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.