MUST READ FOR FOLK DANCE LOVERS!

The dying legacy of folk art in Goa  

When one thinks of Goan folk art, the first thing that comes in mind is the popular Dekhni or Kunbi dance or let’s say the Goan Mando…but do we know that there are a total of 27 folk art forms that have been identified in Goa by the Kala Academy at Panaji, which now promotes them by holding festivals and courses? The Folk Art Festival is one such example. 

Goa has a unique cultural heritage, rich and lively and is known for several folk festivals and performances. The traditional folk music and dance, the influence of the Portuguese music and dance on the local culture has helped evolve new forms. This happy blending and co-existence of cultural traditions gives a unique character to the music and folk dances of Goa. The famous folk dances include Talgadi, Goff, Morulo, Tonya Mel, Mando, Kunbi, Suvari, Dasarawadan, Virabhadra, Hanpeth, Gauda Zagor, Ranmale, Fugadi, Ghode Modni, Lamp Dance, Mussol Dance, Dhangar Dance, Dekhni and Dhalo. Some of these dances are seen only during Shigmo and The Folk Art Festival. Folk dances in Goa are usually performed in remote areas.

The folk dance of ‘Ghode Modni’ from Bicholim depicts the exploits of the Ranes against the Portuguese power. The ‘Morulo’ dance depicts the movements of a peacock and ‘Zagor’ is a cultural activity presented in different villages of Goa in different styles by the Gauda community.  In ‘Talgadi’, dancers move around the village and perform in house courtyards. They dance to the beats of instruments like Zanj, Shamel and Ghumat wearing colorful costumes and flowers. ‘Dekhni’, is a song - cum - dance performed by women. It is about a request and the resulting dialogue between a girl and the boatman as the girl wants to go across the river. ‘Goff’ performed in the Phalgun month during the Shigmo Festival is a popular dance in South Goa in which colorful cloth plaits hang from a point in the ceiling and dancers holding a plait each dance in such a way that a beautiful braid is formed. The songs devoted to Lord Krishna are accompanied by folk instruments.

 Another dance called ‘Tonya mel’ (Tone means a painted stick; Mel means a dancing group) that use costumes with a distinct touch of Kathiawar (a region of Gujarat) came to Goa with the early tribal settlers. It is also common to Gujarat along with Goff. ‘Mussol Khel’ or the Pestle dance came into Goa during the Kadamba dynasty; it is the celebration of the victory of the Vijayanagra prince Harihar over the Cholas. The folkdance is a window to those wishing to know more about our rich Goan heritage that has been kept alive and continues to thrive. It is up to us to preserve the dying folk art which forms the identity of our rich culture.

 --- Revllone Mendonsa