Caetano Manuel Pereira (17 February 1917 – 3 March 1991), known professionally as Kid Boxer, was an Indian singer, writer, director, comedian, and

lyricist A lyricist is a writer who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment. Royalties A lyricist's income derives ...

who worked on the Konkani stage. He is best known for being the member of the popular Kid-Young-Rod

trio Trio may refer to: Music Groups * Trio (music), an ensemble of three performers, or a composition for such an ensemble ** Jazz trio, pianist, double bassist, drummer ** Minuet and trio, a form in classical music ** String trio, a group of three ...

Early life

Caetano Manuel Pereira was born on 17 February 1917, in

Siolim Siolim () is a village in Bardez taluka, and a census town on the central west coast of India, in the North Goa district of Goa. The 2001 population was 10,311, and 10,936 in 2011. Siolim is also the name of a constituency in the Goa assembly, ...

Goa Goa (; ; ) is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is bound by the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north, and Karnataka to the ...

, a region that was part of

Portuguese India The State of India, also known as the Portuguese State of India or Portuguese India, was a state of the Portuguese Empire founded seven years after the discovery of the sea route to the Indian subcontinent by Vasco da Gama, a subject of the ...

during the era of the

Portuguese Empire The Portuguese Empire was a colonial empire that existed between 1415 and 1999. In conjunction with the Spanish Empire, it ushered in the European Age of Discovery. It achieved a global scale, controlling vast portions of the Americas, Africa ...

. At a young age of 8, Pereira relocated to

Bombay Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...

(now Mumbai) with his father. During his time in Bombay, he acquired a command of the English language through interactions with older individuals, while also developing his proficiency in

Konkani __NOTOC__ Konkani may refer to: Language * Konkani language is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Konkan region of India. * Konkani alphabets, different scripts used to write the language **Konkani in the Roman script, one of the scripts used to ...

, due to his avid readership of the

literary work Literary work is a generic term for works of literature, i.e. texts such as fiction and non-fiction books, essays, screenplays''.'' In the philosophy of art and the field of aesthetics there is some debate about what that means, precisely. What a ...

'' Dor Mhoineachi Rotti''. Pereira's journey into the world of theater began with apprenticeships in smaller productions. In 1940, he made his debut in the commercial ''

tiatr ''Tiatr'' (; ) is a type of musical theatre that is popular in the state of Goa on the west coast of India, as well as in Mumbai and among the Goan expatriate communities in the Middle East, United Kingdom, and other cities with a significant pr ...

'' genre, with his performance in Ernest Rebello's production, ''Bomboich Istil''.

Career

Pereira made his first foray into the world of ''

'', with his debut production called ''Ostori'' (Woman). However, it was his subsequent work titled ''Kidachem Sopon'' (Kid's Dream) that garnered popularity. Pereira's

repertoire Repertory or repertoire () is the list or set of works a person or company is accustomed to performing. Whether the English or French spelling is used has no bearing, but it was the French word, with an accent on the first e, , that first took ho ...

encompassed a diverse range of '' tiatrs'', including ''Editor Ponch de Bombaim'', ''Amchi Bhett'' (Our Offering), ''Amcho Ganv'' (Our Village), ''Bhattam Bensam'', ''Avoichim Dukham'' (Mother's Tears), ''Ankvar ani Kazari'' (Bachelor and Married), ''Zata tem Boreak'' (It Happens For Good), ''Bhoinn'' (Sister), ''Militar'' (Military), ''Zulum'' (Injustice), ''Amchim Natalam'' (Our Christmas), ''Goa'', ''Mhoji Maim'' (My Mother), ''Lojechem Kopel'', ''Mog Antticho'', ''Mumboiche Gõykar'' (Goans Of Mumbai), ''Bankruttan Bankrutt'', ''Budhvont Put Ganvcho'' (The Cunning Son of the Village), ''Fuddar'' (Future), ''Mhozo Oprad'', ''Adeus vo Nimnni Bhett'' (Goodbye, this is the final offering), and ''Somzonnent Chuk Zali''. The latter work, published by the Goa Konkani Akademi, delved into the complexities of the human psyche and explored the detrimental effects of prejudice, leading to grave misunderstandings. This particular play demonstrated Pereira's ability to artfully blend elements of seriousness and humor without resorting to

melodrama A melodrama is a Drama, dramatic work in which plot, typically sensationalized for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodrama is "an exaggerated version of drama". Melodramas typically concentrate on ...

. Towards the end of his career, Pereira presented his final show in

entitled ''Bapul Bhau'' (Cousin Brother). Additionally, he took on the role of director for several ''tiatrs'' by Minguel Rod, including ''Bapul Bhau'', ''Gorib Xezari'' (Poor Neighbour), and ''Ghorchem Kestaum'' (Family Feud). During his artistic journey, Pereira had a cameo in the well-received Konkani film ''

Amchem Noxib ''Amchem Noxib'' (English translation: Our Luck) is a 1963 Indian Konkani-language film directed by A. Salam and produced by Frank Fernand. It is the second Konkani film, after '' Mogacho Anvddo'', which released in 1950. ''Amchem Noxib'' was a ...

''.

Personal life

Pereira was known for his early advocacy of individual rights, showcasing determination from a young age. He opposed various forms of injustice, including those directed at women, the entrenched

caste system A caste is a fixed social group into which an individual is born within a particular system of social stratification: a caste system. Within such a system, individuals are expected to marry exclusively within the same caste (endogamy), foll ...

, and governmental policies. In the earlier stages of his life, Pereira's mischievous

demeanor Social behavior is behavior among two or more organisms within the same species, it encompasses any behavior in which one member affects another. Social behavior can be seen as similar to an exchange of goods, with the expectation that when you ...

led to him being given the

moniker A nickname, in some circumstances also known as a sobriquet, or informally a "moniker", is an informal substitute for the proper name of a person, place, or thing, used to express affection, playfulness, contempt, or a particular character trait ...

"Boxer," a nickname which later served as the inspiration for his chosen

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

, Kid Boxer. André Rafael Fernandes writes in his book "''When the Curtains Rise...Understanding Goa's Vibrant Konkani Theatre''," Pereira formed a

called the Kid-Young-Rod, which gained recognition for their singing abilities in the realm of '' tiatrs''. Fernandes further explains that, Pereira's expertise was in creating

satirical Satire is a genre of the visual arts, visual, literature, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently Nonfiction, non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ...

songs infused with

proverbs A proverb (from ) or an adage is a simple, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and are an example of formulaic language. A proverbial phrase or a proverbial ...

. Additionally, he excelled at crafting quick-witted responses during musical debates, particularly when pitted against Aleixinho De Candolim. Pereira died in

, aged 74.

Filmography

Selected stage works

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Boxer, Kid 1917 births 1991 deaths Goan people Tiatrists Indian male singers Indian male actors Musicians from North Goa district Writers from North Goa district