and some from iconic Konkani films, such as Nirmon, Amchem Noxib and others.

Roz Angon evokes that nostalgia, with a tinge of melancholy, for the fear of losing it all.

At a philosophical level, it’s an attempt to address the ails of a briskly changing landscape and culture of Goa, to initiate a discussion of loss of the ‘Goan’ identity in the form of language, food, the people, and its flora and fauna

Sonically, Roz Angon is bridging the gap between tradition and modern sound.

While retaining most of the original lyrics, everything around it, including the harmony and rhythm shapeshifts, to deliver a unique, adventurous, and yet, a warm, soothing sound. The horn section acts like a warm blanket, while the guitar and vocal effects lay a bed of almost psychedelic, open-ended charm. The contemporary drums and bass blend in perfectly to create a thick, solid sound, that aims at keeping the best of both worlds.

Founder and composer Jose Neil Gomes is a Goa born and bred multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, composer and music producer.

As a touring musician, in the last decade or so, he has regularly traveled and performed across the globe, with critically acclaimed Indian artistes such as Kailash Kher, Sunidhi Chauhan, Rajakumari and others. He has played at prestigious venues such as Royal Albert Hall, Nokia Theater, Hollywood Bowl, O2 Arena, Apollo Hammersmith, amongst others.

On the international stage, he has toured with Grammy award winning French trumpeter- Erik Truffaz, and also accompanied Juno Reactor (Makers of the soundtrack of Matrix trilogy), on their India tour. He has also featured in numerous popular music TV shows such as Coke Studio, MTV Unplugged, Soundtrek, amongst others.