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Famous Musical Forms: Mando & Suvari Folk Music
Goa is a land of music, often admired as 'a Nest Of Singing Birds'. This
tiny land, cradled between the Sahyadris and the Arabian Sea, speaks with
the beat of 'Ghumat' and note of Violin the year round. The folk music has
devotional as well as profane overtones, and it is exhibited in a lively
rhythmic vitality. Goan music stands apart from the music of other regions
in India because of its peculiar blend of Western and Indian traditions.
MANDO - A Love Song
Mando is a group song-cum-dance of Goan Catholics. A group of boys and
girls, some 20 in number, form a semi-circular pattern in two lines with
the girls in the front line and the boys in the back line. The songs cover
the entire gamut of emotions in love, accompanied by the beats of Ghumat
and romantic strains of violin.
The Latin Taste
Set to the Latin American tune, the song with a local theme starts with a
sad and slow note and ends on a faster beat called "Dulpods" or "Durpodha",
the rhythmic pattern being akin to 'Khaiyal' songs. In fact Mando
represents the mingling of Indian and Western traditions. The girls and
the boys sing a line of the song one after the other or sometimes in
chorus. The girls wear a peculiar dress called "Tollopo"
resembling Burmese Saronge.
SUVARI-FOLK MUSIC
Suvari is a traditional folk music, a tone setter to all Hindu religious
and festival performances. The music is orchestral in nature and relies
heavily on 'Laya' (tune) and 'Tal' (beat), as spoken words are few. The
orchestra consists of 'Ghumat', 'Shamel', Cymbals and sometimes 'Shehnai'
and 'Surt'. The popularity of Suvari can be gauged from the fact that a
good Suvari band is regarded as a matter of pride and honour of a village.
Other forms of Goan music include "Banvad", "Cantaram",
"Dasra Vadan", "Gadya Ramayan", "Gaun Kani",
"Gosavi Gayan", "Gudulya Geetam", "Jat", "Lagan
Geet", "Lavni", "Pavada", and devotional music
like "Bhajan-Dindi", Carol Singing, "Kirtan" and "Ladainha".