Traditional Musics of Goa

                                    TRADITIONAL  MUSIC OF GOA

The traditional Goan musical instruments include Dhol, Mrindanga, tabla, Ghumat, Dholak, Shehnai and many more.

·     

  GHUMAT  is an earthen-ware pot- like vessel made by Goan potters with opening on the two opposite sides, one large and the other small in diameter, with the middle portion much bulging outward. It is essential for Hindu festivals.

                  

      GHUMAT                                                             

        

                                                                 TABLA

                                                   

                                                                                                      MRINDANGA

SHEHNAI                                                 

Music of Goa refers to music from the state of Goa. A wide  variety of music genres are used in ranging from western art music to Indian classical music. Konkani music is popular across this tiny state. Goa is very popular state in traditional music.

Traditional Dance's of Goa

Dekhni

 

 

Dekhni in Konkani languages means "bewitching beauty". The song-cum-dance performed only by women to the accompaniment of folk drum "Ghumat", displays a rare blend of Indian and western cultures. The dance enacts the life of a "Devadasi" girl whose job is to perform dance in temples and social ceremonies like weddings.

 

The theme is of a Devdasi girls who comes to a riverbank to take a ferry to reach the other side where she has an appointment to dance in a wedding. She requested the adamant boatman  for a favour and is even ready to offer him her golden earring for taking her across urgent.

TRADITIONAL CHURCHES OF GOA

SE CATHERDRAL CHURCH

 

One of the most ancient and celebrated religious buildings of Goa, this magnificent 16th century monument to the Roman  Catholic rule in Goa under the Portuguese is the largest church in Asia.

 

The construction of this imposing edifice began in 1562 during the reign of King Dom Sebastiao and substantially completed in by 1619.The Cathedral was built for the Dominicans and paid for by the Royal Treasury out of the proceeds of the sale of the Crown's property.

Traditional Dance's Goa

Dhalo Dance

 

 

 

One of the most popular Goan dances, Dhalo is performed by women folk on the moonlit night of 'Pausha' month. Compared to fugdi dance is slow. The song are in Konkani and Marathi. normally 12-24 women assemble after the dinner at a pre-selected specific spot (Mand) in the courtyard of a house in the village.

They arrange themselves in 2 parallel rows of 12 , facing each other, and in a tribal fashion from a close knit by linking themselves arm-around, the back arrangement, singing in unison. The song cover religious and social themes. The dance goes on every night for a week. On the concluding day, women sport all sort of fancy dresses and caricature man.





TRADITIONAL GOAN CHURCHES

BASILICA DE BOM JESUS CHURCH



 

It is Goa's most famous church and among the most revered by Christians world wide, is partially in ruins but still a model of simplicity and elegance, and a fine example of Jesuit architecture.

 

The foundation stone of this remarkably large church was laid on 24 November 1594 and the church was consecrated by Fr. Alexia de Menezes , the archbishop of Goa and primate of India consecrated it when it was completed on 15 may 1605.

Traditional folk dance's of Goa

Traditional Folk Dance's of Goa

The traditional folk music and dances have continued uninterruptedly, while the influence of the Portuguese music and dance on the local culture has helped evolve new forms. This happy blending and co-existence of culture tradition gives a unique character the music and folk dance of Goa.

Mando


The first mando is thought to have been written down around 1840. However this beautiful form of singing has a tradition which can be traced back much further than that. Although the mando cannot strictly be classified as traditional folk song from; it has been established in Goa for many a year. The mando is very popular among the Christion community in Goa. In the grandest of traditions, the mando-singers was invited specially on occasion of a wedding or some grand celebration. There he would often compose special mando in honour of the bridal couple, whose qualities were described in detail in the mando.
The lovely mixture of Goan folk music and church music that makes up the mando is still very popular in Goa. There is a special mando festival held every year which attract a large number if entries from all over the state along with appreciating audiences.

  
 

christian wedding

In christanity marriage are considered to be union between man and women predestined by god christians wedding rituals are conducted in church , admist all friends and familys members 

scripture readings,music ,vows , family roles ,programs ,the reception .......

you'll find it all in all here at catholic wedding 

1-traditions in the ritual 2-getting engaged 3-contacting parish 4-preparing for life long marriage  

Wall paintings

Walls were painted lavishly to indicate the status of the residents. The subjects of these paintings were birds and animals, social scenes, festivals and heroic deeds of men. The paintings in temples were usually based on stories of devotion and sacrifice from the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. They were categorised into three segments-

1.   Paintings on plastered walls – These paintings were painted with a mixture of colour powder along with vegetable dyes and lead based pigments.

2.   Fresco Buono technique – This European technique of painting consists of lime coat thoroughly mixed with marble dust to prevent the colours going dull or peeling off. Before the coat is dry, the painting is completed.

3.   Graffito Art – This art form is a European influence and seems to have originated in Maharashtra, which forms one of the borders of Goa and appears on the walls of most of the temples in Goa. The design is scratched out on the plastered wall while it is wet to the base level, and then the exposed area is filled with a mixture of lime and red oxide. Stencil designs are also cut out in various forms and placed on the surface of the walls, and the colour is then filled in the cutouts.

These paintings depict the Portuguese influence on Goa. The word Azul is derived from the Portuguese word meaning blue. These painted works are all in the single colour blue. This art form was found in the walls of Portuguese mansions, social organisations and institutions. The subjects of these paintings were battle scenes, voyages, sceneries, flora and fauna and influence of the Portuguese on this land depicted on richly decorated picture frames.

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.^[1] 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, trumpetand 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". She sings in both English and Konkani. Some of her popular oldies include Pisso, Bebdo, Red Rose, Tuzo mog and Noxibak Rodta. Other popular musicians and singers include Anthony Gonsalves (violinist), António Fortunato de Figueiredo (conductor and violinist), Chris Perry (often called the king of Goan music),Hema Sardesai (playback singer), Ian D'Sa, (former guitarist of Canadian band Billy Talent, of Goan descent), Remo Fernandes(musician and playback singer), Kishori Amonkar (classical vocalist), Dinanath Mangeshkar (dramatist and classical vocalist), andOliver Sean (singer/songwriter).

Goa has produced many performers of Hindustani classical music, such as the vocalist Kesarbai Kerkar, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle. Goan local bands are also known for their use of western music styles. Such bands are common at celebrations across the state.

Goa has become home to a style of Electronic music, the Trance music. It is popular at the Electronic music festivals hosted yearly in Goa that attract people from over 50 countries.

Traditional music

The traditional Goan musical instruments include dhol, mridanga, tabla, ghumat, dholak, kasale, madlem, shehnai, surt, tasso,nagado, 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 (lacerta ocelata), 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 madlem is a cylindrical earthen vessel covered at both ends with the skin of a lizard and is mostly played by the Kunbis.

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 thatGoans 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 thedhalo; 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 (in Konkani) with borrowed Portuguese words as in mando.

As many as 35^[2] 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.

GOAN CHRUCHES

One of Goa;s important institutions, Goa's famous and magnificent churches are largely a legacy of Portuguese colonization . Church building was one of the main occupations of the early Portuguese.

With a significant population of Goans being Christians for many generations today, the church is an important factor in Goa's social, cultural and religious life .The architecture of Goa's churches has undergone notable changes with the passage of time and the fassion of the era that they were built in .

What is Shigmo festival about?

Shigmo parade is a street festival filled with colors, music, dance and float parade. The life of a Goan is depicted in elaborate folk performances by local men and women who dance tirelessly in huge processions along with the parade.

History of Shigmo Festival

Traditionally Shigmo Festival was celebrated as spring’s biggest festival which honored the homecoming of the warriors who had left their homes and families at the end of Dusshera to fight the invaders. Traditional folk dances and enactment of mythological scenes is the major highlight of this parade.

Ghode Modni and Fugdi Dance Performances

Traditional folk dances like Ghode Modni and Fugdi are performed on streets in massive troupes along the procession, showcasing the tradition of Goa. The shimmering floats with extensive lighting and sound effects move along with the parade gripping the attention of a huge crowd that alights the streets of Goa. The streets are dotted with Goa’s choicest delicacies.

The Shigmo Festival in Goa is a colour festival celebrated in the month of �Falgun� as per Saka Calendar. During this festival period famous temple �Yatras� are held. Processions are carried out at temples by throwing �gulal� and dancing with god and goddess umbrellas and �Dindis�. This festival celebration is organized in different cities to attract tourists. Processions are carried out in cities with traditional goan dances and modern floats. People are honored for best performance in the procession and best float decorators. 

Being celebrated in the villages, the "Shigmotsav" or Shigmo festival, a grand five-day festival of colours, is also considered as the spring festival of Goa. Its celebrations begin with the Holi, the festival of colours celebrated across the country on Thursday. The festival commemorates the homecoming of the warriors who had left their homes and families at the end of Dussera to fight the invaders. 
During Shigmo festival ripening of the winter crop is also included as a reason for the festivities. By the time it was dusk, artists displayed the martial dances like 'Ghode-morni' or the horse dance. Floats depicting the themes from ancient Hindu scriptures came to delight the crowd. Meanwhile, the visitors were enthralled at the grand celebrations. "It's really good to watch people enjoying and having a great time and fun," said Sarah, a tourist from England. One of the features of the ceremonies was a cavalcade, which was carried out into the streets of Ponda in Goa. 
And the people participated in it while performing the 'Rommatamel' and 'Fugdi' dances. Shigmo festival is celebrated by villages after farming. Now, we have introduced some new features that include some competitions.

As this being my first post, I'm going to just refresh your memory by posting about the delicious thing about Goa is its cuisine......Get ready for it. Here it goes.................


Goan cuisine consists of regional foods popular in Goa, an Indian state located along India's west coast on the shore of the Arabian Sea. Rice, seafood, coconut, vegetables, meat, pork and local spices are some of the main ingredients in Goan cuisine. The area is located in a tropical climate, which means that spices and flavors are intense. Use of kokum is another distinct feature. Goan food is considered incomplete without fish. It is similar to Malvani or Konkani cuisine.

The cuisine is mostly seafood-based; the staple foods are rice and fish. Kingfish (vison or visvan) is the most common delicacy. Other seafood delicacies include pomfret, shark, tuna, and mackerel. Among the shellfish are crabs, prawns, tiger prawns, lobster,squid, and mussels. The food of Goan Christians is heavily influenced by the Portuguese.

Introduction of new edibles to Goan cuisine

The Portuguese introduced potatoes, tomatoes, pineapples, guavas, and cashews from Brazil to Goa and consequently India. The chili pepper is the most important aspect of Goan cuisine, which was introduced by the Portuguese and became immensely popular as a very important spice for wider India cuisine. None of these above-mentioned ingredients were used in Goan cuisine before the advent of the Portuguese. The Portuguese also introduced beef and pork to the converts of Catholicism, which were and still are considered a taboo by some of the Hindus of Goa.^[2] However it is common to see people of either faith enjoy delicacies of the other.

Hindu cuisine:

Popular Goan Hindu dishes include:

• Humann (हूमण) – Fish curry and rice (शीत or भात), also known as kadi or ambot
• Fried fish (तळील्ले नूस्ते)
• Fish suke or dhabdhabit (सुकें) – Dry spicy preparation of fish, eaten as a side dish
• Fish udid methi or uddamethi (उद्दमेथी) – Type of curry consisting of fenugreek and mackerel; a vegetarian version of this dish is also prepared using hog plums (or anything sour and tangy, such as pieces of raw mango)
• Kismur (किस्मुर) – A type of side dish normally consisting of dried fish (mostly mackerel or shrimp), onions, and coconut
• Dangar – Goan fish cutlets (डांगर)
• Kalputi – A dish normally prepared from the head of a large fish, with onions and coconut
• Bhaaji or shak – A generic term for stews, Curries, stir frys made from different vegetables and fruits (भाजी or शाक)
• Bhaji - Fried Fritters with Besan batter. Different kind of bhajis can be made by changing the vegetable used with Besan. Popular bhajis include those containing onion or chilies.
• Khatkhate (ख़तखतें)
• Varan - A lentil preparation often made with coconut milk tempered with mustard, hing, curry leaves, and chilies, served as an accompaniment to rice for the Naivedya, prepared during all Hindu festivals, and an integral part of wedding feasts.
• Tondak – A dish made with beans, cashews, etc. (तोंडाक)
• Different varieties of sweets made from rice and lentils, such as payasu, patoli, madgane, kheer, etc. (गोड्शें)Catholic cuisine in Goa is a fusion of Indian and Portuguese cooking styles.Vinegar (made from the toddy of local coconut trees) is used to give the zingy taste to the meat dishes.

Catholic cuisine:

• Popular Goan Catholic dishes include:

• Ambot tik – A spicy and sour curry prepared with fish
• Arroz doce – A Portuguese derivative of kheer (sweetened rice custard)
• Balchão – A curry made with prawns/shrimp
• Canja de galinha – A type of chicken broth served with rice and chicken, which is originally a Goan recipe
• Chamuça – A Goan/Portuguese derivative of the samosa
• Chouriço – A spicy pork sausage
• Croquettes – Breaded and fried shredded beef rolls, a common snack among Goan Christians and the Portuguese
• Cafreal – A masala marinate mostly used for chicken or fish made from coriander leaves, green chilies, and other spices.
• Feijoada – A stew brought by the Portuguese. It is made with meat (beef or pork), beans, and cabbage.
• Roast beef and beef tongue – Popular entrees at Goan celebrations
• Sorpotel – A very spicy pork dish eaten with sannas or pão (Goan bread – spelled the same way as in Portugal)
• Xacuti – Type of curry made with roasted grated coconut and pieces of chicken or lamb
•