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2#MINUTE#REVIEWS: Music ...from the pen of a priest
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SOME OF THE most interesting publications from Goa lie unnoticed on
bookshelves. Hopefully, one will be wrong here....
This book under review comes from the musically-oriented Pilar priest Peter
Cardoso. It reflects an attempt at helping youngsters to take to a field
Goans have long been considered good at -- music.
His explanation: "It is an interesting and well-known fact that the organ
and guitar have contributed immensely in generating interest in what we may
call 'home entertainment music'. The reason for this situation might well be
that these instruments tend themselves to the easy learning of entertainment
music, much more than any other instruments.
"In particular, the beautiful and almost unlimited range of tone qualities
and its sustained tone power, makes the organ an ideal medium for the
amateur musician and even for the non-musician."
So, in a simple and unpretentious way -- there isn't even an introduction to
the man that is Fr Peter, apart from a mug-shot -- this book, or booklet as
you could call it, goes about giving an one-page 'introduction to the organ'
and another page to the guitar.
>From then on, comes the meat of the book -- some 109 lyrics and music of
popular songs that have been long sung by Goan communities everywhere.
Besides 20th century all-time favourites, also included are Konkani lyrics
like Bokddeam-Rakhnneachem Git (based, strangely enough, on a Rhumba), the
Bombay Meri Hai (recently reproduced in Jerry Pinto & Naresh Fernandes'
anthology on Mumbai city; BMH has been done in Dekhnni style according to Fr
Peter), the Portuguese polka-medley Cadiza-Za, the Konkani Beguine devoted
to 'Calangute' (a hippy haunt in the 'sixties when we were growing up... our
elders cautioned against seeing the wrong thing; now a concrete jungle
which emanates the wrong kind of whiff, according to environmentalists).
Then, there's that unofficial Goan expat almost-anthem, Hanv Saiba Poltoddi
Vetam (based on the Kehorva, an Indian beat), and the corridinho Malhao, the
Mollbailo Dou (coming in a slow-rock format). To Goaphiles interested in
Konkani, there's also the Fox-Trot based Poixilea Desantle, Sobit Amchem Goy
(Waltz), Sobit Udentech Polongar (manddo), Suria Kupant Dhamplo (manddo),
Tarka, Ie, Begin, Begin (Rhumba), and Undir Mhojea Mama (Dekhnni).
This book also includes a few popular Bollywood numbers of the yesteryears.
Goans -- of both Hindu and Catholic backgrounds -- did play a big role in
shaping this synthesis of musical traditions that is now part of the Indian
film culture, and has probably influenced Indipop and beyond.
To get a taste of what the book contains, here's an extract:
Gm D7 Gm
Hanv saiba poltoddi vetam,
D7 Gm
Damulea lagnak(u) vetam;
D7
Mhaka saiba vatt(u) dakhoi,
Gm
Mhaka saiba vatt(u) kollona.
G D7
Damulea mattvant(u)
G D7 G
Kolvontancho khell(u)
G D7
Damulea mattvant(u)
G D7 G
Kolvontacho khell(u) ...
One's regret is that one hasn't yet got a chance to get to know better this
priest from the heart of Tiswadi/Ilhas, who is devoting his time and energy
at building musical talent there. Our only encounter was a hurried run-into
while doing some photography at Pilar's recent Konkani opera (on Fr Agnelo)
and another hasty meet during the interval of a college concert, which the
priest was lending his musical support to.
If it wasn't for e-mail, and the young Peter C Raposo, another editor-priest
from IXTT <peterraposo at rediffmail.com> one wouldn't have seen this book
or got to know more about the work at Pilar. A book of this kind could
obviously do better at the hands of a more knowledgeable reviewer... Anyway,
treat this just as an attempt to share what one came across. FN
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Title; Golden Hits
Author: Fr Peter Cardoso sfx
Publ: Self-published, Pilar 2003 (?)
Pages: 80
Price: Not mentioned
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Frederick Noronha, Freelance Journalist
Goa India 0091.832.2409490 or 2409783
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Email fred at bytesforall.org
Writing with a difference
.. on what makes *the* difference
http://www.bytesforall.org
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