Canada-based Mel D'Souza, a Goan from Brampton, ON., recently illustrated a book on the Saligao village authored by the writer-priest Fr Nascimento Mascarenhas.
While quite a few deal with village specificities, many illustrate charming stories from a Goa we know. Of the town criers from the past, age-old children's games, traditions, the village life, farming, local springs ("fountains"), music teachers, old-style transport, brass bands, Parashurama and St Francis Xavier, nuns and singers (including the nightingale of Goa Lorna, who traces her roots to this village). My own favourite is called "Mackerel Sky". It discusses the old belief that a bloody-red sky at sunset means a lot of mackerels (bangdde) in the market the subsequent day. Of course, today we have far too many fishing trawlers, mechanisation and "development" and overfishing, and too few mackerel! But check out what the artist has done to convey this image -- in black-and-white! http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/7105368139/in/set-72157629515952866 See his charming sketches here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/sets/72157629515952866/ Contacts for Mel: Tel (905) 793-6123 mel.dso...@sympatico.ca PS: Over the last four years, I've been focussing on getting into print more interesting, community-driven Goa-related books. There is still a lot of work waiting to be done here, and few hands to do it... but still, it is very satisfying work. See some of the output here: http://scr.bi/Goa1556Books If you'd like to discuss an idea or how it could be possibly turned into a book, please get in touch. -- FN +91-832-2409490 or +91-9822122436 f...@goa-india.org On Twitter @fn or http://twitter.com/fn