Edila Gaitonde

Edila Nava or Edila Gaitonde (born Edila Brum Dutra de Andrade; 3 November 1920 – 27 July 2021) was a Portuguese musician and writer.

Life and career

Early life Edila Brum Dutra de Andrade was born on 3 November 1920 to Júlio Dutra Andrade and Adelaide Albertina Brum, on the Faial Island in the Azores islands just off the coast of Portugal. Júlio was a poet, playwright, journalist and sportsman who had published several books of his own. in a civil ceremony in 1948, making her the first White Portuguese woman to marry a Goan Hindu man.

Life after first marriage They soon moved to Goa, with Edila moving in with Gaitonde's Hindu family. Gaitonde then began his medical practice there, while continuing his nationalist activities as part of the National Congress (Goa). Against the family's advice, Edila started a music school with the intention of the Western classical music education in Goa. In 1952, she trained 30 candidates for the examinations of the Royal School of Music in London. The school sent an examiner to Goa only for this. with Edila. He then worked in a hospital there till he retired and began writing. Meanwhile, Edila taught music in various high schools and they both published multiple books.

Writing career Edila authored multiple books during her stay in London. Her first book, In Search of Tomorrow, covers her life in India after her marriage. Her second book, The Tulsi, is a collection of short stories, including about the life of a Portuguese woman and her experiences in a Goan Hindu household. Her last book, Edmund the Mariner, covers the Spanish rule in Portugal, drawing a parallel to the Portuguese rule in Goa.

Works In Search of Tomorrow The Tulsi As Maçãs Azuis: Portugal e Goa 1948–1961 Edmund the Mariner