Published in Dialogue: A Journal Devoted to Literary Appreciation. 12.1 (June 2016): 94-98. Special Issue on Folk Literature. ISSN 0974-5556
Abstract
Dr. Brian Mendonça
brianlibra@gmail.com
Abstract
Dr. Brian Mendonça
brianlibra@gmail.com
Some of the most powerful songs in the popular
imagination of Goa are songs which invite the listener to lament the fate of a
woman. These songs have as their themes, love, longing and loss in which the
woman bewails her fate. The Konkani film Nachom-ia
Kumpasar (2015) is about the forbidden love between a married man and a
young Konkani singer in the Bombay of the 1960’s. The Konkani mando ‘Tujea Utrar re Patienum’ is about
longing, absence and separation. These songs limit the choices of women to
circumscribed roles. Constantly sung and played at social occasions, soirees, and on air, these folksongs
serve as a reminder to women not to stray from the high moral ground of virtue.
Even contemporary singers like Hema Sardesai sing songs like ‘Surya Devon Gelo’ which portray the
abject dependence of a woman on a man. The Portuguese fado with its preoccupation with saudades (nostalgia), affords the luxury of basking in a sea of
sentiment. The songs of Portuguese singer Amalia Rodrigues which were popular under
colonial rule in Goa and still are, reproach
the lover for reducing her to a hapless state. Yet a fado like ‘Lá porque tens cinco pedras’ / [‘Just Because You Have
Five Stones’] shows a woman though singed, rising from the ashes of her
experience to emerge stronger. This paper is a glimpse
into the song culture of Goa studying the tendencies of the mando vis a vis the fado.
I
While it is true that the soulful melodies
of Goa’s Catholic folksongs are of infinite beauty, it is useful to examine the
content more closely. A cursory glance would suggest that many songs show the
plight of the woman as being spurned or forgotten by her lover. The mando is ‘a Goan dance form of Christian
origin.’ (See YouTube video, Mando-Dances of Goa) I take up two mandos to illustrate this. In the first
‘TujeaUtrar re Patienun’ the woman is
depicted as waiting for her fiancé as he has promised her that he will come
back for her. However, he does not and the damsel is left lamenting her fate. The
title of the mando is ‘Depending on
your word.’ The lady trusts the man and waits for him. Later she lovingly accuses
him for being ungrateful and for not remembering the times that she has cared
for him.She resigns herself to her fate saying this is her destiny. This is the
end of the road for her. She has no will to live anymore. The sense of doom is
upon her.
The maiden has foreclosed all her options.
There is no meaning in life for her. Marriage is the ultimate goal for her,
failing which all else pales into insignificance. There are no other avenues
for fulfillment. This puts the lady in a straitjacket proscribing her choices.
The only viable condition to aspire to is wedded harmony – her socially
sanctioned role. Everything revolves
around the success of the relationship of the maiden with her beloved. If he
leaves without a trace -- though the fault is his for ditching her -- it is the
woman who is censured and made to wait ad
infinitum. When that does not yield results she has to be content to eke
out the rest of her days in lonely spinsterhood. Pinning all her hopes on the
elusive fiancé, waiting for him, pining for him, she at last realizes that he
isn’t coming back. In the meantime all her proposals for marriage have dried up
and she is faced with living a barren life. Her mental distress is conveyed in
physical unease, as she begins to actually feel suffocated. This chilling
psychosomatic condition the woman finds herself tortured with is all because a
man did not keep his word to her. One would ask, ‘Is he worth it?’
This stark reality augurs ill for modern
day women in Goa. Still, faced with similar circumstances, they seldom would
throw their lives away like the lady in this mando.
In the next mando, ‘Surya Devon Zalo´ the ill-starred fate of the lovers
assumes cosmic overtones. The setting of the sun signifies the end of hope. The
very elements seem to accentuate the personal tragedy of the lady. The time for
the evening prayer, the Angelus, has come but there is no sign of the fiancé.
She recalls the moments of intimacy with her beloved but of what use are they
now? Trying to rationalize the situation the woman brings herself to say
goodbye. However even in her death she does not want to cause him sadness. She
tells him not to weep. In a Gothic twist she says there are some letters she
has written for him. If upon reading them, he hastens to the cemetery, he will
still find her bones waiting for him.
II
A cursory look suggests there is sadly not
much literature available in Goa in English on the fado. Post-1961 there seems to be an attempt to be embarrassed by
the Portuguese interlude. Books put out
by the Government of Goa are very keen to assert a national identity for Goa
with amnesia for the past. (Goa Then and
Now, 1982) Folklorists do not however distinguish between political changes
and simply study how a culture survives through its music, its stories, its
art. (Ferris)
If one looks at the songs of Portuguese fado singer Amalia Rodrigues (1920-1999)
one sees a breakaway from the model of the mando.
Both mando and fado have similar themes. Fado
means destiny. But in the fado described
in this paper the lady is not content to be a mere spectator in her life. The fado ‘Lá porque
tens cinco pedras’ / [‘Just Because You Have Five Stones’] is
very figurative, and centres on the image of stones and its many connotations.
(See YouTube videos) The beloved is seen as having a heart of stone because he
has broken the lady’s heart with his seductive look. But unlike the case in the
mando the singer of the fado provides a bold alternative to the
male narrative of conquest and disposal. She says though the worldly
accoutrements of possessions (brilliants) have swelled the beloved with pride
and vanity, she is content wandering the cobblestones of the street for they
afford her freedom. This re-possession
of her freedom – otherwise bound by the relationship – reinstates her
confidence in herself. She can walk out of the relationship with her head held
high. Unlike the docility of the women in the mando the woman in the fado boldly
proclaims that she will nickname her beloved as a stone for the grief he caused
to her. Livid with the experience of being rejected she ends the fado with a curse or a veiled warning,
‘One who has a roof of glass, should not throw stones.’
III
The difference between the mando and the fado is only touched upon here. This is by no means an exhaustive
study of the same. Nevertheless the textual evidence suggests that while the mando signifies a descent into pessimism
and despair for the woman, the fado offers
alternatives in life. The woman in the fado
can pick up the pieces and move on with her life. The experience has made her
wiser and stronger. It is perhaps
relevant here that the fado seems to
be born out of a European sensibility where the woman is liberated and can
exercise the freedom of choice. One does not see such confidence in the Konkani
mando which assumes the character of
a dirge.
The obsession with marriage in Goan
society deserves attention. In a case of the death of an unmarried girl in Goa,
the girl was buried in her wedding dress. This fixation in Goan society
forecloses the options for young women in Goa.
Many young women when asked if they supported this practice, said they
did not agree with it, but society was too powerful in this case.
Folk culture has a role to play in
bringing change in society. Though older models like the mando do provide a sense of time gone by, one needs to look toward
a reworking of the themes to provide more contemporary relevance to today’s
youth in Goa. Looking at the fado
could provide some cues. Instead of mindlessly listening to Goan folk music one
needs to be wary of its intentions and the possible fallout.
Appendix
TUJEA UTRAR RE PATIENUM (Mando in Konkani)
1.Tujea utrar rê patieunum, [Trusting in your word,
Aiz pasun ankvar raulim hanvum, I remained a spinster till today.
Tum ingrat kiteak zaunum, Why are you unfaithful,
Vetaim mhaka rê sanddunum, Leaving me and going away.
Orsanim sambhaulol' dekunum. I took care of you for years.
Aiz pasun ankvar raulim hanvum, I remained a spinster till today.
Tum ingrat kiteak zaunum, Why are you unfaithful,
Vetaim mhaka rê sanddunum, Leaving me and going away.
Orsanim sambhaulol' dekunum. I took care of you for years.
Chusmo: Refrain:
Devan nirmilol' narê mhaka, God has not destined me,
Sodanch sangat(u) korecheak tuka. To remain in your love.
Adeus korun anjea mhojea, Saying goodbye, my angel,
Kiteak sanddun ot' rê mhaka, Why are you going and leaving me alone.
Kosol' destin saiba mhozo, What kind of destiny/future is mine.
Ankvarponn ani sonsum nezo, I cannot bear to be a spinster anymore.
Kaz'racho na animhak' bhorvanso. I have no more hopes of marriage.
Kiteak sanddun ot' rê mhaka, Why are you going and leaving me alone.
Kosol' destin saiba mhozo, What kind of destiny/future is mine.
Ankvarponn ani sonsum nezo, I cannot bear to be a spinster anymore.
Kaz'racho na animhak' bhorvanso. I have no more hopes of marriage.
2. Sukach tem(u) kobharzalo,
Time of happiness is over,
Millmilleancho vell(u) pavlo, Suffocation time has come,
Feliz tori zaumnum moga, At least you remain happy,
Disttipoddllear puro mhaka, Your sight is enough for me.
Millmill' zall(u) bhogtai kallzak mhojea. My heart is burning and suffocating.]
Millmilleancho vell(u) pavlo, Suffocation time has come,
Feliz tori zaumnum moga, At least you remain happy,
Disttipoddllear puro mhaka, Your sight is enough for me.
Millmill' zall(u) bhogtai kallzak mhojea. My heart is burning and suffocating.]
SURYA DENVON GELO (GoanMando in Konkani)
Surya denvon guelo [The sun has
set,
Kupant chondrim re udelo The Moon has risen in the clouds,
Amorecho vellu komesar zalo…} Angelus time has commenced
Moga khuim tum re pavolo…….}2 Where have you gone, my love.
Sodanch amguer tum yetaloi You always used to come to our house,
Mojea gopantieun bostaloi You used to sit in my arms
Atam kiteak ingratu tum zaloi… Now, why did you become ungrateful
Konn dusman tuka sampoddlo…}.2 Which enemy did you come across
Kupant chondrim re udelo The Moon has risen in the clouds,
Amorecho vellu komesar zalo…} Angelus time has commenced
Moga khuim tum re pavolo…….}2 Where have you gone, my love.
Sodanch amguer tum yetaloi You always used to come to our house,
Mojea gopantieun bostaloi You used to sit in my arms
Atam kiteak ingratu tum zaloi… Now, why did you become ungrateful
Konn dusman tuka sampoddlo…}.2 Which enemy did you come across
Adeus, adeus moga Goodbye, goodbye, my love,
Itlean sonvsar maka naka I do not want this world anymore
Dolle mhoje damtoch re moga...} When my eyes close my love
Fattlean dukam golloinaka....}2 Do not weep when I am gone
Mojea intera disa The day of my burial
Don-tin chitti meutoleo tuka You will receive two-three letters
Tevui vachun euxi zalear moga That also if you read and come my love
Ximiterint 'addam' meutelim tuka You will get bones in the cemetery.]
Itlean sonvsar maka naka I do not want this world anymore
Dolle mhoje damtoch re moga...} When my eyes close my love
Fattlean dukam golloinaka....}2 Do not weep when I am gone
Mojea intera disa The day of my burial
Don-tin chitti meutoleo tuka You will receive two-three letters
Tevui vachun euxi zalear moga That also if you read and come my love
Ximiterint 'addam' meutelim tuka You will get bones in the cemetery.]
LA PORQUE TENS CINCO PEDRAS (Portuguesefadoby
Amalia Rodrigues)
Lá porque
tens cinco pedras [Just because you have five stones
Não há nada estilhaçado There is nothing shattered
Não há nada estilhaçado There is nothing shattered
Agora
falas comigo
None spoke to me
Com
cinco pedras na mão
With five stones in hand
Enquanto nesses brilhantes While with those brilliants
Tens soberba e tens vaidade you have pride and vanity
Eutenho as pedras da rua I have the cobblestones of the street
Prapassear à vontade To wander at will.
Pobre de mim não sabia Poor me, I did not know
Que o teu olhar se dut or that your seductive look
Não errava a pontaria would not miss the mark
Como a pedra do pastor Like the stone of a shepherd
Enquanto nesses brilhantes While with those brilliants
Tens soberba e tens vaidade you have pride and vanity
Eutenho as pedras da rua I have the cobblestones of the street
Prapassear à vontade To wander at will.
Pobre de mim não sabia Poor me, I did not know
Que o teu olhar se dut or that your seductive look
Não errava a pontaria would not miss the mark
Como a pedra do pastor Like the stone of a shepherd
Mas não passas sorridente But don’t walk away smiling
Aalar de ar satisfeito Showing off that you can be happy.
Pois hei-de chamar-te à pedra For I will nickname you ‘stone’
Pelo mal
que me tens feito
For the evil you have done to me.
Hás-de ficar convencido And you shall be convinced
Da afirmação consagrada Of the verity of the saying
Quem tem telhados de vidro One who has a roof of glass
Hás-de ficar convencido And you shall be convinced
Da afirmação consagrada Of the verity of the saying
Quem tem telhados de vidro One who has a roof of glass
Não deve andar
à pedrada
should not throw stones.
English
translation of the Portuguese by Nizia Moniz Barbosa do Carmo Lobo.
Sources Consulted
Blog for Konkani song lyrics,
proverbs and articles. http://edskantaram.blogspot.in/2009/07/dont-worry-be-happy-happy-alfred-rose.html
Cabral e Sa, Mario. Legends of Goa. Illustrations by Mario
Miranda. Mumbai: IBH, 1998.
---------------------Wind of Fire: The Music and Musicians of
Goa. New Delhi: Promilla, 1997.
Ferris, William ‘The American
South: Its Stories, Music and Art,’ University of North Carolina, Coursera
Online MOOC, July 2015.
Government of Goa. Department of
Information and Public Relations. Goa
Then and Now 1961- 1981. Panaji:
Government Printing Press, 1982.
Gracias, Fatima da Silva. Kaleidoscope of Women in Goa 1510-1961.
New Delhi: Concept,1996.
Journal
of the Rajasthan Association for Studies in English. Volume 11. 2015.
Mando --Dances of Goa. YouTube
video. Uploaded by Cidade de Goa. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO72ZueZuRM 27 July 2016. Online.
Mendonça, Brian. ‘Folklore: Our
Fading Link to the Past.’ Blogpost. 27 July 2015 http://lastbustovasco.blogspot.in/2015/07/folklore-our-fading-link-to-past.html Online.
Pereira, Jose, Micael Martins and
Antonio da Costa. Song of Goa: Crown of
Mandos. Saligao: 1556 and Broadway, 2010.
------------------------------
Undra Muja Mama: Folk Songs of Goa: An
Anthology of Dulpods. Saligao: 1556 and Broadway, 2011.
Rodrigues, Amalia. Lyrics of ‘Porque Tens Cinco Pedras.’ http://www.songteksten.nl/songteksten/98495/amalia-rodrigues/l%C3%A1-porque-tens-cinco-pedras.htm
. 27 July
2016. Online.
----------------‘Porque Tens
Cinco Pedras.’ (1958) YouTube Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCVNTN7XpVc. . 27 July 2016.
Online.
----------------‘Porque Tens
Cinco Pedras.’ YouTube Video. Uploaded by Alfonso Antonio Serrano. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6D5gNZEbBs. 27 July 2016.
Online.
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