Wilfy Rebimbus

Wilfred Gerald "Wilfy" Rebimbus (2 April 1942 – 9 March 2010) was an Indian singer-songwriter, lyricist and playwright known for his Konkani and Tulu language compositions. He has been nicknamed the Konkan Kogul meaning cuckoo (songbird) of the Konkan.

Early life Rebimbus was born to a Mangalorean Catholic family. He was born on 2 April 1942 to Landeline Rebimbus and Magdeline Mendonca in Mangalore. His father was from Kanhangad, Kerala and mother was from Goa.

He had his primary and high school education at Milagres High School in Mangalore, currently Mangaluru. Later, he did a mechanical course before joining St Joseph's Workshop as an apprentice.

Career

Rebimbus was a singer early in his life, he had won prizes in various singing events.

He had started composing Konkani songs at the age of 14 and authored his first drama Poixeancho Sonvsar (The World of Money) when he was 15 and staged it through the St. Joseph's Natak Sangh.

He founded the musical group called United Youngsters Music Party in 1959 when he was 17. It is now known as United Youngsters Cultural Association.

Other activities Apart from singing, Rebimbus was also an athlete and Kabaddi player during his school days.

Creative output He is credited for taking modern Konkani music to new heights with his unique compositions and singing style. He wrote songs for numerous occasions and situations. In a career spanning about four decades, he wrote thousands of songs and staged a total of 248 Wilfy Nites.

He has released approximately forty albums, six devotional albums and at least one instrumental album.

His poetry works comprise Vinchnar Podam (nine volumes), Kogull Gaita (two volumes), and audio cassettes and albums (47 in all).

On his 60th birthday in 2002, a third edition of a collection of songs called Kogul Gautha (The Koel Sings) was scheduled for release, together with a special edition of Poinnari, a weekly that dedicated an issue to Rebimbus. Wilfy composed his first song in 1952, wrote a stage play in 1958, and performed his first music show in 1971.

Legacy Mandd Sobhann, a Mangalore-based Konkani cultural organisation, announced in 2009, that it would confer the Konkani music lifetime achievement award to Rebimbus "for his unparalleled contribution to Konkani music."

Former Karnataka chief minister and ex-union minister Veerappa Moily has described Rebimbus, "His talent is uncomparable; his legacy is unparallel[ed]. Rebimbus is undoubtedly an epochmaker."

A singing contest has been held in his name in the year 2013.

Research work based on Rebimbus Antony Mavrel Lobo of Christ University, Bangalore, submitted a thesis in July 2019 on Representation of Konkani music and culture through the works of Wilfy Rebimbus. In it, he argues that "according to the research conducted by Konkani Sahithya Academy, in Mangalore there are 42 dialects of Konkani, where people speak the same language using a few different words in the state of Karnataka." He died of complications from lung cancer on 9 March 2010.

After his death at the age of 67, his remains were kept for public viewing at the St. Joseph's Seminary Church at Jeppu in Mangaluru on March 11, 2010. He was buried at the Jeppu Cemetery.