50-yr-old tryst with music comes to a close

Veera Pooniwala,Principal of St.Cecilia’s School of Music,died on March 12 after a terminal illness. A prayer service was held on Wednesday. Many who have been associated with music in the city have formed a group to pay tribute to Pooniwala for her selfless service.

“She will always be an inspiration for each one of us,” says Roshni Thomas,who has been Pooniwala’s student for 15 years. Tears well up in her eyes as she remembers how proud Pooniwala was when Roshni had bagged the exhibition award from Trinity College of London and scored the highest points for the performer’s certificate in the country. “She was so happy,” Roshni recollects. Veera Pooniwala had turned 66 on March 10,just two days before she passed away,says Farieda Havewala who has been learning music from the age of four and has been teaching at St. Cecilia School of Music for the past 25 years. “Aunty Veera was my best friend,teacher and mentor. It is a huge loss for the world of music,” says Havewala.

Her dedication and efforts are reflected in the musicians she has moulded along with her dedicated teachers.

Piano and violin teacher Lancelot D’Souza pointed out that she had a calm and gentle approach to each student.

Trained under Miss Enid Roberts,Pooniwala was given the charge to run the school. At any given time,there were more than 200 students taking classes in piano,singing and elocution,says Pooniwala’s niece Khursheed Ghati,who is also a teacher.

Dean Lobo,who is a final year BCS student,has been Pooniwala’s student for more than 13 years and fondly remembers how she never gave up faith in each student.

“There was something about Aunty Veera that pushed me to perform better,” says Lobo,who achieved distinction in the Performer’s Certificate examination. Cheryl D’Souza,who studied music when she was in St. Anne’s School,now sends her children,also recalled Aunty Veera’s loving nature.