Margao – “On the joyous birthday of Goa’s Nightingale, Bai Lorna Cordeiro, I extend my warmest wishes to her and once again appeal to the Government to honour this legendary singer with the Gomant Vibhushan and a Padma Award,” said Madganvcho Awaaz and Youth Leader Prabhav Naik.
Naik recalled that on 9 August 2025, Bai Lorna’s birthday, Madganvcho Awaaz had formally appealed to the Government of Goa to confer upon her the Gomant Vibhushan, the State’s highest civilian honour, and to recommend her name for a Padma Award. He said that the demand was made in recognition of her unparalleled contribution to Konkani music and her role in taking Goa’s cultural identity to audiences across the world.
He further recalled that when the Padma Award recipients were announced on 25 January 2026, he once again raised the issue and expressed disappointment over Bai Lorna’s name being absent from the list. Prabhav Naik said that despite his earlier appeal and the immense contribution of the legendary singer, the Government had failed to ensure due recognition for one of Goa’s most iconic cultural personalities.
“Bai Lorna is not merely a singer; she is an institution who carried Goa’s soul through her voice across continents. Her songs gave identity, dignity and global recognition to Konkani music. Such a towering cultural icon deserves timely recognition and the highest honours of the State and the nation,” Prabhav Naik said, adding that Goa must demonstrate that it values those who have dedicated their lives to preserving and promoting its cultural heritage.
Prabhav Naik once again urged the Government to immediately confer the Gomant Vibhushan on Bai Lorna Cordeiro and earnestly pursue her nomination for a Padma Award. He said the demand has been raised repeatedly and should no longer remain pending. “On her birthday, I appeal to the Government to do justice to Goa’s Nightingale. Honouring Bai Lorna is not merely honouring an individual; it is honouring Goa’s language, music, culture and identity,” Prabhav Naik asserted.
