Karnataka Social Club Bahrain Premises Reopens for Members
Bahrain: Saturday, the 18th of November, 2023, goes down in the history of Karnataka Social Club Bahrain, as a red-letter day as it opened its august premises once again for its Members and well-wishers with a bright new colourful refurbished stage and interior look, after its normal functioning had been suspended due to the pandemic situation for over three years since January, 2020.
The efforts and determination of a few dedicated enthusiastic members coupled with the generosity of many well-wishes who rallied around and sponsored and gave a helping hand, made it possible for the ad hoc KSC Executive Committee members to successfully give life to its premises in the heart of Manama overcoming all hurdles and with the co-operation of all. With a brief but magical and meaningful opening ceremony on the evening of 18th November 2023, commencing with the offering of Holy Mass at 6:30 pm at Our Lady of Arabia Hall, Sacred Heart Church Bahrain premises, the Members gathered together for prayers in thanksgiving at Holy Mass to seek divine blessings and bringing with them offerings and gifts for distribution to the poor in the Parish.
The Holy Mass was followed by the blessing of the newly refurbished KSC premises by Fr Darel Fernandes, the Assistant Parish Priest and Spiritual Director of the Konkani Community.
At the brightly lit premises, the program took off at 8:15 pm with Rajesh Prabhu, Entertainment Secretary welcoming the gathering. The stage program began with a prayer hymn by a few Ladies Wing members followed by the blessing of the entire premises including the terrace and ground floor precincts that had been spruced up for the occasion. It was then time for unfurling the dazzling KSC banner on the newly decked-up stage by the Chief Guest, Fr Darel Fernandes, in the presence of the KSC Executive members led by its President Mr Sunil D’Souza and to the reverberating beats of Sir Cliff Richards rendition of “Congratulations” and the tumultuous continuous singing and applause of all the Members and their families in standing ovation that brought in awe and inspiration at the sprawling packed Main Hall of the KSC premises.
A prayer dance was performed by Members’ children. The children performing were Vionna Anna Sequeira, Ruth Maria D’Mello, Crystal Maria D’Souza and Rebecca Britto.
The Presidential address next was the prerogative of Mr Sunil D’Souza who welcomed the packed gathering in the Hall and thanked all who had made efforts to make the re-opening day a reality. With few words of wisdom thereafter from Fr Darel Fernandes laced with his keen and good sense of humour, it was time for Mr Maxim Sequeira, a senior member of the Club to mince words with a brief history of the Club and an account of the brief paraphernalia on the road that led to the reopening of the KSC premises, aptly toasting to the Club’s future.
Mr Anand Lobo took to the stage thereafter and gave a synopsis of how every hurdle was overcome, complete with details of the process and the steps leading to the reopening of the Club informing the Members, the names of all who had worked for it and those behind the scene as permissions from various Government Directorates were slowly obtained and put in place for KSC, step by step, to open its doors once again. Indeed, all the cobwebs had to be dusted out and cleaned at the premises and the fresh look was given with many Members and wellwishers giving a helping hand struggling to bring it back to life, as could be seen on the day of the reopening.
A cinematic dance followed, performed by Roshni Vijeesh, Adithi Dileep, Aarjav Vineesh, Avni Subeesh, Viron, Castelino, Warren Aranha and Renelie Pinto with all its pyrotechnics which kept the audience glued to their chairs with the typical cheering screams by the young members of the audience and applause.
Mr Anand Lobo took to the stage resonating his vocal chords with a nostalgic Konkani number “Mogh Thuzo Kithlo Ashello”, singing it in Kenny-Rogers-style and thus tempting a few Members to dance on the floor with their partners, swinging and waltzing to the melodious karaoke tune. The audience took to this song delightfully joining Mr Lobo in a sing-a-long chorus, thus adding a touch of their own to the reverberating music and the nostalgic reopening.
Fr Darel Fernandes was given the task of honouring the various Sponsors and contributors who had done their bit by lending a helping hand towards the KSC reopening get-together and the brief cultural program with beautiful red roses to each one. The names of the donors, contributors and those who helped in one way or the other were read by Mrs Muriel Gomes, a senior Member of the Ladies Wing in the past. The contributors were thus remembered and applauded for going out of their way to give assistance in cash or in kind.
DJ Francy (Francis Lobo) entertained the crowd with a variety of music flowing from his collection of albums that concluded with line dancing for the Members towards the end of the program. Teena D’Souza sang a solo Konkani hit and so did Francis Lobo.
The program was anchored and compered by Rajesh Prabhu, the Entertainment Secretary and it concluded with a light dinner that had the typical Mangalorean finger-licking traditional “payasam” as dessert! The simple but sumptuous dinner was Sponsored in part by Mr Dennis D’Sa of Mysore Bhavan fame. Thus the program concluded with the best of camaraderie from the Members and their children who had gathered concluding with a sweet taste to the program.
The KSC premises will from now on hold usual Weekend programs – watch out for the typical Thursday evening program announcements on the KSC portal and participate in keeping the Club premises with its usual din and bustle and past fame as a typical family-oriented Club whilst waiting for the Christmas programs to take-off.
Three cheers to Karnataka Social Club and may the KSC flag always fly high.
By Joe Andrade
