Goa Gets New Venue Reggae Haven

Goan dentist-turned-musician Varun Carvalho has always had a sense of giving back to the community. Over the years, he has organized music festivals at venues and colleges in Goa as well as the Goa Music Fest in 2017. “I sincerely believe that music definitely has the power to bring the community together so that collectively we can make the world a better place,” says Carvalho. His latest venture now is Reggae Haven, a venue he has opened in Cavelossim in Goa. “The idea was to create a physical space that would attract people with the right vibe.”

Carvalho, a reggae musician himself, tells us that it was always his dream to open up a venue like this. Open for just over two months now, Reggae Haven is housed near a lake and beach with trees on all sides. “When we found this beautiful piece of land in the picturesque beachside village of Cavelossim, we realized that we needed to set up Reggae Haven right here,” he states.

Setting up a new venue in the midst of the pandemic couldn’t have been easy. Ask Carvalho and he says, “It was definitely a challenge.” But with a positive attitude, Carvalho and his team were able to execute their ideas and vision and built Reggae Haven from the ground up in just two months. He says, “A dream that we once had is now a living, breathing reality with the same positive vibrations that we envisioned. We definitely believe in the power of positivity and the power of the universe.”

Reggae Haven has been programming live acts almost every night since opening. Carvalho informs us that artists from all genres are welcome to perform at the venue. He explains, “Our bigger idea is for artists to meet, collaborate and create. For this, we have already created the infrastructure where artists can stay, jam up and record at the venue.” He adds, “Reggae culture is about being open to new ideas and new music, so in keeping with this philosophy we have been promoting all genres of music at Reggae Haven as long as the music gives out positive vibrations.”

For those who don’t know what to expect at Reggae Haven, Carvalho tells us that patrons can experience five-star service when it comes to food, with their specially curated menu, unique cocktails as well as a chilled-out atmosphere. “All in all, it’s been a great journey and we welcome people from all over the world to Reggae Haven to come and feel the Goa vibe,” he says. Carvalho also has plans to expand Reggae Haven to other parts of India by franchising it. “We look forward to spreading the reggae message of ‘one love,’” says Carvalho.