Frank Fernand

Franklin Fernandes, better known as Frank Fernand (3 May 1919 – 1 April 2007), born in Curchorem, Goa, was a renowned film maker and musician and is remembered for his epoch making Konkani movies like Amchem Noxib (Our luck) and Nirmonn (Destiny).

He has two daughters from his first marriage to Maxi Perera, named Elphin and Doris. From his second marriage to Madalena Velho, he has one son and one daughter, named Max and Larissa. Frank Fernand died of Parkinson's disease on 1 April 2007.

Frank Fernand had his initial training in music from Diego Rodrigues and mastered violin and trumpet. In 1936, he moved to Bombay. He began playing music under well-known band-leader George Theodore at Green's Hotel and Taj Mahal Hotel. In 1942, he left Mumbai for Mussoorie to play with Rudy Cotton's band and blossomed into a fine jazz musician. He lived and played in Delhi for a while the same year. In the 1940s, when he was playing at a resort in Mussoorie, Mahatma Gandhi happened to be passing through. Frank Fernand listened to one of his lectures, and it brought about a big change in him. He began trying to find a way to play jazz in an Indian way.

India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's biography 'Discovery of India' is also said to have influenced him deeply, and resulted in his complete change of outlook. With a full sense of patriotism, he considered 15 August (India's independence day) every year as the greatest event of the year. He was already back in Mumbai in 1946, playing with Micky Correa and his band, among others. A turning point in his career and life came in 1948 when he joined the celebrated Hindi music director-duo Shankar Jaikishan.Raj Kapoor's 'Barsat' was his major assignment under the duo's baton. Later he worked under top-level music directors and had close association with Anil Biswas, Kishore Kumar, Roshan, C. Ramchandra and others.

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