India: Doyen of liturgical music, biblical dance drama dies

A well-known Indian classical singing-dancing priest died in Mumbai, western India, on November 30. He was 77.

Father Charles Vas, a Divine Word missionary, was the director of Sangeet Abhinay Academy, a religious institution of song and dance in Mumbai.

At the time of his death, he resided at Atma Darshan, Mahakali, Andheri, Mumbai. He was ailing for months. The details of the funeral service are yet to be announced.

Vas was famous for his distinctive way of expressing God-experience through Hindi liturgical dance and song.

On February 12, 1944, Vas was born in Omzoor parish in Mangalore diocese of Karnataka state, south India.

According to family sources, his lone brother is an advocate at the High Court of Mumbai and two out of three sisters are nuns. 

As early as six, Vas was inclined to music. He played side drums for the village music band, sang in the church choir and honed his talent for music in due course of time.

He learned how to play guitar and piano during his philosophical studies at the seminary. Soon after he studied Philosophy, he began his formal training under the renowned maestro Ramakrishna Joshi, a disciple of Pandit Vishnu Digamber, a great exponent of Hindustani classical music.

Vas joined the Society of the Divine Word in 1956 and was ordained priest in 1976.

He has been called "A Singing Visionary," "A Dancing Missionary,"

"A Bhajan Chanting Catholic Priest," "An Evangelist through Dance," and many other names, said a press release from the Society of Divine Word.

He produced 40 plus CDs of devotional music- 'Bhajans' (a devotional song) and hymns that have enriched Church singing in different languages.  

His music and hymns have been the most popular devotional hits in India, especially in Hindi-speaking areas.

Vas was a poet, composer, musician and director of various musical events. Several ballets, music dances and Bhajan programs exhibited within India and abroad were the fruit of his hard labour.

After seven years of his priestly ordination, Vas did his "doctoral" thesis "East meets West" at the Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Miraj, which awarded him a Ph.D. degree in music in 1983. 

He launched the Sangeet Abhinay Academy, an institution of Song and dance in Mumbai, in 1980. It attracted enthusiastic youngsters who were able to give expression to Vas's ideas. The result was "Prem Ragini"- a ballet musical on salvation history. The ballets had performers of dance both in Indian as well as Western styles. The musical "Prem Ragini" had more than 500 plus shows both in India and abroad.

Vas received the "Alankar Shiromani Puraskar" award in 2006 and the “Kalakar Puroskar” award in 2008 for his excellence and outstanding contribution in music and dance.

Many hailed Vas' contribution to Hindi liturgical music and biblical dance drama.

"Fr Vaz was one of the great personalities in the Indian church. It is a big loss for the church. He has made an enormous contribution to the liturgy in Hindi through his music and songs and ballets. He will always be remembered through his melodic and meaningful songs that are popular all over India," Divine Word Father John Paul, director of communications office in the diocese of Jaipur, in Rajasthan, told RVA News.

Paul knew Vas from former's seminary days when Vas used to give singing practice.

"Later, I had a chance to live with him in Gyan Ashram, Andheri in Mumbai when I was researching his predecessor, another stalwart Divine Word Father George Proksch, who founded the Gyan Ashram. He continued the legacy of Father Proksch in the field of dance and music," Paul recalled.

Gyan Ashram, a Catholic institution, promotes dialogue, peace and harmony among different religious communities and cultural groups through the channels of music and dance.

"Vas has been an inspiration to me and many others. May God grant him an eternal reward for his exemplary life," said Paul, a musician and media person.

Another priest-musician, Father Mathew Nayak, a Vincentian from Odisha, Eastern India, said, "It is a big loss for the church. He was an icon for liturgical hymns. May his soul rest in peace."

Anand Lal, a Catholic TV producer, says, "I remember his random bhajan singing session at a Hindu Temple in Varanasi. Father Charles led the delegates in bhajan singing for an hour after the unda-osic (now Signis)  meeting in 1988 or 1989. The temple priest and trustees were so happy witnessing Catholic priests, nuns and foreign delegates singing in the temple; they gave us  a special packet of  temple sweets."

A bhajan is a devotional song with a religious or spiritual theme. It is a group event, with one or more lead singers, accompanied by music, and sometimes dancing.

Salesian Father Joaquim Fernandes recalls: "Fr Charles Vaz SVD through his music composition has touched people's hearts. His music lives in our hearts. I was closely associated with him since the production of his numerous albums were produced at Tej-Prasarini, Don Bosco Communication Studio, by the Studio Engineer Mr. Amon Daniels. I remember the Musical Don Bosco and Mother Teresa, which he directed at Don Bosco Campus. A wonderful talent and powerful message of the Gospel Values.  Thank You, Fr Charles, for spreading the Light."

Indian Missionary Society Father Anand Mathew recalls that Father Vas was "a genius in Church music. A great personality who used his talents well for the glory of God. Through his songs, he will continue to abide in the lives of people.

With inputs from Frank Krishner, RVA News Service