Mangaluru: Musician and teacher Charles Maurice Dmello of Kudupu has been selected for the International Music Day honour instituted by Mandd Sobhann in association with Sumell.The award will be presented by Leo Rodrigues, NRI businessman and president of the Abu Dhabi Konkani Cultural Organization, at Kalaangann, Shaktinagar, on Oct 4.The ceremony will be followed by the 298th Monthly Theatre programme, featuring ‘Vivid Ninad’, a musical presentation by the Sumell troupe led by Raina Sequeira and the Bantwal-based Winter Tone troupe. Businessman and social worker John Suresh will ring the traditional bell to inaugurate the programme.A self-taught musician, Dmello plays and teaches instruments including the violin, guitar, keyboard, banjo, mandolin, trumpet, saxophone and xylophone. He learnt musical notation from Fr Gilbert Gonsalves and Konkani from writers VJP Saldanha and Cha Fra D’Costa.Dmello has performed at music nights organised by Henry T D’Souza, Wilfy Rebimbus, Saturnine Moras and Konkani Natak Sabha, and composed music for Tulu plays by Vijay Kumar Kodialbail. He also served as chief trainer at Sangeetalaya, founded by Fr Walter Albuquerque for talented children from underprivileged backgrounds.An ‘A’ grade All India Radio artiste, Dmello plays the metallophone. He has served as choir master at Kulshekar and Bendoor churches and trained students at several Mangaluru schools.He sang Mother Teresa’s favourite hymn during her Mangaluru visit and participated as a choir musician at the Papal Mass during Pope John Paul II’s visit to Bajpe.
