Music is the heart and soul of culture in Mangalore. 

Mangalorean Catholics have a typical list of songs that have been sung through the ages, including baila and American and British music from the 50s and 60s. Here’s a songbook that captures many of these precious songs. It’s called the JERINA Songbook, named after my grandparents, Jerry & Ena

Music is the heart and soul of culture in Mangalore. 

Mangalorean Catholics have their own unique musical style called “baila”, a word that comes from the Portuguese “bailar”, which means to dance. It is a blend of local and Portuguese musical styles and it is also popular in Goa and Srilanka. Baila is upbeat, full of life and brings the entire community on their feet every time it plays. It is typically accompanied by lively dancing and plenty of brass instruments. Brass bands are very popular in Mangalore, especially at weddings.