Carnaval 2004 got off to a dewy break of dawn. The "Alvarado' began with the 10 men Cotta brass band from Santa Cruz led by Luis Cotta they stopped at prominent spots in the city Dona Paula Miramar Campal Taleigao. This Brass band was started by late Jose Santano Cotta in 1932. At exactly 1548 hrs (IST) the Cotta brass band provided a warm up to the miling crowds along Indias longest promenade from Patto Bridge to the Old Goa Medical College Complex to bring them in the spirits, with a happily married couple "Cocno ani Cristao" symbolising the communal harmony. Then Hon'ble Ministers Francisco Xavier (Micky) Pacheco dressed fancifully in red and a bandana round his head, Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate and Pandurang Madkaikar and Francisco (Babush) D Souza ushered in the King Momo Bondo (brother of Timoteo Fernandes of erstwhile Tuna Sparks fame)and Queen Momo cute Ms Naina Albuquerque.
The Government sponsored Tourism began since Mr Percival Noronha then looking after Culture & Tourism provoked the Goa Government to lend a helping hand. Today while the role of Government in such activities is being debated on this ocassion the politicians insignificant except that they are provided accomodation with thenon Goan IAS Secretaries on a huge shamiana in front of Adil Shahs Palace the present Secretariat. There are this year five prizes in each of the six categories and the prize amount is in lakhs. At last coount there were 63 entries that were of some consequence. Most of the themes were broadly based based on a)communal harmony viz; Visionaries of Loutolim Youth "lets all live in Communal harmony" Youth of Uzro Raia "No racism Lets all sail together" b)Bird Flu scare The group from Caranzalem showed a youth dead in a coffin and people mourning there three such floats on this theme c)Padaria from St Stevam led by neves Saldhana was an impressive float where the whole gamut of baking our very traditional Goenchem Pao was on display the poders were excellent so also those that baked the same. d)Taste of Goa -- led by Mesais Tavares of Algrio Bai Cardoso of Dream Merchants andNostalgios Chef Fernando of Raia not only prepared the dishes on the float but also distributed the "xacuti pulav" to the bystanders Mr Rudolf barretto from Benaulim provided the music. e) the Friends Circle of Mhapsa Rajwado showed a fishermen actually casting his nest and catching fish this artistic display won public applause f) "Mad and Tachea Upeog" was another attractive float that showed coconut trees and the manufacture of Goas Feni an excellent presentation there was also the artistic display of manking pots and grinding resembling a traditional household. g) liqour barons -- "Honeybee" displayed a big bumble bee then the "Derby Special" had three damsels on real horse backs which provided amusement to the crowd. Directors Special was a cast mostly of foreigners females and won adventurist almost bared all her top to the amusement of the audience; sure liqour prowess. However Dr Vijay Mallya the King of Good Times only had his name on the float "Pirates " St Sebastian Boys Mhapsa -- who danced to the rhythm of Viva la Carnaval h)the junk cars yes there was an OPEL --- Audi Gago GDA 2835 a 40 year old and another Volkwagon Flower Power GDE 3523 around 30 years old both moved majestically and as if to show the generation change PAULO TRAVELS displayed an antique "Careira"of yester years and the new Volvo version which has now entered his fleet. Paulo hails for St Andre (Agacaim) and belongs to ex MLA Teotonio Pereira the veteran politician of yesteryears. i) then there were sarcastic themes - the International Film Festival --" Goa shining "in tune with the 40 crore BJP Govt publicity India Shining" showed Goa emerging as a film city with caricatures of Mr Bean Mr Joddy Foster Mr Arnold and some youth shooting and featuring films --- What next ?? for Goa j) the world latest innovation the SKY BUS an invention of the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd and accepted by the Goa Government is seen to many as a financial resouce drain -- the commentary was of the prospects of the trial run now being assembled and replicated at the Margao Railway Station. k) Henrys Music Cafe and Goan Live for Music and Dance for Music were beautiful dance groups vibrant with music that enthralled the crowd. Carribean Fever Charles Darwin Theory of Evolution wGoan Living Concepts Dsoshys Living Concepts. Atleast two other Groups performed to Hindi music tunes bring a marked changed in the carnaval revelry of yester years. It is time that Goans need to show our Goan art and culture and not imitate others felt Andria Kosygin a Russian who was capturing the images of Goa for posterity. Rasta Boys Group Osborne Calangute -- mainly of foreigners demanded tat out Goan beaches be kept clean and a warning to Non Goans to avoid harrassment to foreigners apparently referring the recent spate of rapes of Swedes by non Goans. SDPO Vaman Tari who was overseeing the crowd bandobast remarked jocularly that the music and float resembled the acid parties. There were non Goan Groups like the Haldiram of Nagpur the caricatures of animals and men resemble a circus performance but the beat was more resembling the Shigmotsav and did not fit in these settings. Clowns were a[ plenty ghosts children fancifully dressed on bicycles tricycles. A konkno dressed in pudvem an Arab an absentminded professor the ex mascot of Air India was majestically saluting the crowd. One group which perhaps did not make it on the visual media of prominent TV networks like ANI Star TV DD was the group of street children performing a dance -- they are members of the El Shaddai UK based with branch in Goa. This NGO takes care of the street children their motto is "loving caring and sharing" The children were applauded as they performed excellent dances -- but their outfits were of normal street children. Yet another group was of CRY -- warning the paedophiles to stay of children -- apparently referring to the Freddy Peats case. Carnaval in Goa despite its ups and downs has indeed become the State festival since 1964 Late Vasco Alvares, late Roberto Alvares Timoteo Fernandes Chico Fernandes Percival Noronha Pascoal Menezes of CMM and after 1984 it Francisco Martins and Hotel Mandovi and Hotel Samrat proprietors that Armando Gonsalves famed junk car carnaval or peoples carnaval. Today with the changing demographic composition of the state the incidents of throwing cocotes smearing ones faces with talcum powder or the indigo is unheard of. Water balons are however still prominent but the polcie scout for such mischievous games as many accidents have resulted. Thus Sabado Gordo will come to an end with a performance by midget Amalia Dias a kunbi group from Quepem who has performed before internationally our traditional zagor. The 49 anniversary of the Festa de Leques and Varca Traditinal dance, followed by khell tiatros in villages like Loutolim Nuvem. At Chandor the Mussel dance and at Orlim the tradtional carnaval pageantry still attracts crowds. So viva Carnaval and watch the nex parades at Margao VascodaGama Quepem Mapusa and for the first time at Calangute. A large foreign crowd mainly Russians Japanese and European tourists took pot shots at the performers. The credit for the success of the show goes to the organisors Pnaji Caranval Committee Timoteo Fernandes Napolean D Souza, Joaquim Teles the Deputy Director of Directorate of Inforamtion & Technology who has been associated with the caranval since yester years from Panaji promenade. However according to some of the visitors they felt that the crowds unlike in Brazil or El Salvador or France or New Orleans merely stand behind barricades and smile as the performers pass by there should be particpation and less of uniformed policing, to add more punch and soul to the parades. from the Pato --- Campal promenade Godfrey J I Gonsalves Borda Margao Goa ________________________________________________________________________ Yahoo! India Insurance Special: Be informed on the best policies, services, tools and more. Go to: http://in.insurance.yahoo.com/licspecial/index.html ________________________________________________________________________ Yahoo! India Insurance Special: Be informed on the best policies, services, tools and more. 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