Anthony Gonsalves facts for kids

Anthony Prabhu Gonsalves (born June 12, 1927 – died January 18, 2012) was a talented Indian musician. He was a composer, someone who arranges music, and a teacher. Many people know his name because a main character in the famous 1977 movie Amar Akbar Anthony was named after him. This character, played by Amitabh Bachchan, even had a popular song called "My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves".

Early Life of Anthony Gonsalves

Anthony Gonsalves was born in a village called Majorda. This village is near Margão in a part of India that used to be controlled by Portugal. His father, Jose Antonio Gonsalves, was a choirmaster at the Mãe de Deus church in Majorda. A choirmaster leads a choir, which is a group of singers.

Anthony was very good at music from a young age. He quickly learned from his father. When he was still a teenager, he moved to Bombay (now called Mumbai). He joined other musicians from Goa there. In the mid-1950s, he tried to mix the grand sounds of Western symphonies with Indian classical music. He used these mixed styles in the movies of that time.

Anthony Gonsalves' Music Career

Gonsalves found his first job in Bombay in 1943. He worked as a violinist in the group of the famous composer Naushad. A violinist plays the violin. Anthony taught Pyarelal Sharma, who later became part of the famous music duo Laxmikant–Pyarelal.

Anthony Gonsalves worked with many legendary composers in the 1950s and 1960s. For example, he worked on films like Naya Daur and Waqt for B.R. Chopra. He also worked on Dillagi for Naushad and Haqeeqat for Chetan Anand. The popular song "My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves" was Pyarelal's way of honoring his violin teacher, Anthony.

In 1958, Gonsalves started the Indian Symphony Orchestra. This orchestra featured famous playback singers like Lata Mangeshkar and Manna Dey. Playback singers record songs that actors then lip-sync to in movies. The orchestra performed their music at St. Xavier's College, Bombay.

In 1965, Gonsalves left the film industry. He traveled to the United States with a special grant from Syracuse University in New York. He became a member of the American Society of Composers, Publishers and Authors. This group helps protect the rights of composers and authors. Later, he returned to India and settled in his home village of Majorda in Goa. He kept composing music, but he never worked in Hindi films again. He passed away in 2012 due to pneumonia and low blood pressure.

Music Arrangement in Films

Anthony Gonsalves helped arrange music for several Indian movies. Here are a few examples:

• Dholak (1950)
• Pehli Nazar (1945)
• Mahal (1949)