Muscat: Josma Rodrigues Wins Music Scholarship
By : Clarence Pinto
Daijiworld Media Network - Muscat

Muscat, Feb 27: Josma Rodrigues, eldest daughter of Joseph and Clara Helen Rodrigues has won prestigious Young Musicians of Muscat (YMM) committee scholarship for Music for the next three years in the recent competition held in Muscat.

As published recently, in a bid to encourage young talents, the Young Musicians of Muscat (YMM) conducted the first Music Awards Oman (MAO) event at the Phillipa Leggate Music Hall at ABA.  Competing to win one of three awards, each funding music scholarships of RO 500 per year for a three year period, nearly 40 teenagers under the age of 15 performed at least one musical piece

Following over two hours of confidently executed recitals, the judges, including chairman Stephen Penny and Tom and Connie Powers,  made their final evaluations. That done, the three adjudicators gave their results to Phillip Stallwood, founder and director of the YMM and host for the evening. After a particularly tight competition, 11 year old Sri Lankan School student, Amanthi Wijesundara was announced the winner of the OMIFCO Junior scholarship. The Al Omaniya Financial Services senior scholarship went to 14 year old Joshua Michael from Indian School Muscat, while Josma Rodrigues, also from the Indian School Muscat, received the YMM committee scholarship.

The winners were awarded for their skill, musicianship, stage presence and passion.  As for the successful three, they  were overjoyed to take the coveted prizes. 

Josma is one of the best gifted singers of the Mangalorean Community in Muscat and has won several prizes in MCCP’s (Mangalorean Catholic Centre of the Parish -Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Ruwi) annual singing competition. Josma and her sister Melita are called as “Sisters of Golden Voice” and both of them have won hearts of many music lovers in Muscat.