The Goan Christmas beckons Goa

Its the all too familiar sight in Goa at this time of the year. The streets packed to capacity. Traffic snarls all over the city. The town painted red with with the memorabilia of Christmas. Santa Claus waving from the glimmer of paint from glass fronted shops, Christmas carols renting the air and absolutely no place to park your two wheeler, while your four wheeler has no ambitions to make to the city for a long time to come.

From music shops to food outlets, to cloth shops to gift shops and groceries to designers, from stationers to hair stylists and beauticians  to cold storages and sweet marts, there is a buzz of big time business in Goa for all merchants at this time of the year. With barely 2 days for the Christmas cheer to ring in, there is therefore the last minute scramble to fill up the missing ingredients to ensure that this years Christmas is not compromised for anything.

The prices of eggs normally soar in Goa at this time with a commanding premium. Eggs are major ingredients in many of the Christmas sweets and the Goan Bebinca which is a class favourite among Goans calls for a lot of the egg. Broken eggs or damaged shell eggs do not remain on the shelf and are quickly whipped off by Bebinca makers. These eggs are cheaper compared to normal eggs.

The prices of all essential commodities also become steep as demand rises for various food items. Cashew nuts which is also another major ingredient for many Goan Christmas sweets such as cakes and marzipan, is also in great demand. Demand for Christmas decor always satisfies the passion of most Goans and you will find the streets filled with Christmas decor of all types most of which is imported from China and has a lot of takers here. The Goan  Christmas "star" has innovated over the years and the various styles are on display. However nothing can obviously beat the home-made bamboo star which many Goans fondly fabricate till date and the same brings nostalgia to the Goan Christmas.

Goans are also passionate about their clothing and the women always prefer to ring in Christmas while flaunting the crispness of a new dress. Tailors and designers have their hands full all over Goa and you can forget about ordering for a new dress a good 15 days before Christmas and are likely to be turned down. The town is also packed with a host of mens suit shops and from ready-mades to made to order, there is one for everyone.

The cribs at home are being given their finishing touches and the Christmas tree is moving out from the gloom of its storage in the attic to the comfort of the living room with buntings all over. Kids are now expecting good ole Santa to provide them with the gifts that they have been awaiting the whole year .

The curtains are being ironed, and there is a coat of paint given to the peeling walls. The Christmas dance is on the mind and the midnight mass would be the best way to ring in the Christmas cheer for all Goans.

Goa is therefore getting ready for the Christmas flavour, heralding the birth of Christ our saviour and King.

GTDC to float Goa's own cruise ship

The Goa Tourism Development corporation will soon float a tender for a cruise ship with the latest state of the art facilities and a 250 person seating capacity to float in Goa's rivers which is expected to benefit tourism in Goa in a big way. The tender will be open to shipyards in Goa who will also be eligible to bid for the same. The Cruise ship is expected to be incorporated with emerging features such as GSM, satellite services, latest sound systems, total air-conditioning, LCD televisions, Wi-fi systems and a full fledged restaurant with smaller food courts.

The cruise which will be around 50 metres long and 11 metres wide, will have a capacity to seat 250 people and will be running on a powerful engine and high speeds. In its ambitious plans the department of tourism wants to offer tourists bound for Goa, a thrilling opportunity of experiencing the entire stretch of the Mandovi river region in Goa within one journey through the cruise ship.The cruise will not be limited to shallow waters and will be able to venture out into the deep sea.

The ship is also expected to be leased out to the Corporates for private gatherings, conferences and late night parties, deep in the sea with music at full-blast with no disturbances to the local people of Goa.

Goa awaits Khell-tiatr festival

The annual Khell tiatr festival organised by Kala Academy in Goa is expected to be staged at the Dinanath Mangeshkar Kala Mandir Auditorium from July 14 to July 21 and will begin at 7 pm. The festival has an array of plays lined up for good entertainment for the enthusiasts of the tiatr in Goa who are probably in waiting for this festival which is due to begin today June 14 2009.

Among the various plays to be staged, is "Hanv Porot Letelim" which is written by Socorro and produced by Liby's productions from Santa Cruz. It is a tiatr which exposes the rich crooked people who exploit women and especially young widows. Although the woman fights back, she cannot bear the ungratefulness of her own son. Maria Martins plays the lead role impressively while Socorro, Carmine, Peter de Merces and Cyril Almeida are in good support.

"Faleam Udetelem is a play by Pascoal Rodrigues who is well known for his penchant for stories based on social issues. In this play, Pascoal acts, directs and his singing abilities also come to the fore.

Dominic Carvalho who has carved a niche for himself on the tiatr stage with some impressive plays comes around with "Tim Odhik Bhagi" which is a narration of family conflicts and the way in which others take advantage of the situation. The tiatr also takes a critical view of the way Goans are selling their land to people from outside Goa.

Anil and Olga will present their own tiatr titled "Ek Dhago Sukhacho"  which is written and directed by Anil Pednekar and is a story of family values. The cast has Anil ,Olga, Luis Bacchan, Aplon, Netto and Anil in the lead roles.

Maxcy Pereira weaves a tragic tale with "Amchei Anvdde" which depicts the story of an individual who sacrifices everything for his brother, including the love of his life, only to be repaid with ungratefulness with innocent parents suffering in the conflict. The script is reviewed as a good one and the play holds its audience spellbound.

"Love story 2009" coming from the tragedy King Mario Menezes is the story of two lovers wherein the girl is murdered in the most gruesome manner and the boy is accused of the heinous crime. After being arrested by a corrupt police officer, the boy has to fight against odds to prove his innocence.This murder mystery is woven in suspense and the cast of Rosy Alvares, Agnes, Lawry Travasso, Mario de Vasco, Edison, Mario Menezes and others perfrom brilliantly to keep the audience on their toes.

Menino De Bandar will present "Jiv" on the final day of the festival. The tiatr delivers a good message and is featuring Antonette de Calangute, Angela, Ida, Cielo and Ben Evangelisto in the main cast.

Khell tiatr lovers in Goa are therefore in for a treat this monsoon.

Goa Festival "Chikhal Kalo" in Marcel

ChiKhal Kalo is yet another Goan festival which is linked to the prevailing Goan season, just as many other Goan festivals which are celebrated as per the cycles of nature and going by the revelry of the ChiKhal Kalo it is indeed not surprising that the festival is celebrated in the monsoon season in Goa as it does seem that without the monsoon the festival would not be as frolicking as it turns out to be every year at this time of the monsoon season.

The Chikhal Kalo is a virtual mud play and is unique to the village of Marcel, in the taluka of Ponda. Celebrated on the twelfth day of the fourth month of Ashadh in the Hindu calendar, the festival is dedicated to Krishna in his childhood stage which is Bal-Krishna.

This year the festival was celebrated on a Saturday 4th July 2009, wherein Goan Hindus in Marcel are dressed in only their lower body garments such as short vests and frolic in the muck (ChiKhal)  by playing some traditional Goan games or some sporting games spontaneously. The whole scene takes place in front of the Devaki-Krishna temple in Marcel.

The festival of ChiKhal Kalo is believed to have been traditionally celebrated in Marcel as a portrayal of baby Lord Krishna who loved to play with his friends in Vrindavan and in Marcel it is celebrated as a sign of gratitude to Krishna.

The idol of Devaki-Krishna is believed to be originally hailing from the island of Chorao in Tiswadi taluka and was said to be taken to Marcel to evade the Portuguese wrath in the days of the erstwhile regime's rule in Goa.

ChiKhal Kalo is celebrated in Marcel where everyone from the village comes together sinking all their differences and celebrate ChiKhal Kalo by singing devotional songs and playing a variety of games. On the eleventh day of Ashadh, a saptak or non-stop performance of devotional songs is carried on in the temple of Devaki-Krishna. No sooner  the saptak concludes, the villagers from Marcel come together at the temple and invoke the folk deity Dad Sakhal with sounds of the drums, cymbals and bells with chants of 'jai hari vithal" renting the air.

As soon as the chanting ends, the real fun begins. Everybody first applies oil on their bodies which is taken from a huge brass lamp standing in the temple hall and wearing only their lower garments, the young and the old enter the open ground in front of the temple to prance in the rain drenched muddy waters( Chikhal) .

While the participants in the whole Chikhal Kalo indulge in a spontaneous frolic with games, devotional songs and chants being sung, those standing on the sidelines under the peepal tree close-by, shower different kinds of missiles such as sweets, ladoos, puran polis and bananas to those in the muck which is a thrilling spectacle to watch and well entertaining. So it is a free for all in the muck with a variety of games played in heavy rainfall, with friends and families applying wet clay and often pulling reluctant friends forcibly to playfully participate in the mud bath. 

The whole celebration culminates when the youngsters among the revelers form a human pyramid and break the clay pot of butter tied to a branch of the peepal tree above. The whole celebration is a picture of great fun and shows the spirit of the youth and their energy levels to take part in the muck in great spirits while brushing aside their daily inhibitions and enjoy the moment presented by the Chikhal Kalo festival in Goa

Some people in Marcel still prepare traditional sweets for the ChiKhal Kalo festival  like the special pancake called "bole" which is prepared from wheat, moong dal, jaggery and copra ( shredded coconut) and is considered to be a delicacy on this occasion.

TAG to urge Goa Board to include tiatr in school books

The newly formed Tiatr Academy of Goa (TAG) as a part of its ambitious plan to re-invigorate the essence of the tiatr for Goa and Goans, is set to request the Goa board and the textbook committee to include the tiatr in the school curriculum either as a lesson or as a part of dramatics which is currently being taught as an optional subject in many schools in the state.

According to the President of TAG, Mr Tomazinho Cardozo, tiatr plays a very important and relevant part in Goan society and is known to have had a major role in mobilising the public at the time of the opinion poll which played the most historic chapter to ensure that Goa remained as a separate state and did not get merged into Maharashtra. Songs and duets from tiatr are also known to strike an emotional chord with people in the state.

Mr Cardozo stressed that besides being a part of Goan culture, tiatr deals with social issues such as drugs and casinos and emphasized that anything that goes against the interest of Goans is brought to the fore by artistes from tiatr and said that students in modern Goa should be made aware about this fact.

Among the other things, to push the cause of tiatr far and wide in Goa and outside, Mr Cardozo lined out a series of activities that the TAG plans to undertake which include organising of seminars and lectures in schools and colleges on the different aspects of tiatr in Goa.

TAG also wants to document the history and experiences of the old tiatr artistes by interviewing them and recording their experiences on films. Tag will endeavour to document the history of tiatr by publishing books on it past legacy.

Preservation of tiatr literature is also high on the TAG agenda and it has resolved to publish scripts, one act plays and lyrics with the musical scores wherever possible.

A museum is being planned in the state of Goa which will house tiatr material in the form of manuscripts, handwritten lyrics, printed books, old records, CDs, DVDs which may be scattered around the state with government authorities as well as private individuals and collectors and will be exhibited at this museum. this collection of material is expected to begin this year in 2009 and go on uptill the museum is set up.

Tiatr Academy of Goa (TAG) which was set up by the government officially in February 2009 is expecting a funding of Rs 60 lakh towards its various activities. On the anvil is also a plan to encourage tiatr production by youth, technical workshops and seminars to upgrade the quality of tiatrs, promoting the art form as a means of communication outside the state and setting up a website for the academy.

TAG also wants to encourage and revive the use of wind instruments in tiatr and will host a festival of award winning dramas. Artistes of yesteryears will be remembered and honoured through various activities and persons documenting their works will b e provided incentives. A directory of tiatr artistes is also expected very soon. TAG in the meanwhile is also awaiting a premises in Panjim which has already been identified a provision for which is already made by the government which is reportedly to the tune of Rs 1.5 crore.

Goa Sao Joao Song - The Goan Sao Joao Festival

Goa Festivals : Ribandar and Candolim celebrate the Sangodd

Fishermen in Goa consider June 29th as the sacred day which has been traditionally dedicated to  their patron saint, St Peter. On this day instead of venturing out to catch fish, the fishermen of Ribandar tie three of their traditional wooden canoes  together to form the Sangodd. Palm leaves and other flora are then used to decorate the Sangodd which is made to resemble a chapel.

The Sangodd celebrations in Ribandar commence early morning at 6.30 when the parish priest of the Ribandar Church marches to the beat of the brass band along with a confraria member who clutches to a statue of St Peter and all of them board  the well decorated Sangodd which is waiting for their oncoming. The priest subsequently blesses the village and the river and prays for the fishermen and seeks blessings for their welfare while fishing.

The Sangodd later returns to the jetty and the holy mass is celebrated at the Church. This tradition has been brought down the ages and is over 100 years old wherein the faithful in the village are convinced of the power of the blessings on this day for God to protect them and also provide them with a good catch.

The Sangodd is also celebrated at Orda in far away Candolim which is also another spectacle to watch in the Candolim creek. Sangodd at Orda is known to be celebrated for the last 200 years as most people from Orda were known to be traditional fishermen. Traditionally people from this area were known to keep their daily work routine aside for the day and use their boats to celebrate the feast with a lot of pomp and gaiety.

A chapel of Santa Cruz which is over 130 years old stands by the creek at Orda and the members of the Santa Cruz chapel committee who organise the Sangodd continue with the tradition of erecting a chapel on top of the Sangodd  which was earlier done with bamboos and cloth.

However, nowadays in recent modern times, a neat plywood structure is being erected on the boat instead of a temporary structure. The Holy cross is placed at the topmost point of the chapel and a statue of St Peter is carried out from the holy cross chapel in a ceremony and placed in a small niche just below the cross.

As afternoon sets in, around 2.30 pm an opening hymn is sung by the locals of Orda and subsequently professional singers take over. This year on 29th June 2009, a large number of Konkani artists which included Anil, Olga, Socorro d e Santa cruz, Sonia, Albert, T Britton besides various child artistes and local artistes performed live on board the Sangodd.

Once the gathered crowd is entertained enough, the Sangodd moves to another location to regale another section of the crowds at another point down the creek. After the first point, five more stops are made as the artistes perform much to the excitement and thrill of the large gathered crowds. Slogans such as Viva Sao Pedro can be well heard.

In Salcete, the Sangodd is celebrated at Assolna at round 3 pm along the river sal at three different places. The first point is at the jetty behind the Church, the next one is at Collean Dando at Assolna and the third one is at Ambelim. All of them tie their fishing boats together and erect a stage on board the raft. Various artists sing on these Sangodds which are witnessed by curious crowds along the banks of the river.

Sangodd is therefore a  festival celebrated all over Goa mainly by the fishing community to invoke the blessings of St Peter and to celebrate the spirit of Goa.

The Goan Sao Joao Song

Here's the famous Goan Sao Joao song which lends the extra fervour to the Sao Joao Spirit in Goa. From the north to the south of Goa, the Sao Joao song is sung with a lot of love and emotion by Goans. The lyrics of the  song are a wonderful combination narrating the nostalgia an old rustic Goan village camaraderie which is melodious to the ears and the tune tends to reverberate the senses long after the song is sung and over with.

  

                   SAO JOAO CANTAR

Sogle ami zanvoim vortotaum, chodda tempan bhetleaum
Sao joao-chem festh mhunnon ami manvoddea aileaum
Mateak him kopelam ghalun uddok navonk bhair sorleaum
Aichea dissak voddle ami nokom khuim pauleaum.

Chorus
Sao Joao, Sao Joao gunvta mure vatt amkam dissona
Aicho dis urbecho konn konnak hansona
Choll-re pie-re tum illo ghe-re faleam kaim mevona
Oslim festam vorsak kiteak don pauti enam.

Zanvoim ami festak aileaum mun ganvan bobau poddla
Mhojea sasupain tin kouxe soro addla
Tin kudvanchim sandnam keleant ani dhukor marla
Sezarchea konsu manan ponos daddla.

Chorus
Sao Joao, Sao Joao gunvta mure vatt amkam dissona
Aicho dis urbecho konn konnak hansona
Choll-re pie-re tum illo ghe-re faleam kaim mevona
Oslim festam vorsak kiteak don pauti enam.

Vhooddilanchea kaiddea pormonem uddok nataum bhaimchem
Khoddegant fest hem amchem manvoddechem
Pondra diss alchenoi hangache bhorench ami ghevchem
Choll atam sao joao vhoria maguir tem pouchem.

Chorus
Sao Joao, Sao Joao gunvta mure vatt amkam dissona
Aicho dis urbecho konn konnak hansona
Choll-re pie-re tum illo ghe-re faleam kaim mevona
Oslim festam vorsak kiteak don pauti enam.

Viva Sao Joao

Sao Joao celebrations beckon Goa

The feast of Saint John the Baptist is a favourite among Goans and the entire state gets set at this time of the year to get its watery act together to celebrate what is commonly known as "Sao Joao" festival in Goa. In Salcete, the feast is celebrated with a lot of gusto especially in the village of Benaulim which has the Church of St John the Baptist and the feast is on the 24th Of June. Sao Joao Day!

The Church of St John the Baptist in Benaulim is located on the  picturesque hillock situated at the entrance of Colva and towards  Benaulim. This Church also has a unique architecture and is well admired by tourists who flock to the place when they visit Colva and Benaulim. Novenas are held for 9 days prior to the feast day and the feast is celebrated with a lot of pomp and gaiety known to be part of such feasts in Goa. This time as usual there are a lot of programmes lined up including singing and dancing acts besides the prospect of watching a tantalising soccer match. Besides the  Benaulim parish, the feast is also celebrated in other villages of Goa such as Cortalim, Harmal and Terekhol in the north.

An unique tradition which runs is that the son-in-law gets invited to the brides house on the feast day. Also the newly married son-in-law wears a crown of fruits or leaves and jumps into the well. It is believed that it is for this very reason that many youngsters  jump in wells all over Goa in celebration and revelry accompanied by the sounds of the ghumot and traditional music and songs such as some delightfully sung mando's. Rivers, ponds, lakes and pools are not spared for a bountiful dip on this day and the young and the old join in the melee which reaches a crescendo towards the afternoon. Goan food, traditional drinks and various Goan delicacies make their way into this festive mood and the whole atmosphere is of fun and joy.

The chant of "Viva Sao Joao" is however not limited to south Goa alone and the north of Goa in fact has various locations where the celebrations are far more wider and louder. It is believed that St John the Baptist leapt with Joy in his mother Elizabeth's womb when she was visited by mother Mary. This is actually the basic background under which the "jumping" in the wells has become a traditional feature in Goa. Villages of Anjuna, Calangute Vagator,  and Siolim celebrate the feast of Sao Joao in a pompous manner.

In the village of Siolim, the celebration is very prominent and every village area plays its part with places such as Igrejavaddo, Gaunsavaddo, Marna and Fernandesvaddo chanting the "Viva Sao Joao ' in style. Distribution of Jackfruit, mangoes , Goan foods and pouring of water on newly married daughters-in-laws is a tradition in Gaunsawaddo.

In Siolim and in Goa as a whole the spectacle to look out for during  the Sao Joao celebrations is however the grand boat parade which has increased its followers over the years. A large number of people flock to witness this parade and this 175 year old history of celebrating Sao Joao in this village continues till date. However the event which may have started long ago on a small note has magnified in size and shape to turn out into a major attraction of Goa. The youth are traditionally known to merge from the neighboring places around Siolim coming in decorated boats wearing crowns or tender coconut leaves, singing Mandos and playing the Ghumot. After reaching near the cross in front of the church,they light candles at the cross, put a garland, light firecrackers , perform the "Saude" and dance around with the chant of Viva Sao Joao.

The boat procession is a replication of the entry of the Portuguese merchants along with the miraculous statue of St Anthony. The event was given a more organised shape in the year 1992 by some traditionally live Goans from Siolim and thus the "Sao Joao traditional boat parade" was formally christened. Later a committee was formed and since 1997 the Siolim Sao Joao traditional boat festival committee ensured that the festival was organised in a proper manner till date.

The Goan Shigmo

Shigmo is celebrated in  Goa with the usual Goan fervour that Goans are so proud of. It seems to be a festival which is celebrated in a transition period of Goan climate when the winter season in Goa ends and the vagaries of summer begin to take over with various creatures which had laid low in the winter emerging out of their hibernation to partake in the joy and merriment awaiting them with  colours, fun and frolic.

While the rest of India celebrates the festival of Holi in full spendour, with different groups and teams singing and dancing to folk songs and folk dances, with drums and cymbals to give the desired effects, Goa on the other hand celebrates its own distinguished brand of holi known as "shigmo"which is unique to Goa and Goans.

Some opine that the word Shigmo is a clear derivation which has evolved from Sugimha or Sugrisha which means a "pleasant summer time".

The advent of summer with the goodbyes to winter actually marks the festival of Shigmo as if the change of the season had brought in merriment and fun accompanied with it. So the Shigmo essentially is a heralding of happiness and merry, signifying the change of the winter season to the advent of the summer.In Goa, all d ifferences of caste and creed or status is set aside to celebrate all kinds of feasts and the same goes with the Shigmo, with people from all strata of society partaking in the celebrations wit a spirit of festivity. The folk dances , folk songs and the cultural beat is the backbone of the rich Goan cultural heritage which Goans are very proud of.

With a unique identity that the Shigmo has, it was also the hotbed of natural eco friendly methods of fun. The colours used in the shigmo festivities were very natural in the olden days and were made from dried wild flowers which never caused any problems or irritation to any revellers or passers by. Also the traditional colour, Gulal made of rice mixed with turmeric powder was also sprayed in Goa on the revellers partaking in the festival.

There were innovative natural ways to spray the colours with the older generation using jet sprayers mad of bamboo sticks which were very effective while being eco friendly. Also the colours being safe and natural nobody  bothered about the ill effects of the  colours. In contrast, we see modern times where colours are normally included in chemicals which can be quite hazardous.

The festival of shigmo has always been one which has seen unique traditions specific to each village or area. While the festival is celebrated across the length and breadth of Goa very actively, unlike Carnival, it is not observed on a fixed day but rather on different days with each village or area having its own tradition of celebrating it. However there are certain disciplines followed in the celebrations which forms the essence of the festival.

The Shigmo is therefore a true Goan festival which has survived the times and can be traced centuries back showcasing the unique identity of Goa, Goan character and the rich Goan culture.

Goa ready to make way for King Momo in 2009

    Giant clowns, loud colours, water splashes, lipstick toting men masquerading as sexy women, clthing with colours in red, purple yellow, green and orange and you know that the Goan Carnival is here.

Goan streets will soon be transformed into abodes of fun and frolic and thronged by people from all over Goa and the world throwing balloons and splashing colour at each other with laughter and Goan songs in merry accompaniment.

Similar to carnival celebrations in recent years, Carnival in Goa is expectedly on modern festivity lines for Goans and tourists from all over the world with mammoth carnival parades packing overcrowded streets, music and dances galore besides the traditional Goan Khell-tiatrs all over Goa, international performances, street magicians and even a motorcross planned for this year.

Goa's premier waterfront, the mandovi is expectedly bound to be dressed up for the occasion in festive carnival decor with foodstalls dotting the promenade where stages will also be set up for performances by bands, cultural troupes and fashion shows.

Dances are part of the staple entertainment of Goa and this year is not going to be any different with dances lined up all over Goa. The sinquetim "Festa de leques"  south Goa's traditional carnival dance is already bracing itself for the occasion as is the Clube Nacional which has the traditional " Red and Black" dance at this time of the year.

The floats will however be the main draw for tourists form all parts of the world as also Goans who love to take part in the floats to add to the excitement and the revelry of Carnival. Panjim will witness the first parade on Saturday evening while at the same time a traditional band will move around the citry of Margao performing the Alvorada which will be like an announcement of the festivities lying ahead for the people of Margao. Meanwhile floats are expected to depict some very common problems affecting Goa in the whole festivities and issues such as garbage, megaprojects and pollution are bound to  find a platform through the float parade.

While Panjim, Margao, Vasco and Mapusa have been the regular haunts for the carnival floats, there have been new entrants in the space which includes Curtorim in south Goa and Candolim in the north besides many other villages also taking float parades traditionally.

So the whole of Goa is gearing up for the buzz of carnival for three days beginning the eve of Sunday 22nd February 2009 and winding up on Tuesday 24th February 2009 which would include everything to make the mood of Goa carnivalesque with salsa performances, manipuri acrobats, russian can can dancers, fashion shows, super motorcross, bands, fancy dress competitions, bollywood performances,musical shows, fishing contests, canoe races, beauty contests, konkani film screenings, spot singing contests, khell tiatrs, and lots of fun.

Where is the Goan music gone?

We grew up with music all around us. We were given to understand that we are naturally born with it. It was something presumable in the Goan blood. If your dad wasn't a musician your uncle had to be one. Your aunt had to know solfeggio and your grand uncle could negotiate anything on the violin. This was nearly the situation in most homes of Goa.

At Church feasts, we had the brass band, at ladainhas ( litany) we had the violins, at the Saibinn it was there again, at birthdays, during christmas and new year it was never missed. Music and song was indeed a part of our everyday life.

If the Mando, the dekhni and later the delights of Lorna were not played, there used to be sing-alongs among members of the family and everyone reveled in the musicals. The "kandllam onvllam" on radio were the eager music for Goan housewives as also Goan restaurants which never failed to play the music.

However things have changed over the years. The music seems to have drained out from the Goan walk of life. The coming of the "saibinn" is celebrated in the form of song only. There is no music. The "ladainhas" have no sound of the violin and the violinists themselves have become a rare species. the brass band plays. Seldom at funerals and at feasts. But they are the last few chips of the old block with the youngsters unwilling finding those instruments huge and gawky and would rather get themselves inside a conventional Goan band .

Music is sadly no longer looked upon as a must-do in Goan homes. Newer economic interests have directed our motives in pursuit of excellence for our children. And if it wasnt for the Goan wedding bands who again have economic sense to continue, our Goan music would have been dead prematurely.

Of course there is the occasional news of some talented young Goans who surface in newspapers armed with a degree in violin and other instruments which are a small reflection of the actual talent they possess. But other than that trickle there is nothing more to cheer about the music of Goa.

Goan wedding bands and choirs in churches are the last few remnants of a musical lineage that is slowly dying. We sincerely need to wake up and infuse in us a new desire, a new enthusiasm, a new vigour to bring us back to the music of yore, that Goa was always famous for. We need to re-discover ourselves. But will we?