Bonnie Remedios, a Goan originally from Saligao, has spent a lifetime performing on hotel contracts at some of the best five star hotels in Mumbai. He led a jazz band that actually entertained audiences bringing them back for more at every outlet he performed at. He is often refered to as the ‘Louis Armstrong of India’ for his amazing renditions of Louis Armstrong classics in the exact same gravelly voice that used to be a rage among jazz enthusiasts in the swinging sixty’s. His repertoire of jazz standards could easily make a real book of jazz. His act was the lighter side of jazz getting the audience to sing, dance and laugh along as opposed to some of the far too serious jazz artistes. He often takes a jazz standard and twists the lyrics in ways that keeps the audience in splits. His fan following, built over five decades of live performance, is huge and his name always crops up in nostalgic reminiscing of the glorious days of live music and big bands.
He began his career as a novice pianist with one of India’s greatest band leader ‘Chic Chocalates’ band in the early sixty’s and soon after went on to lead his own quintet on hotel residencies year after year.
Bonnie was also very much a part of Mumbai’s Bollywood scene and has done innumerable sessions as a chorus singer for just about every music director. His vocal technique matches his piano skills and very often he performs as a solo act. Even with over five decades of live performance under his belt, Bonnie never really got the opportunity to record his own album until he met up with his 1980 band’s bassplayer Colin D’Cruz who offered to record and promote him through Jazz Goa. The ten track album will showcase Bonnie in his elements, some tracks from the album can be heard online on the radio station at www.jazzgoa.com
