Goa’s Golden Voice in Las Vegas Goastreets Melque Rodrigues Melque Rodrigues is a Goan singer whose melodious voice has captured the attention of many in Las Vegas, and this past week, in Goa, too. Hers is a story of triumph over odds, of inner strength and determination that enabled her to chase her musical dreams despite being legally blind. Melque has donned many hats - singer, restaurant owner, sales representative, among others. But music is what makes her heart beat. Recently, Melque returned to Goa for the first time after moving to the U.S. eight years ago, performing at a couple of gigs in North and South Goa and wowing her fellow Goans with her wonderful voice. Dr. Charlane Pereira e Rebello caught up with this bubbly 38-year-old professional singer in Goa before she flew to the States on 27th January… Maria Melqueades Rodrigues, better known as Melque, has her Goan roots in Navelim. A popular face in music circles, Melque moved to the United States eight years back in an attempt to further explore her musical talent. Melque was forced to give up her college studies when she was diagnosed with degeneration of the retina. The doctors told young Melque that her condition could worsen over the years with undue strain. With a medical condition such as ‘macular degeneration’, which causes one to slowly go blind, she felt her best option was to discontinue her studies and pursue her passion for singing, hoping that it would blossom into a career. She recalls, “My grandmother was sharp in spotting my talent when I was a little kid.” She has many fond memories of participating in various singing competitions as a youngster. Several teachers in her school (Perpetual Convent High School, Navelim) – Theresa, Ivonne and late Sr. Bernadine - reinforced her love for music. You can also trace her musical lineage to her ...
Posted on: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 06:23:06 +0000
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