mauritius nairobi england hong kong and the united arab emirates sample the allure that goa had to offer the initiative was called lsquogoa with loversquo ldquoit has been amazing watching how hersquos put his heart and soul into goan folk songs and dances for so many yearsrdquo helen gushes the adage lsquobehind every successful man there is a womanrsquo couldnrsquot ring more true many also credit timoteo with introducing the concept of pageants to goa the annual crowning of the lsquosparks queenrsquo being the earliest known today it takes junkets music festivals hot air balloon rides and a host of other ambitious initiatives to project goa as a global tourism hotspot and so in 1965 lsquotimoteorsquos folklore troupersquo was born apparently not with the suave timoteo at its helm whether in a kaxtti or a suit the vibrant troupe traversed the length and breadth of the state breathing new life into the lsquodekhnnirsquo and lsquofugddirsquo as well as songs and dances specific to the kunbi and kharvi communities ldquoirsquove always been happy i guess that helps a lot toordquo he smiles if that wasnrsquot enough timoteo invented what is now famous as the lsquokottrsquoti fugddirsquo which involves folk dancers using coconut shells as a form of percussion it was a resounding successrdquo timoteo says whorsquod have thought that an employee of the statersquos directorate of accounts wouldrsquove metamorphosed into an ambassador for goan culture that too of his own volition drawing inspiration from a brazilian magazine he came across at then clube nacional president vasco alvaresrsquo home timoteo wasted no time in gathering his sparks group some youth a few bandolins violins bongos and a bullock cart so every time a cultural troupe impresses you or a carnival parade warms your heart you know that theyrsquove come to be mainly because of a certain timoteo fernandes