Music of Goa


Music of Goa refers to music from the state of Goa, on the west coast of India. A wide variety of music genres are used in Goa ranging from Western art music to Indian classical music. Konkani music is also popular across this tiny state. Being a former territory of Portugal, Goa has a dominant western musical scene with the use of instrument such as the violin, drums, guitar, trumpet and piano. It has also produced a number of prominent musicians and singers for the world of Indian music. Portuguese Fado also has significance in Goa.
Lorna Cordeiro is a popular singer and is referred to as the "nightingale of Goa", singing in both English and Konkani. Other popular performers include Anthony Gonsalves, António Fortunato de Figueiredo, Chris Perry, Hema Sardesai, Ian D'Sa,, Remo Fernandes, Surashree Kesarbai Kerkar, Kishori Amonkar, Dinanath Mangeshkar, and Oliver Sean. Goa has produced many performers of Indian classical music, such as the vocalist Kesarbai Kerkar, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle.
Goan local bands are known for their use of western music styles and are popular at both public and private celebrations. Goa has also developed its own style of trance music. Electronic music festivals are hosted yearly in Goa that attract people from over 50 countries.

Indigenous traditional music

The traditional Goan musical instruments include dhol, mridanga, tabla, ghumat, dholak, kansallem, mhadalem, shehnai, surt, tasso, nagado, chowgudo, and tambura. The ghumat is an earthen-ware pot-like vessel made by Goan potters with openings on the two opposite sides, one large and the other small in diameter, with the middle portion much bulging outwards. On the larger opening with the edge conveniently moulded for the fitting, a wet skin of a lizard, known in Konkani as sap or gar, is fully stretched to cover the whole surface of the opening. The ghumat is essential for Hindu festivals, some temple rituals like Suvari vadan, bhivari and mando performances. A mhadalem is a cylindrical earthen vessel covered at both ends with the skin of a lizard and is mostly played by the Kunbis. The chowgudo consists of two ‘dhobe’ and ‘zil’ placed in a cross form, facing each other, and played with sticks held in both hands.
Surpavo and konpavo are flutes of the dhangar community of Goa. The surpavo is a long bamboo flute of the shepherds. The instrument is like a staff and is around 60–70 cm long. Its sound is described as being 'soft and sweet'. The konpavo is 20–30 cm long. Its tone is described as being 'bright and high-pitched'. It is played in the upright position and is made of bamboo with a reed. This instrument is said to calm aggressive or disturbed cattle.
Surt is a long wooden tube fixed with a funnel shaped bell with three holes. It is used to accompany the shehnai. Shing is a heavy curved brass trumpet with a shrill, hoarse tone. Korno is a wooden straight trumpet with a funnel-shaped bell. Banko is a curved brass pipe instrument with four pipes fitted in one another. It has a harsh and loud sound.
Being part of Portugal for over 450 years led to the introduction of the piano, mandolin and violin to Goa. Other instruments such as the drums, guitar and trumpet were also widely used. Schools in this period taught pupils at least one such instrument. It is said that Goans have music in their blood, a statement further strengthened by the role music and dance plays in Goan culture. Popular folk dances such as the Portuguese Corridinho are still part of Catholic weddings.
Konkani song may be classified in four groups: one which draws on the more pristine form in music and verse, as in the fugdi or the dhalo; the second which blends western and native music but retains Konkani lyrics as in deknnis; the third which blends native and western music as well as language as in dulpod; and the fourth which has a marked influence of western music and lyrics with borrowed Portuguese words as in mando.
As many as 35 types of Konkani Song have been classified. These include banvarh, deknni, dhalo, dulpod, duvalo, fell song, fughri, kunnbi song, launimm, mando, ovi, palnnam, talghari, tiatr song, zagor song and zoti. The Christian hymns and Hindu religious songs are also characterized separately with the former related to contemporary western styles.
  • Banvarh is a mourning song, usually sung on the day of cremation by Hindus.
  • Deknni is a song which originated in Bardez, Ilhas and Salcete.
  • Dhalo is a wedding song.
  • Dulpod is a dance song with quick rhythm and themes from everyday Goan life.
  • Duvallo is a pregnancy song.
  • Fell is folk drama with themes from Indian epics or Indian history. It is performed by wandering artists usually after the rains, which start in June and end in August or September. The fell song is a dance song.
  • Fughri is a dance song performed on religious occasions, particularly in honour of the deity Ganesha.
  • The Kunnbi, who are probably together with the Gaudde the oldest inhabitants of Goa, belong to the peasant strata. The kunnbi song is a dance song in the fughri style depicting their own life, but also protesting against exploitation and social discrimination in a subtle manner.
  • Launim is a song dealing with religious and legendary themes.
  • Mando is a dance song whose major theme is love, the minor ones being historical narratives, grievance against exploitation and social injustice, and political resistance during the Portuguese presence in Goa.
  • Ovi, which the Portuguese termed as versos, is a song with nuptial themes. It has the Sanskrit root vri which means “to choose, to select”. The ovi has three rhymed lines and one unrhymed. The former contain each three or four words and the fourth line one, two, and exceptionally three words. The number of syllables is nine for the rhymed lines and four or five for the last line. The early Portuguese Christian missionaries adopted the ovi-form for liturgical and devotional hymns.
  • Palnnam is a cradle song, a lullaby.
  • Talgarhi is a song of the Gaudde. The theatre song is sung during the stage play, mainly performed by wandering artists during the dry season. They entertain the public while touching on daily life, but also sing subtle satires on local politics and the shortcomings of Goans.
  • Zagor means “watch”. The zagor song is sung in kunnbi folk plays depicting their own life. They are usually staged at night.
  • Zoti is sung at nuptials.
The Christian hymns and Hindu songs for the liturgy and popular devotions form an essential part of Goan daily life. It is common for passersby to hear people playing instruments in their houses during the evening hours.

Western traditional music

, a part of India since 1961, had been part of Portugal for over 450 years and hence has closer connections with Western classical and popular music. Use of Portuguese music and other western music is popular specifically at most Catholic weddings and celebrations. Live bands are a celebratory feature at such weddings, sometimes substituted by a Disc Jockey instead.
Over the centuries, indigenous Goan music was blended with European music, particularly that of Portugal. Hence Goan music uses western styles, notes and musical instruments more significantly than regional Asian variants. The Goa Symphony Orchestra was founded by António Fortunato de Figueiredo in 1952 and the Goa Philharmonic Choir was founded by Lourdino Barreto.
The Monte Music Festival hosted by Lisbon-headquartered Fundação Oriente, in partnership with the hotel Cidade de Goa is one of the premier cultural events on Goa’s crowded calendar. Every year, the three-day concert features both Indian and Western classical music along with dance performances held at the spectacularly situated Capela do Monte, high above the old capital of the Estado da India. The area is a UNESCO world heritage site.
The recently introduced annual two-day Ketevan World Sacred music festival offers music programs, courses and conferences with artists from several traditions around the world including Carnatic, Christian, Sufi, Hindustani, Jewish, Orthodox and many others. Artists like Santiango Girelli, Rocio De Frutos and Leo Rossi have participated in past events.

Tiatr

Another major attraction of the Goan music industry is the Tiatr derived from the Portuguese word 'teatro' meaning theater. It is a type of musical theatre still very popular with Goans, resident in Goa or Bombay as well as with expatriates and resident communities in the Middle East, London and other major western cities. The dramas are performed in the Roman Konkani dialects and include music, dancing and singing. Tiatr performers are called tiatrists. Songs integral to the plays are known as 'Kants'. Other songs, called kantaram are generally either comedic or based on topical, political and controversial issues that are interspersed through the performance. These musical interludes are independent of the main theme of the play. The songs are often satirical and unsparing of the politics and politicians of Goa. The music is provided by a live band including keyboard, trumpet, saxophone, bass guitar and drums. This century old theater industry in Goa still remains independent of government control and efforts to bring it under such control have met massive opposition from locals for fear of government regulation over content of political nature.

Konkani liturgical music and choirs

Goa has a rich heritage of Konkani liturgical music and hymns. The standard hymnal of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman is called Gaionancho Jhelo and the diocese also brings out a periodical sheet music publication of Konkani liturgical hymns a called Devacheam Bhurgeanchim Gitam. As with the liturgy, the entire music of the Catholic church in Goa is in the Latin script.
Churches across Goa always maintain choirs. Like most Catholic churches worldwide, there are separate choirs for adults and children. Some historically significant seminaries also maintain choirs of their own. A notable one is the all-male seminarians of the Santa Cecilia Choir, part of the over 400 year old Rachol seminary of Goa.'' The choir has also been known to use a 16th-century restored pipe organ for its concerts. Most of the centuries-old churches in Goa feature these pipe organs, but few are known to use them now because of their upkeep. However, they still form part of the churches interior decor and in almost all instances are located in the nave above the main entrances facing the altar in the far end below.