"Konkani Tiatro" the Folklore of Goa
By Wilmix Wilson Mazarello
The term "Folklore" is closely related to another two terms viz. "Folklife"
& "Folk arts"
"Folklore", in addition to incuding subjects like, storytelling, proverbs,
riddles, customs, beliefs. technical skills, language, literature, visual
arts, architecture, music, dance, ritual pageantry, handicraft, etc. also
includes in it, "Folk Drama".
And what is "Folk Drama" ?
"Folk Drama" in short is, a "drama' of the masses, by the masses , for the
masses.
It is also :-
a) A "drama" that is a "traditional-drama-form" of olden times,
that has come down through generations, depicting a good amount of the
"past" and is very much relevant to the "present" and useful to the
"future" generations.
b) It is also, a "drama-form" that is mostly "mobile" in nature,
ie. traveling from place to place (predominantly in the villages), for
performances.
c) It is a "drama-form" which mostly has "music" as an integral
part of the storyline.
d) It is a drama that portrays the lifestyle of the community
that performs it and also identifies with its audiences.
e) It's a drama that is, mostly performed at the village level,
and it handles subjects that relate to the masses.
This is exactly what the "Konkani Tiatro" is also, all about ?
Hence, it is perfectly right to call, the "Konkani Tiatro" as a
"Goan-Folk-Drama" ?
And hence, a "Goan Folklore" ?
To further corroborate this, let us find out, how some promiment
"International Folklore Associations", "Government Agencies" and "Individual
Folklorists" of the world, define "folklore".
1) The American Folklife Preservation Act (P.L.94-201) defines American
"Folklife" as follows:-
"American folklife means the traditional expressive culture shared within
the various groups in the United States: familial, ethnic, occupational,
religious, regional; expressive culture includes a wide range of creative
and symbolic forms such as custom, belief, technical skill, language,
literature, art, architecture, music, play, dance, drama, ritual pageantry,
handicraft; these ex-pressions are mainly learned orally, by imitation, or
in performance, and are generally maintained without benefit of formal
instruction or institutional direction."
2) The Texas State Historical Association, defines "folklore and folklife as
follows:-
FOLKLORE AND FOLKLIFE. Folklore is, in one workable and rememberable
definition, the traditional knowledge of a culture. More inclusively, it is
the traditional customs and beliefs, speech patterns, stories, and songs
that a culture passes along informally from one group or generation to
another. It must be old enough to have separated itself from its origins and
must be plastic enough to be moulded by each generation to suit its needs
and attitudes. The term folklife falls within the definition of folklore.
3) The term "Folklore" itself was coined by William Thoms, a British
antiquarian in 1846. This is what William Thoms has to say about "Folk
Drama" and "Folklore":-
Folk drama is another important field in the performing folk arts sector.
Drama in folk communities has been very little discussed in folkloristics,
primarily because it has not often been regarded as a folk genre. And even
when it has been so designated, it has commonly been discussed as a part of
performance types in festivals and rituals. However, in recent years more
folkloristic work on south Asian data has widened the scope of studying folk
drama and has also helped the theoretical growth in both anthropology and
folkloristics, so much so that anthropologists like Peacock believe that
semantic aspects of cultural change and the cosmological categories of human
societies can be accurately deciphered through drama and more particularly
through folk drama.
Need we say more ?
Hence,the "Konkani Tiatro" is very much, has been, and will always remain, a
Goan Folklore.
All that remains is, "Government-patronage" to preserve,and promote this
Goan Folklore, as is done by other countries and States. (ENDS)
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The above article appeared in the May 9, 2008 edition of the Herald, Goa
