-Brian Mendonça
To aspire to sing as part of a mando
group requires practice and perseverance. A mando performance is made up of singers,
musicians, and dancers who fill the stage and mesmerize the audience.
The male and female lead singers stand in front. Behind them are the backing vocals which repeat the lines of the lead singers. Musicians play the violin, the guitar and the ghumot while the dancers in couples dance to the lines that are sung.
The male and female lead singers stand in front. Behind them are the backing vocals which repeat the lines of the lead singers. Musicians play the violin, the guitar and the ghumot while the dancers in couples dance to the lines that are sung.
When I was approached by my students to join them to sing
for a competition I was both excited and afraid. Would I make the cut? How would I memorize the
words in Konkani? And there was so little time. I was not confident.
I spoke to the group leader and said I don’t want to ruin
your chances at the competition. But the next day that gnawing feeling of
wanting to sing came upon me again. I approached the leader furtively and asked
if I could train with them. They welcomed me.
Whenever I sing my songs on the guitar, we get into medleys
like ‘Down by the riverside’. It would be nice to add the mandos and dulpods to my repertoire. There was a
huge demand for it -- especially from the elderly. It was my duty to carry the
tradition forward.
The first time we met for practice I was very self-conscious
among my students. The immediate challenge was not about singing but about
swaying. In the mando, for the backing vocals, the girls stand
in the front line, the boys in the back. While the girls swayed to the right the
boys swayed to the left. Side-centre-side. Side-centre-side. For the dulpods however, the boys and the girls sway the
same side. Right side-left side-right side, or for some beats side-centre-side,
side-centre-side.
Next I had to get the tunes right. The stately march of the mando had to have the right emotion. The
man is pouring out his love for the woman. ‘My love, you shine like the sun and
the stars. My gem, my beautiful flower, I adore you,’ he pleads.
I knew some of the dulpods.
The fast medley of 11 couplets began
reassuringly enough with ‘Cecilia mhujem
nanv.’ This was followed in quick
succession by, ‘Fulu hanvu jardinia
tulem,’ ‘Ago fulam bai,’ ‘Ful ful ful
re rompea,’ and ‘Sant anichea dongrar
pakle apoitai.’ The next set was
made up of ‘Voiri voiri voir katta koi /
kattkoi katta pilam,’ ‘Amani gomani nach baba,’ ‘Lo, lo, lo re babu,’ and ‘Ya, ya, maya, ya’ reaching to a climax with
the ever so popular ‘Lia lia lo.’
Regular practices helped a lot. Each person was trying to do
his/her best. We were there for the love of the mando. We were there for
Goa.
On the final day I found my voice and sang most of the lines
with confidence. Listening to the songs, in my car, as I
travelled to college helped a lot. Thank you students!
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Published in Gomantak Times Weekender, Panaji, Goa on Sunday, 16 February 2020. Our team won the 2nd Runner-up trophy in the All Goa Traditional Mando Competition organized by Government College, Borda on 13 February 2020. Pix of students and staff of Carmel College, Goa at the event at Government College, Borda, Goa.
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