Further to my post on Helga's views on Viva Goa, I wish to point out that at past Viva Goa events there have been Goan traditional dances of all types. There are couple of people in Toronto who have good knowledge of these dances. One of them is Souzinha, a good singer/dancer who trained many young Goans. I don't know where she is now. One does not need the advice of an expert such as Dr. Jose Pereira for such a non-professional event as Viva Goa. GOA had (perhaps has) authentic costumes for traditional dances. Over the years, the GOA has participated in many multicultural events, including the famed Metro International Caravan where it hosted the Panjim Pavilion.
As for Helga mentioning the East African part, African folklore dances have also been performed at past events. I didn't watch all the cultural items as I was either chit-chating in the food corner or watching soccer. At one time GOA had only one or two Hindu Goan members. I doubt if they are still members. At the recent Konknni Samelan held in Hamilton, 45-drive from Toronto, the Hamilton Goan Association put up some items featuring mandos. Viva Goa must try and incorporate some of the Hindu aspects into the cultural programme. It would be nice for GOA to seek out groups who could contribute this vital element in the cultural makeup of Goa. Helga suggested a quiz on the lines of Who wants to be a millionaire? Maybe not exactly the way the "millionaire" show is conducted, but a quick written quiz for under-18 of years may seem ideal. The winner could perhaps be given a trip to Goa to further enhanced his/her knowledge, to make good the idea suggested by Selma (or is it Elizabeth?). As I said in my piece, Cultural Metamorphosis, Viva Goa is the logical step to the success of the first International Goan Convention in 1988, followed by Panjim Pavilion at Metro Caravan. I said Viva Goa must continue in whatever form to keep "Goanness" from being completely lost. For Helga and also me, Viva Goa may seem a superficial show to project and retain Goan heritage and cultura in the great multicultural mix of Toronto. In my last post I mentioned Masala! Mehndi! Masti!. Goans have taken part in this event before. I believe last year the Rajasthan folkore group doing gypsy dances was a hit and, hence, it was invited again this year. I mentioned the English rock band, Trickbaby, but I forgot to add that this band came from England, courtesy the British Council. It sangs ballard-type songs, a mix of English-Punjabi lyrics. Another group, a three-member all-female group, Sugarbabies, came from Guyana. They started with an old Bollywood song and later switched to some raucous ones and some laced with sexual flavour. Short skits would be a welcome feature. Unforutantely, such acts needs the audience to sit and enjoy. The audience at Viva Goa can be termed as "floating", moving from the main hall to the food court to the soccer pitches. You can't restrain the crowd, for most of them don't come to enjoy the cultural programme but just to socialize. Being at Viva Goa is the "in" thing, though this year there was a fall in number, probably because of the heat, as compared to last year. I extended my stay in Toronto by a week just for Viva Goa, having missed it for two years, and paid more than 200 dollars for change of flight date. Was it worth it? One part of me said no, while the other part said it's okay since I met many people after a long time. To answer Helga's point of having Viva Goa to "keep 'Goannes' live in Junior Goanadians?", the aim is to provide an opportunity for Goans to converge at one place. GOA's Sports Day is no more because of lack of participants, and even GOA's Picnic brings in a few families. What's the use of having an association if not for holding some outdoor events during summer? The GOA anniversary and new year's dances are well patronized, adding to the revenues. I, for one, does not take Helga's views as negative nor do they sound like "crabbiness". That reminds me, just the other day I was telling a friend's son that his music of loud hip-hop was driving me crazy and he replied, "I don't have problems when you play the crappy mandos." Touche. He is only 14 and lives in Dubai, much closer to Goa and in a much "Indian" environment. Eugene Correia _______________________________________________ Goanet mailing list [email protected] http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-goanet.org
