I never tire of watching the Sao Joao revelry in Bardez our TV channels are kind enough to show us. I think the feast song is among the most fun ones in Konkani I've heard. Anyone know who composed it and when? Edvard Verdes has an engaging rendition by C.Alvares on his website http://edskantaram.blogspot.in/ 2011/06/ viva-san-joao.html.
Consider the lines: Ami sogle zanvoim vortoutanv, chodda tempan bhetleanv, Sao Joao-chem fest mhunnon ami mavoddea aileanv... (We are all sons-in-law meeting up in quite a while It's St. John's feast, so we're visiting our wife's village...) Choll re pie re tum illo ghe re faleam kaim mevonam, Oslim festam vorsak kiteak don pautti yenam! (Come on drink up, take a sip, you won't get any tomorrow Feasts like this don't come twice a year!...) I like the idea of men returning to their wives' birth villages and renewing and maintaining the bonds with her folks (and not just because dad-in-law makes a lot of food, drink and merriment possible!). I wish other Goan villages would have as good a time on San Joao as these otherwise obnoxious Bardezkars seem to be having! I wonder if, in these days when even entire languages are created from scratch, we couldn't fashion a festival to celebrate the yearly return of our diaspora? In the not too distant past the return to the native village was acknowledged with a summer dance or a football match versus the Bomboicars who, predictably, received a good thrashing, accepted in good spirit! It would be great if the new, and secular, feast could be built around the sea and the beaches. What a picture it would make: girls and guys, sporting circlets and crowns of green leaves and red, yellow, blue flowers, all dancing and splashing around in the waves! It would also be a fine way to reclaim our beaches from the tourists and the Russians, Italians, Israelis, English! (Have I omitted anyone?.) In summer would be best, rather than in December -- no religious overtones and not too many gawking tourists. I'm counting the days to next June 24, which I plan to spend in Bardez (invites welcome!). Too bad Sao Joao doesn't come twice a year!
