Received: from spot.Colorado.EDU (parrikar@spot.Colorado.EDU [128.138.129.2]) by nss1.CC.Lehigh.EDU (8.6.9/8.6.9) with ESMTP id SAA89276 for ; Thu, 12 Jan 1995 18:46:42 -0500 Received: (from parrikar@localhost) by spot.Colorado.EDU (8.6.9/8.6.9/CNS-3.5) id QAA08149 for sm0e@lehigh.edu; Thu, 12 Jan 1995 16:46:39 -0700 Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 16:46:39 -0700 From: "Rajan P. Parrikar" Message-Id: <199501122346.QAA08149@spot.Colorado.EDU> To: sm0e@lehigh.edu Content-Length: 5840 >From parrikar@spot.Colorado.EDU Fri Jun 3 14:24 MDT 1994 Received: (from parrikar@localhost) by spot.Colorado.EDU (8.6.9/8.6.9/CNS-3.5) id OAA01629 for parrikar; Fri, 3 Jun 1994 14:24:33 -0600 Date: Fri, 3 Jun 1994 14:24:33 -0600 From: Rajan Purshottam Parrikar Message-Id: <199406032024.OAA01629@spot.Colorado.EDU> Newsgroups: rec.music.indian.misc Subject: Cantara- A Konkani Song Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder Apparently-To: parrikar@spot.Colorado.EDU Content-Type: text Content-Length: 5287 Status: RO Yo Doodes and Doodettes: The ghats recently descended on RMIM, did their hula, core-dumped their "chailaa-aailaa" mush, and went away. It is now time to do exactly the same in Konkani too. The Cantara (pronounced kaantaar - Portuguese, meaning song) is a delightful genre in the folk music bag of Goa. While its practitioners are largely Christian (known affectionately as the "maakka pao's"), its popularity is universal. The characteristic of a Cantara is the heavy and often loud use of the brass section of the orchestra and a racy beat to go with it. But what catches the attention are the lyrics themselves. They speak of the simple, bucolic life in the beautiful hamlets in Goa and they dabble in issues ranging from sex to salvation (end-points included). For the Goan man, a Cantara is very relaxing after a hard day's work of transacting at the fishmarket with the nustekann (fisherwoman) with the freshest mound of mackerals and the biggest pair of mammary glands. For the Goan woman (she hasn't had an original thought since the invention of fish-curry) the Cantara is good humming as she grinds away yet another coconut for the curry her Lord n Master demands everyday. Cantaras have some of the most politically incorrect, outrageous and incongruous content than any other musical form I have come across. Needless to say, they are uproariously funny. Example: yO baile yO, sOrrO makka di poilO, sOrrO makka dina zalyaar tujhO foTTolO tOklO which translates to - Come woman come, gimme some booze, if you don't, I'll break your head. (If you can't laugh this off you are either (i) a stuck-up female from a status family or (ii) a desperado male trying hard to charm the pants off a stuck-up female from a status family.) The Konkani of the Cantara is the Goan "christian" Konkani. On a different tack, I have often been curious about these local variations of Konkani as it crosses the borders of religion, caste and region. The Konkani, for instance, of the Hindus in Salcete (Margao etc) is very sweet-sounding, gentle and betrays their small-town upbringing. On the other hand, the fellas from Bardez (Panjim etc) speak their formal, polished, executive Konkani, given as they are to city-slicking (Which brand do you think I speak? Hint: I am a polished, snotty city-slicker). Coming back to the subject of Cantaras, the following one is among the most popular in Goa and dates back at least 25 years or so. The setting for this Cantara is the familar festa. The annual feasts and zatras (in the case of Hindus) are major social events in the Goan calender. The zatra is a microcosm of Goan life itself and the sights therein provide a telling commentary on the nature of the Goenkaars - love for their Gods/Goddesses, penchant for good food, proclivity to erupt into song and dance at the slightest pretext, warm community atmosphere and, finally, an avowed aversion to doing anything productive or worthwhile throughout their pathetic, sorry lives. (I have provided a loose literal translation. No attempt made at preserving the rhyme ) BanDra festa gelelo hanv tya nimnya aaytaaraa feryet bhonvta-bhonvta voraN zite ailee baaraa chONekaaran mhonong laag gorom chONe' vhOraa chONe khaung ullO thOisOr pavlOnaa ghaaraa (Last Sunday I had gone to the Bandra feast wandering-wandering it almost became 12 there were chanaawaalaas shouting, "take my hot channa" I ate channa and phorgot all about going home) Ha Ha, Wah wah wah wah wah lok ferin bhonvtaa chorussan-sorpotel sOgle thOisOr mevtaa merry-go-round-aar cheDe'-cheDvaN ghunvtaa luttin kitte poitaa konui konank tenktaa (Ha Ha wah wah wah wah what a wonderful sight we get everything from sausages to sorpotel boys and girls are merry-go-rounding and winking as they brush one-another) giant wheel-aar bostolo mhonun ticket kaaDli mojhe kushik taanen eke' Aunt-ik dhaaDli voir paavnaa fuDen Aunty fugaar zaun rodli O my God! mhOnOn teenen veng maakaa maalli Ya Ya, My God My God Aunty svaas sodi Uncle sOkOl photoo tijhO kaaDi beautiful lady aasli ti baabDi uDki maarit mhon haayen goTT dholli saaDi (I bought a ticket for the giant wheel but they parked a fat Aunty next to me up we went, Aunty got ishscared and screamed! and saying "O my God" she embraced me Ya Ya My God My God, Aunty's breathless Uncle's down below taking pictures a beautiful lady she was, the poor thing I grabbed her sari lest she wanted to jump out) maachhe mukhaar ring uDonvche ish-stall disle tya ish-stallaan ti ringaa diunk sobit chedoon aasle' kEshaanche mountain kElle' mhujaa chintit tE ulle' ring uDoilellen taachya mountain-aar poDle' Ha Ha lucky fellow mhon bObaav lokaanchO haar ghaalun phoolanchO photoo kaaDlo aamchO ugDaas vechOnaa mogichyaa festachO chaar-aanyang hanv mog jinklO Bandra-chya chedvachO! (further down I saw a stall for ring-tossing dispensing the rings was a smashing babe my eyes were fixated on her mountain-shaped hair-do and my ring landed right on top of her mountain Ha Ha, lucky fella, cried the folks around we were garlanded and photos taken I shall never phorget this festa, for I got to patao the Bandra-babe for just 4-annas!) Rajan Parrikar ============== email: parrikar@spot.colorado.edu rajan@anteng.ssd.loral.com