What a fantastic year for Konkani music! Goan bands delivered a wave of original tracks that captured the hearts of listeners, both at home and across the diaspora.
From weddings and concerts to events and personal playlists, these songs were played on repeat everywhere.

Here’s a round-up of five of my favourite releases from the year. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard them too.

In order of release date –

ClayJars – Soglim Nachom Eyai (Apr 21, 2025)

I first caught this young band at an event organized by the Caranzalem parish back in May. The monsoon arrived earlier than expected, cutting their set short, but not before they performed this track along with covering some classics too. Fresh off their UK tour, where they played at the World Goa Day celebrations, ClayJars is definitely a band to watch out for.

The 7 Notes Band – Dukota (Jun 15, 2025)

One of Goa’s hottest bands right now, The 7 Notes Band released this original track to much acclaim. With over 5 million views on YouTube, it’s arguably the Konkani hit of the year. Their high-energy sets, packed with original music and well-arranged covers of both contemporary and classic songs, have made them one of the most in-demand bands today. Avoi geeeeeee….Dukota!!

Uzo – Kallzant Pettla Uzo (29 Jun 2025)

Funnily enough, I shared a classroom with lead singer Axel just a month before this track dropped. We were attending a series of lectures on Fado by Goan Fadista Sonia Shirsat and the two of us sang a paragraph each, of a Fado, during the final session. When the teaser for this song released, I couldn’t wait to hear it in full. Kallzant Pettla Uzo is a slower number when compared to the other tracks in this list.

Uzo, which translates to fire, is a fitting name for a band with such electric stage presence. They know exactly how to get a crowd moving. And if you were at the Christmas party at Gavin’s Verna, you would’ve seen it for yourself. Uzo set the stage ablaze at 5 a.m. What a scene!

Skeletron ft. Rochelle Braganca – Nach Re (Aug 17, 2025)

This one is my personal favourite of the year. The guitar intro carries a distinct South African flavour, reminiscent of the Hallelujah Chicken Run Band, and that instantly caught my ear. Although I haven’t had the chance to watch Allan D’Souza, better known as Skeletron, perform live, I’ve seen Rochelle on stage with the band Double R a couple of times. Together, this duo delivered a standout hit, and just weeks later they followed it up with yet another catchy release, Ringa Ringa.

Black Sapphire Band and Alison Gonsalves – Rosalina (Aug 29, 2025)

Released shortly after Nach Re, this track quickly took over Instagram, with everyone hopping on the trend and making reels to its dance steps. There’s a line in the song that references Alfred Rose which I felt was a nice homage to the legend. I finally got to hear Black Sapphire perform it live at Oktoberfest Goa this November, and spotted fans in the audience with custom made Rosalina T-shirts.

The audience at Oktoberfest Goa were treated to a Lorna and Tsumyoki collaboration that’s slated to be released soon. From what I heard, that one’s sure to make it to the 2026 top hits! Something to look forward to.

Did I miss any tracks that should have made it to the 2025 top 5? Let me know in the comments.