Trio King Joaquim leaves for heavenly abode

 The tiatr fraternity was plunged into gloom when the news of the singer-actor Joaquim Da Costa’s death spread like wildfire on Friday, January 12. He was 59. Several tiatr artistes and a legion of his fans attended the funeral at Our Lady of Merces Church, Colva, and bid a tearful farewell to Joaquim, who was a member of the famed Trio Kings.“Joaquim was a dedicated tiatrist, very enthusiastic, extremely helpful and full of encouragement. His social work is unsurpassed. I will miss him and his famous quote ‘Ujeako Khelltai?’. May his soul rest in peace,” said Tommy Afonso (Jr Nelson), who has been an integral part of Trio Kings.While speaking to O Heraldo, tiatr directors were unanimous in pointing out that their stage colleague was a “gem of a human being”.“Undoubtedly, Joaquim was an excellent tiatr artiste, but what endeared him to everyone was his helpful nature. One had only to call out for help and he would be the first to reach out to those in need. He has single-handedly retrieved several bodies from the sea and beaches. His passing is a huge loss to the Konkani stage,” said veteran tiatr director Roseferns. Wellknown political satirist and director Francis de Tuem also spoke glowingly of Joaquim’s affable nature. “He was a gem of a human being. Joaquim was a towering personality who had a heart of gold and was everyone’s friend. He literally made his blood do the talking, as he donated blood at least on 46 occasions. If anyone died in the village, he was the go-to person for dressing the body. I will always be indebted to him for giving me a huge opportunity to perform in a popular Trio Kings tiatr ‘Oxem-I Goddta’ which ran for 46 shows. I was only an amateur then,” he said. Pascoal De Chicalim, tiatr director and secretary of Konknni nonstop Tiatrist ani Tiatristanchi Sounstha, had this to say: “Joaquim Da Costa, who was the pillar of the Trio Kings, was an excellent composer and a vibrant singer. His voice would make anyone sit up. He was a gentleman to the core and loved his fellow tiatrists. He was also a social activist. He actively promoted blood donation camps and was ever ready to donate blood to the needy. He was involved in charity too. Joaquim’s memory will always live on.”