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36th MANDO FESTIVAL.
During my recent visit to Goa I had an opportunity to attend some functions.
One by one, in this forum I shall give my observation on same.
The first function that I attended was the 36th Mando Festival at Kala
Academy Auditorium, Panaji on 4th January. The auditorium was packed to
capacity, there were 19 groups participating in this year’s festival
including children groups. Though all the groups performed well yet the
greatness of yesteryears’ was missing very much, there was no charm as we
used to witness and enjoy some years back. The quality of traditional
Mandos was poor while that of original good. The best performance award
given to Merxechim Sallkam was deserving as their presentation and singing
was really of high standard, besides their language was really genuine
Konkani as against the Anglicised Konkani of many of the other groups
including that of Junior groups. Earlier Portuguese speaking Goan “Bamonn
Bhattkars” were accused of despising Konkani but with all their such defects
they at least used to pronounce Konkani in its true form and not the way the
current semi literate artificial Anglicised Goan Bamonn pronounce Konkani as
“Konglish”. It is this category of Goans who are responsible to degrade the
image of Konkani and this category of Goans was very much seen on the stage
participating in this year’s Mando Festival.
While comparing this year’s Mandos with that of earlier ones especially of
sixties and seventies one could easily notice the greatness in earlier
Mandos. Current Mandos and Dulpods and Operas lacked solid punch in them,
including the musical score of earlier Mandos was very rich befitting to the
Mandos tradition. This year I noticed lot of Violinists including youth and
females but surely one missed the majestic Violinist Johnson from Siolim
playing majestically for Congottchim Lahram and later on Candolimchim
Kirnam. In singing original as well as traditional Mandos I could not see
any group coming closer to Congottchim Lahram by great Fausto Andrade
assisted by Souza Giaum. In presentation there was not a single group who
could out beat the Mapusa group led by Cordeiros. On the traditional
Gumott, none of the current Gumottkar could play the way the grand old man
of Curtorkars played. From mid eighties Mandos went into the hands of
ordinary tiatrists and commoners who lacked proper knowledge of real Mandos.
It is these nouveau Mandoists who lowered the greatness of Mandos and if
this trend is not arrested now then Mando will lose its pristine greatness,
charm and beauty. I remember once the great Mandoist Cruz Noronha saying
that "we must teach the present generation of Mando singers how to compose
and sing Mando". Unfortunately Cruz died and gone and his idea was never
put into practice. In 1958 when he came to Goa for a short holiday, he was
requested by the then Emissora de Goa to record some of his best Mandos and
to oblige Emissora de Goa, Cruz Noronha recorded 10 Mandos/Dulpods at the
rate of Rs. 50/- which was the best rate offered that time.
During those days attending the Mando Festival means great honour. The
audience was not coming from the Zagor, Sangodd and Tiatro attendance
category who are known to say “Ush – Ush” and Whistle – whistle. That time
the members of the audience used to wear Tie and Suit as against the current
T-Shirt ones. During those days the audience was traditionally and
intellectually rich. The Chief Guest used to come with formal dress code
with due respect to the greatness of the function as against this year’s
guest of honour Minister Micky Pacheco who attended the function wearing
ordinary T-Shirt, Jean Pant and boots while his cabinet colleague Babush
Monsurate brought high prestige to Mando Festival by coming in decent Suit.
The greatness of Mando Festival also lies in greatness of the attending
audience. Next time the organizers should be very careful in inviting chief
guest and guest of honour that do not know the value of time. Indian
Ministers are known to behave like feudal lords and Maharajas once they are
inducted into the cabinets, they do not know to adhere to the timings given
to them. Because of one or two fake dignitaries the entire audience should
not be made to wait for the start of the function as it happened this time.
As usual Dr. Bikaji Ganecar compeered the proceedings beautifully but his
colleague Mrs. Amita Salatry lowered the image of Mando Festival by
compeering the great Mando Festival with cheap and sexually perverted jokes.
Using the words like ladies panties etc is really lowering the prestige of
Mando Festival about which I am sure Salatry knows nothing. And by the way
these type of Salatrys should be kept away from Mando Festival by the
organizers. The affairs of Mando Festival should be handled by the
Mandekars and not by Salatrys whose knowledge of Mando and that of the taste
of audience is poor. Mando audience is not the audience of Hindi movies and
Marathi Nattoks. I don’t know why the organizers mixing these non-Mandoist
into Mando culture. Is it to prove fakingly that Mandekars are more
secular? Secularism is not the point here, the point is core of the subject
as understood by great Dr. Bikaji Ganecar who is associated with Mando
Festival since its inception in 1965. Even the other non-Mandekar compeer
Shashikant Sardesai should be kept at distance because he is good for
Marathi Nattok as he is very good in shouting and showing Hindi culture on
Konkani platform.
For this year’s function like last time, Kuwait Konknni Kendr rendered its
patronage in the form of prize money while rest of the expatriate Goans who
are shouting at the top of their voices claiming their Goan-ness failed to
support the event. It is a pity that none of the other Goan associations
spread all around the world gave any contribution for the promotion of such
a marvelous Goan traditional and cultural function. While on this topic,
besides KKK, Agnelo Gomes from USA allocated about 5 laks of rupees purely
for the patronage of Mando Festival in Goa. But according to one source,
inspite of Agnelo’s instruction none of the members of the Mando Festival
organizers tried to get this fund released. Is it because the organizers
are gone crazy to refuse patronage or there is some goof somewhere? I am
really surprised why such a beautiful offer was not utilized by the
organizers of the Mando Festival. I insist that Philip Dias or Isac Dias
from the organizing committee should come out with real truth behind this
sad episode. In one way to beg for funds and in other way to refuse it is
something dilemmatic. Agnelo Gomes is a charitable man and a philantropist
too, he is all for Goa and Goan causes. By neglecting his good offer Mando
Festival organisers should not give an impression of demoralising Agnelo
Gomes. By giving such donations he is not promoting himself in Goa to
contest the election in the local Panchayat or Municipality. By giving such
a fatty donation he is not making a big show. The organizers of Mando
Festival should come out with their version so that people should know the
truth as people are alrady aware of Agnelo Gomes' donations for this cause.
Mando Festival is not only the baby of few people involved in organizing
this festival, we are also responsible for its promotion and protection in
one way or the other. Our involvement is not to gain cheap publicity by
impressing upon the Ministers to get their doles to promote our personal
interests.
A.Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
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