'Sandese Aate Hain': Australian singer recalls Goa roots, performs in 'motherland' India
New Delhi (PTI): Australian singer Reuben de Melo, who was born in Goa and moved to Australia more than two decades ago as a boy, dropped out of engineering college to pursue music and has since carved a niche for himself in the creative field.
The Perth-based singer-songwriter, who won "The Voice Australia" -- a singing competition -- in 2024, is part of Australia's vibrant Indian-origin community.
On Friday night, de Melo and Australia-born musician Milan Ring, who has a mixed heritage including Indian roots from her mother's side, performed at 'Gig on the Green', hosted at the Australian High Commission here.
Australian envoy Philip Green, who attended the event, said efforts are being made to bring the best of Australian culture and art to India, just as "we welcome culture and art from India to Australia".
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"There's now more than a million people of Indian origin in Australia. That's the fastest growing community in our country, and they're doing great things in our society, and we want them to do great things for the bilateral relationship," he told PTI on the sidelines of the event.
This particular facet of people of Indian origin, who have really made it in the arts and culture field in Australia, is "very special," Green said, praising the two musicians.
After the show, de Melo and Ring separately interacted with PTI and shared their journeys into the creative sphere.
"I moved to Perth when I was about 11 years old. I live in Perth, Western Australia. Then, I won 'The Voice Australia' in 2024, and here I am back in India, back to the motherland," said de Melo, a father of three.
The Australian indie folk singer said that while "Perth is my home", he will always carry childhood memories of growing up in Goa, especially his grandmother's place, and his ancestral home.
"They will always be my heaven when I leave this place, you know what I mean," de Melo said.
Recalling that he and his sister, along with their parents, moved to Australia around 2003-2004, de Melo said music entered his life after the death of a close friend.
"Music for me happened when I unfortunately lost a friend. He was an Aussie guy... a singer, and liked to sing at birthday parties and stuff. I picked up a guitar, and I wanted to sing," de Melo said.
In a candid conversation, the singer said he completed three years of engineering before deciding to drop out and pursue music.
Though he works in the mining sector and sings part-time, he shared how he drew from moments of grief in his life and turned them into lyrical compositions.
"I wrote the song 'The Boys' for two colleagues in mining who we lost to acts of suicide," de Melo said.
Going down memory lane, de Melo recalled how during his early days in Goa, he had developed a fascination for the Hindi film "Border".
"I really liked the movie 'Border' and remember the song 'Sandese Aate Hain'. It was one of my favourite movies growing up. I wore a commando outfit every day with my toy guns," de Melo recalled.
While the Perth-based singer has visited India multiple times in the past, for Sydney native Ring, visiting India was "at the top of her bucket list".
India, she said, feels vibrant, colourful and full of energy and "something like a cinema scene," which prompted her to explore the country, its rich music and diverse cuisine.
"It's been on top of my bucket list the whole life to come to India, and here I am. I am kind of pinching myself, it feels surreal," Ring told PTI.
The musician said she has mixed heritage, including Indian heritage from her mother's side. Her maternal grandfather was born in north India, while her father is from Hong Kong, she said.
Ring, who has been based in Berlin for the past couple of years, said each country and its natural sounds in streets or elsewhere feel different. "I would like to go to music events in Delhi and hear the playing of a sitar or tabla," she said.
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Delhi: Father, son held for killing 19-year-old woman in suspected honour killing
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has arrested a man and his son for allegedly murdering his 19-year-old daughter in west Delhi's Hari Nagar area, an official said on Friday.
The case first came to light on April 1 after a PCR call was received around 2 pm, alleging that a woman had been killed by her family members and her body was being taken for last rites, he said.
The accused, identified as Mohammad Maneer (55), a vegetable vendor, and his son Meraj Ali (19), were arrested in connection with the case, the officer said.
The victim had been in a relationship with a man from her native place for the past two years, which was opposed by her father, Maneer and brother Meraj, he said.
"When the girl did not end the relationship despite objections, the family killed her," the officer said.
On April 1, the police said that when their team reached the spot, they found that the woman's body was being taken for burial.
Acting on the input, the burial process was stopped over suspicion of honour killing.
"Police intercepted the family members and took possession of the body," he said.
Police said that the man who had made the PCR told them that the woman was in love with his cousin.
During the inquiry, police also interacted with the PCR caller, who said his cousin, a friend of the deceased, had informed him about the situation and suspected foul play, prompting him to alert the police control room.
The body of the woman was subsequently shifted to the mortuary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for preservation and postmortem.
Police said that both the crime team and the forensic science laboratory (FSL) team were called to inspect the scene and collect evidence.
Police said that, as per the postmortem report, the cause of death was identified as smothering, indicating that the woman was suffocated.
A preliminary inquiry also revealed that the family had initiated preparations for the last rites soon after the woman's death, raising suspicion about the circumstances.
Initial investigation pointed to the family's opposition to the woman's relationship.
"The family members of the woman saw her with the man, and she was taken back home. We got to know that she was beaten up and even locked inside the house for some days," a source said.
Further investigation into the matter is underway, police added.
