The World of the Dulpod [From the book 'Undra Muja Mama', co-authored by Dr Jose Pereira, late maestro Micael Martins and Pe. Antonio da Costa, and being released in Goa on Sunday, Oct 9, 2011 at 5 pm at the Ravindra Bhavan, Margao.]
Folk Songs of Goa: Dulpods OFFERED IN THIS BOOK is a collection of dulpods, dance songs depicting vignettes of life in traditional Goa. It is a collection more complete than the first one ever made of them (from 1866 to 1870) by the pioneer collector of Konkani folk songs, Miguel Vicente de Abreu (1827-1884). Abreu (who identified himself as “um curioso”) compiled his collection while dulpods were still being composed; the present collection was completed when their period of composition had long ended. They portray an idyllic world which in our own lifetime has vanished past recall, and which some of us were privileged to witness while it still enjoyed some of its vitality. Inhabiting this world were characters like the advogad (lawyer), alfiad (alfaiate, tailor), beatinny (devout spinster), bikari (beggar), firngi (paklo, white man, Portuguese), forvoti (sawyer), harvi (fisherman), iscrivaum (scrivener), inglez (Englishman), kolvont (temple dancer), marinheir (seaman), maskany (fishwife), mistis (mestiço), padri (pad vigar, pad cur, patiu; priest, vicar, curate), poskany (female merchant), render (toddy tapper), rendenny (toddy tapper's wife), roper (clothier), sonar (goldsmith), tanddel (ferryman), and tovoi mest (carpenter). Not many researchers have studied the Dulpod. Among the few who have are Lúcio Rodrigues (1915-1973) and António Mascarenhas (1916-1993), particularly the former, who not ineptly termed it the "song of joy," for its mostly anonymous Konkani authors describe joyous characters living in a stable world, with its tranquility disturbed by armed conflicts, ever increasing emigration, and the introduction of technology. But to some authors who wrote in Portuguese -- like "Gip" (Francisco João da Costa, 1864-1901) and José da Silva Coelho (1889-1944) -- it was a world of hypocrisy and pretense, features that it undoubtedly possessed. The Dulpod, though not ignorant of the darker side of Goan life, concerns itself mainly with the joyous existence which that life had to offer. The Dulpod is a dance song that originated in the aristocratic mansions in Goa after the introduction of ballroom dancing in the early 19th century. Goans became addicts to ballroom dancing, and continue to be so in this 21st century. They mastered the dances current in Europe, like the Waltz (in vogue from 1816), the Polka (originated around 1830), Lancers (from around 1860) and the Pas-de-Quatre (1892). But they needed to have dance songs of their own; they invented four: the Mando, the Mando-Dulpod, the Dulpod, and the Deknni. The Mando is a slow verse-and-refrain song, in six-four time, dealing with love, tragedy and contemporary events, both social and political. The Mando-Dulpod is a slower variety of the Dulpod (or a quicker sort of Mando), also in six-four time, facilitating the transition from the Mando's slow rhythm to the quicker one of the Dulpod. The Dulpod itself, in six-eight time, is typically descriptive of Goan life, particularly that of the Christians. The Deknni ("Song of the Deccan") is a song imitating Hindu music in the musical idiom current among the Christians, in two-for or six-eight time, descriptive mostly of Hindu life, with special attention given to temple dancers. We have already published three volumes on the Mando, and one on the Folk Songs of Goa: Mando-Dulpods and Deknnis. The present volume is devoted to the Dulpod alone. Helpful in dating the dulpods are the political events to which they sometimes allude, like the rebellion of Kuxttoba (1869), the Abkary Act (1878), the building of the railway (1881-1886), and the revolt of the Rannos (or foresters, 1895). References to currency too are helpful in dating the songs. Like most folk songs every where, the dulpods are usually anonymous. However, we have managed to trace the names of composers, as for example Azavedo Diniz (1860-1907), Arnaldo de Menezes (1863-1917), Carmo Abreu (fl. 1887-1894), Francisco de Menezes (fl. 1906-1910), Gizelino Rebelo (1875-1931), Mest Filip (fl. early 20th cent.) and Paulo Milagres Silva (1855-1931). Not all the verses of the songs attributed to them are necessarily theirs, however, especially those that appear at the end of a number; the Dulpod is a folk song, and as such was subject to variation, accretion and improvisation. The songs printed here were collected with great care and from several sources, but these sources are not indicated in the present work. Among them are the notebooks of our dear departed friend Micael Martins (1914-1999). These songs were mainly composed in Saxtty/Salcete, a province in south Goa; in villages like Bannali (Benaulim), Kurhtori (Curtorim), Kut-tthal (Cortalim), Lotlli (Loutulim), Makzon (Macasana), Morhgoum (Margão), Murgoum (Mormugão), Naveli (Navelim), Rai (Raia), São Tomé, Sankvall (Sancoale), Surali (Seraulim), and Tsandor (Chandor). Other villages in Saxtty whose names appear are Kunkol-lli (Cuncolim) and Vel-lli (Velim). Some other villages mentioned are those of Tisvarh/Ilhas, like Divarhi (Divar), Dongri, Malar, Ponnji (Panjim), and Raibondar; those of Antruz, like Fonddem (Ponda), Kunddoi (Cundaim), Xirvoddem (Siroda); those of Bardez, like Asgoum (Assagão), Kongotti (Calangute), Mapxem (Mapuça), Pomburpem (Pomburpa), Porri (Parra), Xiuli (Siolim); and those of the Goan hinterland, like Kalem, Narvem and Sonallem. The dialect of the dulpods is mainly Saxtti/Salcetan. As in other parts of India this dialect has caste variations; the dulpods generally adopt Saxtti's Brahmin mode. However, in public performances and private, the speech of the dulpods is changed into the Barhdexi dialect, on the mistaken assumption that the latter is the standard form of Konkani. Even if this were true, a song is always best sung in the manner in which it was composed. It is true that there was a standard Konkani (Pramann Konknni), codified in the 16th century and prevalent till the 18th, but it is different from Barhdexi, which came to have some literature composed in it in the early 20th. Besides, Barhdexi's own contribution to Goan Song is negligible. The few examples composed in that dialect are indicated in the present work. As we said earlier the dulpods portray an idyllic world, peopled with joyous characters living in a stable society: but the idyll was an illusion, for even in the century when the Dulpod flourished, from around 1850 to 1950, the bells of doom for Goa's traditional life were tolling. Britain was fastening its grip on India, and sought to annex Goa, but did not need to, as it exercised complete economical control over the tiny Portuguese colony. Indeed Britain was becoming the world's superpower, but was being challenged by its rival, France. Led by the military genius of Napoleon, France set out to conquer Europe. But the enemies of the emperor, led by Britain, worked to frustrate his plans. Napoleon launched his attack on the nations of Europe opposed to his imperial designs, including Portugal. When the French invaded the Iberian peninsula, the Portuguese royal family fled to Brazil, returning to the mother country on the restoration of peace in 1815, but Brazil declared itself independent. Portugal's monarchy, from having been absolute, became constitutional, ruled now by a parliament, whose representatives were chosen by elections. The first elections in Portugal took place in 1820, and in Goa in 1822. Elections created much tension in Goa, the people using them to castigate the government, choosing candidates that were opposed to the government's policies. These tensions were exacerbated by rebellions of the military caste of the Rannos or foresters, proud bandits accustomed to privileges and exemptions that the Portuguese sometimes allowed them to keep them quiet. But when these privileges were sometimes revoked they rose in rebellion, raiding the countryside. But there were other motives that excited these rebellions, as was the case with Goa's most romantic bandit, Kuxttoba. Some of the rebellions were promoted by the dessais of Uspa (1814), Zambaulim (1817), Dipu Ranno (1822), the Rannos of Satari (1852, 1895, 1897, 1912). The Rannos had an army, a rag-tag gang of marauders perhaps, but not for the service of the state. There was a state army made up of natives, mestizos and Europeans, vexing the government with its constant complaints. (The mestizo branch was abolished in 1871.) There were Hindus among them, forbidden by their orthodoxy from crossing the ocean, which they were asked to do in 1895 to get to Mozambique, where the Portuguese were having troubles of their own with the natives. Some notable rebellions of the Goan army occurred in 1842, 1870 and 1871. Adding to the land's troubles were the occasionally occuring cholera epidemics, as in 1831 and 1918. All these misfortunes gave ample reasons for Goans to emigrate, first to British India, then to the Portuguese and British colonies around the Indian ocean, and finally, Europe and the New World itself. Emigration was aided by the building of a railway line, begun in 1881 and completed in 1888, joining tiny Portuguese India to the vast subcontinet under British rule, making it possible for the British to intervene whenever they thought there was need. The building of the railway made severe demands on the Goan work force, and many girls and young women were pressed into service. Of the many events responsible for the collapse of traditional Goa, one seems to be a kind of compendium of all the others. That was an agreement between the Portuguese and the British, the Abkary Act of 1878. In exchange for a mere four hundred thousand rupees, the Portuguese were required to agree to unity in customs; to model their currency on that of British India (rupees-annas-pice) instead of the traditional xerafim-tanga-rubo; to give the British the exclusive privilege of regulating the production of salt, and also the control of spirituous liquor produced from the toddy palm. Many toddy tappers, known as render, were arrested, and British patrols roamed the countryside to arrest violators. (The change in currency occurred in 1880, and helps us determine the dates of particular songs.) Finally, as though to symbolize the collapse of traditional Goa, the government sponsored the demolition, between 1820 and 1875, of the monuments of the old imperial metropolis, Velha Goa. The old order, however, was now moribund, disappearing only after the end of World War II. * * * UNDYRA MUJA MAMAM* 1. Undyra* muja mama Anim y aum sangtam tuka Te Mazorilea pileam lagim Fell manddinaka! 2. Te baile vattenum Anim bitol-le vattenum Kurhi' kelo burak Morhgounkar Undyra mamanum! 3. Undir mamu ailo Anim petti' kuxi gelo Te Mazorilea pilean taka Ek gansan hailo [helo]! 4. Konddo munn to man-num Konddeachem kelem xirem Kedy'm ol-llem birem Morhgounkar Undyra mamanlem! 5. Konddo munn to katon-num Konddeachô kal-lleo virio Kedeo ol-lleo mixio Morhgounkar Undra mamanleo! 6. Vello mum tem man-num Vellachi keli tenkrhi Anim kedy' ol-lli xemprhi Morhgounkar Undyra mamanli! 7. Ambo munn to man-num Ambeachem kal-llem follem Kedy'm ol-llem morhem Morhgounkar Undyra mamanlem! 8. Ambo munn to katon-num Ambeachi keli pexi Kedi ol-lli podvi Morhgounkar Undra mamanchi! 9. Ponnos munn to katon-num Ponnsache kal-lle gore Kedy' ol-lle dolle Morhgounkar Undra mamanche! 10. Derantulea marhak Eki ol-lli aili bonddi Anim kedi ol-lli sonddi Morhgounkar Undra mamanchi! 1. Mouse, O Uncle Mouse. I tell you, don't play with the kittens of that Tabby Cat! 2. Uncle Mouse of Morhgoum/Margão made a hole in the room, on its outer side and on its inner side 3. Uncle Mouse came, and went to the side of the chest. The Tabby Cat's kitten ate him in one gulp! 4. Cutting the bamboo, they made a strip from it. How large is your family, uncle mouse of Morhgoum! 5. Cutting the bamboo they made a long thin strips from it. What a long moustache Uncle Mouse of Morhgoum! 6. Cutting the bamboo, the made a pole from it. What a long tail was that of Uncle Mouse of Morhgoum! 7. Cutting the mango tree, they made a plank out of it. What a big corpse there was, the corpse of Uncle Mouse of Morhgoum! 8. Cutting the mango, they made a slice from it. What a great show of force there was by Uncle Mouse of Morhgoum! 9. They cut the jackfruit and took out its gore. How big were the eyes of Uncle Mouse of Morhgoum! 10. The coconut tree at the door has a large sterile nut. What a large snout has Uncle Mouse of Morhgoum! * A man from Morhgoum ("mouse", undir; the inhabitants of * that town are called 'mice') falls in love with the * daughter of a woman with many children, known (for that * reason?) as (Mrs.) Tabby Cat (Mazory). According to the * folklore of Saxtty/Salcete, some of the Brahmin villages * seem to retain remnants of a very old totemism. The animal * emblems of some of these villages are as follows: Morhgoum * Margão, mouse; Kurhtori/Curtorim, dog; Rai/Raia, tiger; * Lotlli/Loutulim, goat; Tsandor/Chandor, buffalo; * Vernnem/Verna, ox. Images http://bit.ly/q9fAob Score for the above http://bit.ly/ohENFp Cover