All Girl Vocal Group ‘Vocal Rush’ Rocks Mangalore Club Christmas Gala 2016
Mangaluru: Yes, It’s that time of the year once again, where one of the most-awaited holiday seasons is around the corner. The time for merriment, delicious treats and presents. The time when the Christmas tree comes out, where decorating and putting gifts under the tree is a family affair! It’s more than just a day, it is a reason for everyone to come together. And its also a time when Mangalore Club hosts its prestigious “Christmas Gala” to celebrate the festival together and have loads of fun, music, dance, fashion show, Christmas Bazaar, games, food, drinks and a whole lot more. And this year a All Girl Vocal Group called “Vocal Rush” had their first gig at the Club, rocking the evening with Christmas carols, rock, pop and dance numbers.
City’s pioneer club-Mangalore Club ushered in the Christmas spirit with “Christmas Gala 2016″celebrations at their premises with fun, food, music, games and Santa Claus on Sunday, 11 December! The essence of Christmas came alive with Mangalore Club partnering with couple of organizations like Mangalore Ladies Circle-82 (associated with Mangalore Round Table- 115), Mangalore Cheshire Home, among other private firms in arranging a Christmas Bazaar, where lots of goodies and savouries related to the Holiday season were for sale. And comperes of the night-Luvlyn D’Souza and Sanchia Nazareth hosted the entire gala, very professionally with few witty punchlines, also interacting with the crowd with impromptu music and games. With all this action packed in, the gala extended beyond the curfew time had to end on a high note.
The Christmas Bazaar saw a bunch of stalls offering deals which the buyers could not resist. One stall named “Somethings Cooking” run by Chef Nicola Kulkarni served Goan food like Goan Sorpotel, Cafreal, Roulade, Xacuti, pickles and other Goan snacks-only thing missing was the “Feni?”. From Christmas decorations to Christmas trees, to other Christmas related items- they were all in plenty and the shoppers had a nice time picking their favorite item for very reasonable prices. The stalls by Mangalore Ladies Circle-82 and Mangalore Cheshire Home sold Christmas items to raise money for a good cause- and many patronized these two stalls all for the love of the less fortunate and the needy.
The All Girl Vocal group “Vocal Rush” comprising of young lasses namely Merula Pinto, Nichelle Monteiro, Natasha Coelho, Apeksha Palanna, Riya Benny and Audette Moreira, with musicians support from Calvin Menezes on drums, Jovith Tellis on Guitar and Saurav Rebello on Keyboards, and Matilda Pinto as Team Manager, launched their first gig at Mangalore Club, rendering some popular Christmas carols, pop, rock, and country music which enthralled the crowd, and even called for encores. Guest appearance by Deeraj D’Costa and Leanne Pais, who with their high pitched voice sang Christmas number” Oh Holy Night”, stole the hears of the audience.
The most amazing and entertaining part of the celebration was the Fashion Show choreographed by Rajni Lobo Patrao and Ramona Mathias, depicting the 12 spirits of Christmas. Oh the spirits of Christmas…Well now let’s see…there’s gin, vodka, rum, whisky and of course every one’s favourite spirit is champagne! Oh…not that kind spirit…though we must admit that too is a big part of Christmas…and a fun part too. It’s CHRISTMAS TIME…that exciting, mad, absolutely thrilling time of year. And Christmas just means different things to different people….and this fashion show tonight depicted the various moods of Christmas…
First to come on the Fashion Show ramp was Mrs Santa Claus – Its Christmas time and the ladies are getting ready preparing for Christmas….so much planning, even months before the actual date, Making the Christmas cake and wine…soaking the grapes, squashing the grapes, everything revolves around getting the house, the children and even the husband ready for Christmas and let’s face it….without women there would be no Christmas…If Christmas were left to the men, there would be no cakes, no kuswar, no tree, no decoration, none of that fuss….there’d just be beer and chips..Isn’t it? So to all the ‘Mrs Santa Clauses’ out there who really make Christmas so special…the stylish Mrs Clauses dressed in red and white adorned with a Chefs Hats and accompanied by the ‘sometimes naughty and sometimes nice’ little elf…walked the ramp and stole the show with loud applaud from the crowd.
Following close on their heels were the Selfie Elfies – It’s Christmas time, a time to create beautiful memories…Sorry, not memories, instead beautiful Selfies! In earlier days youngsters used to be attached to their parents or their friends…nowadays, the youngsters come with a permanent attachment which is an extension of their own arm and it’s called a selfie stick. And it’s most prominent at Christmas time, when you’ll spot all Happy Selfie Elfies merrily clicking away and giving their best smiles for their cameras. They are the STARS of their own lives…dressed in black and red and stars…and the Crowd said Cheese and got their cameras ready for the So ladies and gentlemen say CHEESE and get your cameras ready for the young Selfie Elfies, as they walked the ramp!!
It’s time for Sleep walkers-There are many people who dream of a white Christmas.And then there are those who simply Dream during Christmas… Yes, that’s right, the busiest, jolliest, merriest time of the year can sometimes be too much to handle for some people, and though you’ll see them at all the parties and doing all the necessary things at Christmas, rather than wearing a suit and dancing away, they’d much rather wear their pyjamas and be tucked cozily in bed…well, here’s to those dreamers, who sleep through Christmas…dressed in the colour of snow, yes, the crowd witnessed the Christmas sleep walkers as they happily walked the ramp.
Christmas Enthu Cutlets–In direct contrast to the Christmas sleep walkers, everyone knows people who are extra enthusiastic at Christmas…it’s their favourite time of the year….and they’ll shout it from the rooftops…they’ll decorate anything…including the cat! The tree will be up on the 1st of December, the cards will be sent out a month before Christmas, The carols will be playing in the house and the car and even their mobile ringtone …and everything about them is Sparkly..Jolly..Twinkly..Jingly..Well Thank God for these People…they really make Christmas what it is…a most magical time…and these Christmas Enthu Cutlets were all geared up to put the crowd in the mood for Christmas….whether they wanted it or not….these Christmas Enthu Cutlets enthralled the audience all dressed in bright Christmas colors and armed with tinsel!
Merry Shopaholics- A very common sight during Christmas, is couples going shopping together, the major difference between women and men when they go shopping is that women enter a shop and they very quickly scan the entire shopping area, carefully making a mental note of what is available and strategically planning their shopping route… whereas when men enter shops and they too very quickly scan the entire shopping area…looking for a chair to sit and strategically planning their exit route..and it’s kind of true that many men have spent Christmases sitting in very uncomfortable positions waiting for heir wives to finish their Christmas shopping…well this was portrayed by a shopaholic couple as they appeared before the crowd.
Scrooges- Christmas is a time for exchanging gifts, the next sequence was dedicated to those who thoughtfully buy gifts for their partners, that perfectly planned gift, bought well in advance and hidden away from prying eyes… and it is also dedicated to those, who like most husbands who have completely forgotten to do the same. They only realize when it’s too late but that doesn’t stop them from shamelessly accepting the gift. Appearing before the audience were the forgetful Stooges!
Santa’s Angels -Christmas is not all about sweet and gifts and cake and wine, it is also the time for sharing with the less fortunate, you will find many a kindered spirit during this time of the year…here’s to Santa’s Angels who walked the ramp to brighten up Christmas and make the crowd jolly.
Mistletoe Maniacs –It is a well known fact, that Christmas is a time to give to others, now there are some people who take this very seriously and literally give their hearts away…you’ll find them standing under every single Mistletoe they can find…trying to steal a kiss and give their hearts away…walking on the ramp the mistletoe maniac was on the lookout for ???
Candy Monsters- We’re in the festive period…which means huge amounts of eating…on Christmas day, people eat and eat until they can eat no more….and then they lean back and say “Oh I’m all stuffed now…I think I’ll never eat again in my life…” Until half an hour later, they go and make a sandwich with all the leftover food…Well, these are the people who’ll gobble up all the cookies left for Santa…and then wonder why they are beginning to like HIM, but anyway, it’s the season of indulgence…and one is permitted to overindulge just a little…up on the ramp were the Christmas Cookie and Candy Monsters!
Non Resident Indians (NRI) – It’s Christmas season in Mangaluru and it’s raining NRI’s…they literally fall out of the sky from all directions and land back home for Christmas. The smell of the freshly homemade Kuswar travels all the way to the various parts of the world calling our boys and girls home for the season. Well, there’s no place like home and there’s no place like Kodiyal during Christmas season! Next on the ramp were NRI’s coming home to spend Christmas here!
Full Tight and Jolly Walkers –It’s the season to be jolly…full tight and jolly. Need we say more? These full tight and Jolly walkers had a hard time to walk the ramp in a straight line-Cheers!
Jingle Belles- The peak of the Christmas season….the Christmas ball which is witness to the most glamorous transformations where you get to see, the best of fashion from around the world…modeled by our very Mangaluru beauties…who convert the dance floor into a hi fashion runway…They were the gorgeous Show stoppers and the grand finale to this Christmas fashion show…walking on the ramp were the beautiful belles of the ball, the Jingle Belles!…Yes, it was a glittering and humorous Fashion Show put together by Rajni Lobo and her sister, Ramona. Kudos and job well done.
Following the Fashion Show, was more performances by the Girl band “Vocal Rush”, while Dj Rajiv belted out some popular dance numbers which led a bunch of revelers to shake their hips on the dance floor. There was plenty to drink, plenty to eat, plenty to be merry–and the revelers partied hard till they decided that they had enough for that night- hick…hick..I mean till the wee hours? Convener of the Gala, Nayana Fernandes welcomed the gathering and also thanked everyone for making this Gala a grand success. Until we meet again for the next Mangalore Club Christmas Gala 2017- Ho..ho..ho..you all have a Very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New year.