Susegad by Clyde D'Souza

Author:Clyde D'Souza [D’Souza Clyde]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9789390914258
Publisher: Penguin Random House India Private Limited
Published: 2021-02-17T00:00:00+00:00

KAANTAR

Music for a Happy Life

IT IS OFTEN said that Goans have music in their blood. It’s a well-worn stereotype that a Goan will want to be a singer, dancer or play some musical instrument. As stereotypes often go, there is some truth to this.

This love for kaantar (song) and dance among Goans came to the fore at many of the parties I attended as a child. At the time, neighbourhood kids spent afternoons in each other’s homes, and it was common to watch evening TV at that one home that had a television. It was also a time when people celebrated birthdays or other auspicious occasions together. Close neighbours were always invited. And if not, kids would land up uninvited anyway.

At the time, even as a Mumbai boy, I observed that my Goan relatives’ parties were quite different from the non-Goan ones. At the latter, it was common to find no expensive gifts. Everyone would be dressed in clean clothes, not necessarily new, with just a dab of Ponds powder to complete the ‘party look’.

Parties by my non-Goan friends would go pretty much this way: if it was a birthday, there would be cake and everybody would sing ‘Happy Birthday’. Sometimes, the adults consumed alcohol, but not in the presence of children. If it was done, we were sent to another room to ‘play games’. Typically, the host would then proceed to serve a few snacks, conduct a few games for the kids, followed by the dinner and dessert.

On the other hand, Goan parties followed a very different template. If it was a birthday, the singing did not stop at ‘Happy Birthday’. Alcohol was consumed in the presence of kids, with some almost-grown-up kids being served shandy (a mix of beer and lemonade). Most importantly, the party truly came alive after the uncles had downed a couple of drinks. Inevitably, the family guitar would be brought out and thrust in the hands of the designated uncle. The uncle, then on his third drink, would warm up with a couple of popular English songs—the likes of The Beatles or Cliff Richard. But after the fifth drink and a round of boiled grams, the request for Konkani songs would grow too loud to ignore.

I learned Konkani songs in those years by mimicking and repetition. What I did not know was that the songs were alive with musical history and tradition. We sang Remo’s ‘Maria Pitache’ (about a not-so-cool father-in-law) and ‘Undra Muja Mama’ (about naughty rats or maybe a hidden slant for ‘the cunning Portuguese’), followed by ‘Meera Meera’ (about a heartbroken man waiting for Meera in Mapusa market). By this time, the party was, as they say, ‘rocking’ and the grams would be replaced with spicier snacks, like patties or beef roast. Living rooms turned into dance floors with uncles twice our age showing off their jive steps. With the ‘fast numbers’ done and the alcohol working its magic, the mood would turn romantic and sentimental.

The song list would gradually grow slow and melancholy.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.