H. Britton

Hermegildo Camilo (born Hermenegildo Camêlo; 16 October 1935 – 29 September 2009), known professionally as H. Britton, was an Indian singer, actor, lyricist, composer, playwright, director, and producer who worked on the Konkani stage. Britton is best known for portraying female characters in tiatr productions, and has also composed more than 700 songs.

Early life Hermegildo Camilo, originally named Hermenegildo Camêlo, was born on 16 October 1935 in Agaçaim, Goa, which was part of Portuguese India during the Portuguese Empire (now in India), to Francisco Camelo and Maria Augusta Cardoso who hailed from Ribandar.

Britton made a significant move to Bombay (now Mumbai) in order to pursue his acting career. During his time in Bombay, he actively engaged with different theater troupes, dedicating a major portion of his life to this city alongside his wife and two children. Although he primarily resided in Bombay, he would occasionally travel to Goa, specifically for his tiatr shows. Britton eventually decided to permanently settle in Britona, Bardez, Goa.

According to Tomazinho Cardozo, former president of the Tiatr Academy of Goa, Britton's second song was exceptional. In this performance, Britton portrayed a female character, captivating the audience with his distinctive style, including his attire, body language, gestures, and facial expressions. Cardozo describes Britton's portrayal as that of a "flawless young lady who humorously criticized the boys in her song". Despite the playful criticism, the boys in the audience enthusiastically called for Britton to return to the stage for multiple encores. Cardozo refers to Britton as "Hermegildo," as he was highly cherished by the residents of Britona during that period. It is worth noting that even though he had gained significant recognition as an artist under the name "H. Britton" on the tiatr stage in Bombay, the villagers of Britona still preferred to address him with his first name "Hermegildo." Cardozo asserts that Britton's singing, dancing, and portrayal of female characters were unique in the tiatr history, establishing him as a female artist for an extended period, despite the occasional breaks to pursue better opportunities abroad.

Death On 24 September 2009, Britton died at his residence in Penha de França, Goa, after a brief illness. His funeral took place three days later at Britona Cemetery. A large number of individuals gathered at Britton's residence to pay their final respects to him.

Among those who paid their last respects to Britton were prominent politicians such as Dayanand Narvekar, the MLA of Aldona, and Dr. Wilfred de Souza, the Vice Chairman of the Goa State Planning Board. Moreover, numerous personalities from the tiatr community attended the funeral. Individuals among them included Tomazinho Cardozo, the President of the Tiatr Academy of Goa, Prince Jacob, Cyriaco Dias, Sabina Alvares, Adv Mike Mehta, Anil Kumar, Bond Braganza, Jessy, Diana, Sabina Alvares, Mario Menezes, Osvi Viegas, Patrick Dourado, Xavier Paclo, Xavier Mascarenhas, C. D'Silva, Bab Andrew, Boneventur DPetro, Maestro Agnel, and Anceto Lawrenco.

Tomazinho Cardozo, who had a four-decade-long association with Britton, praised him as a highly talented artist who had captured the hearts of the masses. Cardozo specifically highlighted Britton's portrayal of female roles and emphasized that his contributions to tiatr would be forever remembered by fellow tiatrists. Custom Officer Writer/director Jivit Kuwaitchem Writer/director Bebdo Put Writer/producer Bunhad Naslolem Ghor Writer/producer Select discography Bandra Festac (1971) Pandu Lampiaum (1971) Marialina (1982)