Goa has a rich musical culture, and it has come to carry the legacy of Fado, the Portuguese music characterised by mournful tunes and lyrics.
Join Clyde in conversation with Sonia Shirsat, an eminent singer from Goa, as they share their love for Fado music. They discuss its meaning, and the social, political, and folk influences on its development. What are the stories that Fado music tells? What is Mando, the goan cousin of Fado? How did Fado travel across the world and enter French cinema?
Tune in to find out, and to listen to some soulful Fado tunes!
Produced by Aishwarya Javalgekar
Sound edit by Kshitij Jadhav
Brought to you by Bound, a company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social platforms for updates on this podcast or take a look at their other podcasts.
Hosted by Clyde D’Souza. He is a creative director who has worked in TV, print, and digital. His book Susegad: The Goan Art Of Contentment captures Goa through conversations, memories, stories, recipes and much more. He lives between Mumbai and Goa and lives the Susegad lifestyle every day! Follow him on Instagram @clydedsouzaauthor.
Goa has a rich musical culture, and it has come to carry the legacy of Fado, the Portuguese music characterised by mournful tunes and lyrics.
Join Clyde in conversation with Sonia Shirsat, an eminent singer from Goa, as they share their love for Fado music. They discuss its meaning, and the social, political, and folk influences on its development. What are the stories that Fado music tells? What is Mando, the goan cousin of Fado? How did Fado travel across the world and enter French cinema?
Tune in to find out, and to listen to some soulful Fado tunes!
Produced by Aishwarya Javalgekar
Sound edit by Kshitij Jadhav
Brought to you by Bound, a company that helps you grow through stories. Follow us @boundindia on all social platforms for updates on this podcast or take a look at their other podcasts.
Hosted by Clyde D’Souza. He is a creative director who has worked in TV, print, and digital. His book Susegad: The Goan Art Of Contentment captures Goa through conversations, memories, stories, recipes and much more. He lives between Mumbai and Goa and lives the Susegad lifestyle every day! Follow him on Instagram @clydedsouzaauthor.
Clyde D'Souza 00:04
Welcome to say God stories from Goa where I Clyde de Souza take you deep into go beyond the beaches and help you live and love the SUSE God lifestyle, no matter where you are. The first time I heard a father song live was in a goon heritage housing panjin, whose balcony overlooks the mandovi River. The room was cozy. The singer and two guitars were literally a few feet in front of me. When the music started, the voice was powerful and moving. And we the audience of about 20 We're in a Father Time Machine that took us back maybe 100 200 years. This was the power of photo and the magic of this star singer Sonia Schertzer. Hi, I'm Clyde de Souza, and welcome to another exciting episode of sociedades stories from Goa. My guest today is the talented and wonderful Sonia Scherzer. Sonia is the recipient of the Ustad Bismillah Khan National Award, and is often referred to as the ambassador of goo and music to the world. She is known as the best for this data, in my opinion, and I'm sure a lot of other people as well, the best for this day on planet Earth. I really think so, Sonia, thank you for being on the podcast. And I know that I'm going to really enjoy this interview. We've been thinking about doing this for I think now since season one that's almost a year ago. And I'm so happy that finally you're on the podcast. Yes.
01:53
Thank you like, it's a pleasure to be here.
Clyde D'Souza 01:56
Really happy to have you. So now we've met a couple of times, and I've watched you sing and I've watched you perform a couple of times now. But before we get into everything about you, and your entire history and career and all of that, which is just unbelievable. I want our listeners to kind of get a sense of where in Goa you're from because it's the audio medium. So if you can just tell us where in Goa right now you're from and your current home surroundings what's around you, you know,
02:25
okay. Hi, this is Sonya satin, I am talking to you at the moment from Wanda in Goa. Ponda is a town which is geographically in the center of Goa. So we are landlocked we are not on the beat side. Panda is known for its temples and spice farms for tourism. It's very green, and lots of hills. It's a peaceful place. And it's where I was born. And I've lived all my life and intend to live the rest.
Clyde D'Souza 03:01
Well, it does sound idyllic.
03:04
It is it is quite peaceful. And for me it is home. So everybody I know is from here. So yeah,
Clyde D'Souza 03:12
right. I remember even when you when I interviewed you for my book at that time, as you said how important home and ponder itself is an extension of your home and it really brings brings you a lot of peace. Right? That is true. That is true. Yeah, you know, it does sound like a beautiful place. And it's nice to kind of just be in one place. Have your roots there. You kind of know everything and everyone. And yeah, yeah, that that is something that a lot of people right now don't have it so much of movement and moving places and all of it.
03:40
That is true. A lot of my friends also fly they're not in the same place where they were in their childhood because of work or jobs or whatever. But I'm blessed.
Clyde D'Souza 03:50
Yes. Yes, absolutely. I totally agree that it is quite it's a blessed feeling to kind of you know, just grew up in one place and just you know, your entire life there. No, everyone you've seen everyone grew up, you've seen their stories, everyone from maybe the fisherwoman to the bakery guy, you've probably been to their kids marriages or whatever it is.
04:11
We've also seen the promotion of the players. They used to come walking with their pant legs then on cycles, and then on on mopeds and now it's bikes. Yeah. Oh,
Clyde D'Souza 04:23
you literally seen the passage of time and thigh Yeah. And father also in such a weird way is also the when I listened to it, it just it just I don't know, I've even though obviously I didn't grew up in the Portuguese era and all that. But it just kind of just takes you back and the Portuguese gave us a lot of things that go in love from casual to being the father. Now from what I understand father means fate. Right and Portuguese.
04:48
Yes, the word means Fate, destiny. It's, it's from the Latin word factum, just as fate in English, right, and that's what it's all about. So the song is about fate and destiny. me. So yeah. And as you said, it's right. It does transport you to a different era. That music has that quality.
Clyde D'Souza 05:08
Yeah. And most of the songs I, from what I understand are about love. They're about longing. They're about seafarers. They're about loss lovers. Right?
05:17
That's true. That's true. Most of the fathers are melancholic, there's a lot of pain and, you know, a broken heart, a lot of that sort of a feel in the song. But of course, yeah, there are some exceptions, some songs, some farther up tempo that are really naughty, they can be love songs, but melancholia. And this word called so dad is, is very much a part of the the emotion of the Father in general.
Clyde D'Souza 05:47
Yeah. Now the interesting thing is, I'm just trying to think about why did this happen? Is it because the Portuguese were seafarers? And maybe the men went away? And the women were by themselves? Is it because of that? Do you think that's how it originated,
06:00
it is not the origin, there are lots of theories. And nobody really knows how the father originated. Actually, there are theories that it has influenced from other countries because of the seafarers because of the MIDI and because of the ships that went, and the sailors brought in influences of other art forms into the fabric. But that also theories that say that this was influenced by folk music within the country of Portugal, but others zones, and those people came to Lisbon to work, because Lisbon was growing and becoming a big city. So they had left their homes and agriculture and come to the city to work. And then they sang their music, and then that evolved into father, there are theories that say that it has influenced from Spain, from the gypsies. So there are many theories are the most documented fact or, or the the most probable one is that the father evolved or was born in Lisbon in the early 1800s. And one of the reasons is, in the early 1800s, politically, and socially, there was a lot happening in Portugal, the Portuguese monarchy had returned from Brazil, Brazil was given independence. So a lot of people from there wanted to come to the continent, and, you know, see there, I see Portugal, you know, likewise, Portugal, the city was being rebuilt. And therefore, you had a lot of laborers coming from other areas, provinces of the country, as well as from the colonies. So you had a lot of people going from the colonies to the, to the country of Portugal. So there was a lot of mixture happening and end result, the fall do sort of emerged from the streets, from the people from the folk, that at the end of the day, wanted to, you know, sing out their pain, sing out their homesickness, or yearning for somebody or the love of their life or whatever. So this seems to be the most probable theory. But yes, of course, the theory of the sailor out there in the ocean. missing home sounds so much more like the father than construction workers. Yeah. But so yeah, so that's how the theory of the I mean, the origin, there are various theories. And it's very interesting, but I guess it's also a little bit of all of those theories that put together brought about the Father development.
Clyde D'Souza 08:32
I'm sure I mean, I'm definitely longing played a big role in it. Now I remember at one of your performances at Madruga, using this father called soap on which means dream, right? And it's about a long loss, beloved, who wakes up and realizes that it's all a dream, and he's with his loved one, you want to just quickly because I want people to feel and you're the magic, you know, when you talk about you know, please give us a small sneak listen to so upon.
08:58
I quit. So somebody has a small story. Yes, upon is probably the only father in company. Wow. Yes, because father's only son in Portuguese, right. And so this poem was written by a very famous growing poet called Manohar rice at this time, it was actually a challenge thrown to him by his student, because the professor asked the students why his father only sang in Portuguese. And so the student threw him a challenge. And so if you write a poem in company, then maybe we could sing, and that's how the poet penned down someone to the tune of inexistent father, and then that was sung. So yeah, so actually, as I said, Father is always sung in Portuguese sub one, the one that I'm going to sing a little bit for you, to my knowledge, it's the only father in Concord.
09:47
Okay, go ahead.
09:49
This hammer can sup man to Tao Ciara de cultura de fool Jota Hello slo mo aneema at Sun Nippori Asuna. So I lead to mochila. D O the notary Maru maroon soundly, to a no to CHI.
10:27
And that's how it goes.
Clyde D'Souza 10:28
Wow. I mean, I always get goosebumps whenever you think. Well, yeah, I'm waiting to your a few more this conversation. Okay, No, but seriously, that was awesome. So what were the I know some of the words, but can you just tell us a little bit about what the words mean, I was dreaming. And I dreamt
10:52
I was dreaming. And I saw you in my dream. Yeah. It's written by a boy. So it's actually emotion of a boy. And he says, and you look, this lemma can supplement. So I saw you in my dream last night. Yeah. And you you had a, I mean, words of love on your lips. You had these beautiful flowers in your hair. And then you came close to me. And you said, I am only yours. Oh, and then as the poem goes on, he says, you know, they talk about the meeting that he dreamt off, right? And then all of a sudden his eyes, he got up, he was awake. And he said, I got up and you will not there around me. And then I closed my eyes and try to fall asleep again. Wow. But I couldn't get that dream back. That's the entire song.
Clyde D'Souza 11:46
Right? Yeah, it's beautiful. Yeah, now, you're at Madruga, which is in Belgium, of course. And like I said, I've been there and it's such a nice intimate setting. It's, it's so rare, right? I mean, because it's like in a kind of a cozy living room. It's where I think Orlando neurona stairs, right. Yes. So just tell us a little tell the audience because you know, I don't think too many people realize that they just think okay, they'll go to a hole or something like that. They won't realize that it's actually in the phone taneous area. It's you know, it's in a home of the musician, and we're sitting in his in his home.
12:22
Yeah, somebody to go is a is a beautiful space that was started by Orlando naranja in 2019. And, in Portugal, when you have a place where you sing the file, it's called a kazoo Fado, it's like a house of. But madrugada that has been started here in Belgium is the house of father and Mundo. Because we do both these music, art forms in red record. And so it's a 200 year old building. And whether go is in this center of indo Portuguese Arts, which has been started by the Naranjo brothers, right. And if for those of you are trying to imagine what it looks like, it is a small cozy room that takes just about 40 seats, and everybody is sitting very close to each other. There's a beautiful mural on the on the wall, which becomes the backdrop, and it has elements of Portugal. It has elements of spontaneous madrigal itself is not located in spontaneous the outside it's on the actually on the banks of the river. So if you step out of that room and go into the veranda, you can actually see the river and the casinos. Oh, yes, I know. I wish we could, you know. Yeah, it's quite, it's quite a contrast to what's happening inside the room. But it's a wooden floor. First floor, very old. And it's it's beautiful because you also get to see a lot of azules the Go tiles, which are hand painted tiles, so typically Portuguese, which have been in Goa. And that's what Morocco is all about. So here, we present both the present father, as well as Mundo so far do as we've spoken about is is a music form from Portugal, Mundo is a is a folk form from Goa. And what is beautiful is both of them developed around the same time in two different sides of the globe. And that is it's an acoustic performance. We have two guitarists in house. We also have islands coming in we have an accordion at times we've had always Yeah, so each each performance you know there's some sort of variation there.
Clyde D'Souza 14:48
If we're lucky, yeah.
14:49
I usually do for the Mundo. I use the Go mod. Yes. And then sometimes we also have guests singers. So some of my students are some of the other fatherland, Mundo singers are also invited. So that's sort of the lineup that we have at at metropole. It is quite a secret actually, as you say not many people are aware of it. And it's a secret that actually should not be kept as one. I mean, very few people know about motherboard and it's slowly opening up now we do have footfalls especially crowds that come tourists that come right and
Clyde D'Souza 15:27
what does that mean? I mean, I know I've always spoken about it, but what does it mean?
15:34
So mother Gaia is actually the name of part of a city award in the city of Lisbon in Portugal when I think online thought of this name because Madrid Goolwa is synonymous with father because they do have a lot of father performances and that's the father in madrigal in Portugal. And what happens is because it's its mother go and that is a word go with it all falls in place that it all falls in place. Exactly.
Clyde D'Souza 16:02
That's nice that now that is something I didn't know now another one of your father's which I heard and I fell in love with I think you told me that it's one of your favorite ones it's I might be pronouncing this wrong but I think it's called oh now follow the Cervera which oh yes right and at anytime I mean when I heard it it it immensely is like a really sad song. But at the same time very strangely it's uplifting. So you know you can maybe you can maybe again this singles a few lines from that and then tell us what it means.
16:30
Sure. So no fad severe is also known as a hookup now. Under the second was the last was
16:39
new there Steve they please do Oh
16:53
Steen. Do these do get to see oh man see good. VV represa allow for more great evidence sa P. O Mu Sigma
17:29
Whoo, vv.
17:40
D.
17:43
Wow. Beautiful. So this is a thank you. So this is a file that was actually written for a movie that was released in 1931. And the movie was based on a book and the book was based on the life of a person called Maria Cervera. Who was good I very young, she died at the age of 26. And she was in love with account. But since she was not, not from nobility, they couldn't, you know, be together. So in the father world, we say that she sent out all that pain through her song through her father. And then a book was really written on this whole love affair. And then a movie, of course, was made in it. So this is a song, which was part of that film. And you can you can watch the film. It's up on YouTube. Oh, nice. It's black and white. Of course. I think it was the first movie made in Portugal with the soundtrack. It was not. It was the first non silent movie of Portugal. And they decided to make the movie on this book. A savanna.
Clyde D'Souza 18:47
Nice. And so that was that was her fate. And that's why the melancholy of it. Yeah,
18:51
exactly. Yeah. And she's in this poem. And in the poem of this and in the song, it says, I will kiss the cobblestones upon which my lover has played. I want to live holding on to the Father who and I want to die holding on to you. So that's that. Deep.
Clyde D'Souza 19:13
Father's still popular in Portugal? Are they like some? Is it their pop?
19:18
It's not their pop. And it is quite popular in Portugal. More in the city of Lisbon, of course. But it did have a dip in its popularity. So when when the regime in Portugal changed from from dictatorship, it went back to being democracy. This was 7475 around that time. So there was a revolution, communist movement was made and it's called the revolution of the carnations and Salazar, the dictator, the dictatorship was ended. There was a misunderstanding in the general mass This, that father was supported and loved a lot by Salazar. And therefore, it was one of his tunes to control the society, which actually was not true. There are also other people that say that Salazar didn't like father at all, but because it was popular, he sort of supported it supported in a sense, let it go, you know, but of course, there was restriction, there was censorship, there were many things you couldn't sing about. And that part, nobody talks. So he did try to control but but this misunderstanding led to the downfall of the Father for a couple of years. Until till about 76, actually, there was this whole confusion. And then in 76 onwards, Amalia also came back with with the concert, a major concert, then there was this whole grand Noid the fall, which is to happen, which was like a full night father singing concert, had stopped for those two years, that also resumed in 76. And then the father came back. However, the real resurrection of the Father, I would say, was somewhere in the beginning of this millennium, because you had many young faces, a huge bunch of new father singers. So, of course, there was, of course, this huge shadow and, you know, impression and influence of Amalia, which holds till date, but there was a lot of young blood coming into file. And this young blood has now taken it to a different level or a different parts, I would say, with a lot of influence of music from elsewhere. Compositions very different from the traditional file, but it is still foggy. And, and so I would say it is popular more in the city. And it has also evolved, compared to what followed was during the times of Amalia, or before Amalia, you're definitely the father who has evolved and it's, but it's still equally beautiful.
Clyde D'Souza 22:07
Right. Now, you mentioned Amalia a few times. And I remember you telling me about her. So she's one of your biggest think influences. So you want to just tell me a little bit more about who Amalia is, and why she's such a, you know, great grand figure in the fogger world.
22:21
So Amalia is termed as the Queen of Portugal, or in general of she was born in 1920. She died in 1999. And her singing career kicked off in the early 40s. She was quite young at that time. And there are lots of things written about and one of the things that that you know, sort of shows how good she was, was that when she was very young, she was invited to sing in the castle the fall called lose the fellows which still exists in firewalls in Lisbon. And, and then slowly, she was so popular that she stopped she was being paid more than anything, ever have any footage that had ever been paid. In the case of the Father, exactly. And she was like the youngest and the, you know, the gnomes. And then in the 40s, she started performing abroad. And then her concerts went from everywhere to everywhere, she performed all over Europe. She went to Brazil, she went to New York, she even sang in Japan. So she actually took far too International, because still, then father, you have to understand, it's not just an art form, it is something through which people could express their emotions. And therefore they were very possessive of the masses, the general people of the city of Lisbon, who were into the fog, whether they be musicians or poets or singers or just the people who went to listen and drown themselves into Fabi every evening. For them it was I mean, what will somebody from outside our country ever understand about the fall? That is their logic? Because that is our muse me that's our emotion. It's for us to understand not that they're not happy that it is appreciated. Is that exactly very possessive about it? And this this emotion is still present. I've also encountered it in some cases of father when I say that I would like to sing a father they look at me you know,
Clyde D'Souza 24:24
that how can you
24:25
how can you How dare you? How dare you know not because it's India. It's just that you are not Trump.
Clyde D'Souza 24:32
Sure they change your mind their mind when they are using though?
24:36
Most of them yes. But some of them still are a little reserved, so I know where this comes from. She took father everywhere she took then she also was in the into French cinema. She took father into French cinema she acted she won Best Actress awards. She Yeah, so she's she's done a lot for the fun To make the father popular in the world, she was recording a lot of fun. A lot of her father was on LPs and you know is was on radio stations all over the world. She did popularize the genre, outside the country, I think maximum, and definitely more than anybody else of her generation or prior to her. Now, of course, after that, with internet and everything, it's become much easier. But this is the times when you didn't have no internet and no mobile phones. It was an excellent contribution on her part. Then, of course, she was awarded she was decorated with medals in France in Portugal, for all the work that she did with the Father.
Clyde D'Souza 25:39
Nice. Okay, so now someone who is legendary outside the country and now to someone who is alive and right now talking to me who is legendary? Like, why it's a mood. It's a feeling I want to know like, what was it that made you fall in love with the Father? I think you told me that it was your mom who, who got you into it and everything. So you want to just tell me about that.
26:01
So the father was in a musical genre that I got interested in very late. Prior to that, I was singing English Pop and I was singing Konkani music and I was singing Hindi songs and everything that I am beating around the bush basically. Right. So I had participated. And I've said this before, the only vice I had in my life was competitions, singing competitions. So right from my my junior college, till my graduation, I was interested in each and every competition singing competition that I could participate in. So apart from everything that happened into higher secondary into colleges, university, whatever, there was also this French Nightingale singing competition by all the Austrian says, and, and I won that in 2000. In Gore, I was in the top five of central France. The very next year, I read this, this announcement of a Portuguese singing competition. So I thought, okay, if I've done it in French, why not in Portuguese, I wouldn't speak the language at that point of time. It was still a language that only my mom's relatives and my mom spoke, right, I would understand the bit, but
Clyde D'Souza 27:16
I would never spoken,
27:18
never spoke, it never took the effort to learn the language. And so I said, if I can sing in other languages, why not which case I learned a Portuguese song I sang I won the competition. And then what happened a few months after that was the competition was organized in Belgium. And one of the organizers, the main organizers are for the salary. And so the foundation has an office in Belgium. And there was they were bringing a Portuguese guitar teacher, or a Portuguese guitarist, Mr. Antonio, shame, to go to teach Portuguese guitar playing to musicians here in Goa. So they had this whole week long workshop, at the end of which there was a small concert by the students. The concert would have been just instrumentals after instrumentals, the mesh two had come, he requested somebody to come and sing the fab. So there were people because in Goa father has been sung and has been alive for nearly 100 years. But you know, very privately in you know, people's homes and people's family functions and things. So there were a few people, most of which were from my mom's generation that came and, and sang the file, and the director of the facility and at that point of time, because he had heard me sing that song for the Congress, which we ought to follow. And so he said, if you run the competition, you should learn a file commencing. So that is when I put my my efforts in learning my first file. Of course, with my mom's help, because mama used to sing father at home, she used to be singing, and she had gone to Portugal and brought some CDs, the CDs were playing non stop. And so I had heard all that. And I picked one of those along with a help. And at the end of the performance, this gentleman called me aside and said, you have the voice for Father, if you need any help. Let me know if I can be of any help. And you know, glide. For the first time in my life. Somebody had sort of given me a direction in my singing, because I'm not a trained singer. I haven't learned music. I haven't trained my voice. neither Indian nor Western. So I used to sing anything and everything. And as I say, it's all
Clyde D'Souza 29:28
organic. It's all organic. Exactly. Yeah. Do any training.
29:33
Exactly. So when suddenly this gentleman who is excellent in his field, suddenly told me that you should sing with the Father, your voices for the father. That's when I thought that okay, let me put in an effort and
Clyde D'Souza 29:48
then what age was this at?
29:49
This was at 2323 24. Okay, not very young. Not very young. Yeah,
Clyde D'Souza 29:56
right. Okay. So that's when you kind of took to it and that They just did it. Did it call out to you something, you know, mean? They didn't okay, this was this is my genre.
30:06
If somebody who knows what he's talking about tells me this that means, you know it had it was not just a command by anybody who says Oh, you have such a wonderful voice you should distinctly told me that this is the genre your voices for the show? No, you should. And and then I started putting my mind to the fog. And 2006 I got a scholarship for two months to Portugal. So I went there and I still have classes with this gentleman and then go to his to take me to these classes will follow me missing. So
Clyde D'Souza 30:38
that's where you got your practice.
30:41
Yeah. And I knew only three fathers at that time. I told him I said, he told me Okay, now this is the place you have to come here every day and sing or whatever once a week and sing. And I said, but I only three. No problem using the same preferred remedy time because the audience Yeah, sounds cool. Can I be singing the same thing but, but it was a very good practice session, I got to learn a lot about the genre, and watch many other singers, you know, and understand the music and how the accompaniment goes. And yes, that made a big difference in my singing. I could feel that I could feel that. That's how in 2008 I went back to Portugal. And I decided to just you know, on my own right to all these passes the father every day, and that's how life changed.
Clyde D'Souza 31:35
Right? And now is the father song anywhere else other than Portugal? Or is it now like Portugal go out of the pockets of Portuguese colonies that song in? Or is it also native to any other country?
31:47
Um, it's it is sung in most of the countries where there are Portuguese communities, people who are working and from Portugal, so yes, that is far today. I know of but non Portuguese, non Portuguese community. I think God is one. And the other one is in Japan. Oh,
Clyde D'Souza 32:08
wow. Yeah. In Japan, surprising. Japan.
32:11
Yes. Yes. Because Amalia visited Japan, and she mesmerised? I think so. And I believe in Japan, they already had fog, before I started singing in Goa. But of course in Goa, also, we had found the only thing was the father in Japan was being sung at a commercial, whereas the father in Goa has always been sung, you know, family parlors and all these huge go and houses and you know, for their functions or whatever, after parties. Yeah. Yeah. So that is the only difference. I think there's also a father singer who's of in Holland. There is of course, Knizia, who is very famous and is considered in the list of the top father singers for a long time now, and I believe she's, I'm not sure I think she's Spanish, I might be wrong. And but other than that, as far as a community thing is concerned, you can find value in many cities of the world, primarily where you have a Portuguese community,
Clyde D'Souza 33:15
right? And who are the other young father singers, like we just mentioned right now. Any other ones who you know, if someone was interested in like listening to some other fathers by other singers who are right now, maybe young, or maybe not young, but at least currently the ones who are on top?
33:31
So there's a long list of artists from the new generation. You've got of course, Marissa, you've got come in there. That is under Mora who's been doing a lot of new stuff. There is of course, Pedro Moteino there is Mark Rodriguez. That is cutting the reel. This cooker Rosetta this coming year, who's also doing very well. So the quite a few of the new generation.
Clyde D'Souza 33:58
They are the sound like the Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber's of the Father. Yes. Most importantly, I love the names, and I love the way that you see them. I think what I'll do is I take them from you later on on WhatsApp, so we can you know, so I can put the names out, right. So then people search for them, and they'll have a better understanding of who these people are. Like you mentioned Madruga also has not just the father but also the mando. Right. And you also think, if I'm not mistaken, and for my listeners who don't know, basically these two art forms of music styles, our company, Govan styles of music, which are I think native to go and for me, I feel like like the Mondo is like the like the golden cousin of the Father. And the dupatta like the naughty cousins, because they're cheeky, right? So they're like the golden cousins of the Portuguese fathers. So you want to just tell us a little bit about mando and the duel pause and maybe give us a couple have examples by singing some of your favorite models in the show.
35:04
Yeah, so the beauty of Mondo is many people as you just call it the goon cousin of fog. Many people call it the golden fog. But and sometimes it's inspired by the file. But primarily, the fact is that both the father and the mother grew around, they're roughly the same age. And the Mundo is a performance, which is a group performance, unlike the Father. Here, you have a lot of singers, you have a lot of dancers. It's a folk form, but it's very formal. The gentleman I entail coats, the ladies are in a very, it's a very different outfit. It's like a wraparound skirt, the blouse and a coat and a stall. It reminds of the northeastern states which reminds of Eastern countries, as they sing and they dance. They open these fans, handheld fans, and the gentleman pull out their white hand touches into triangles, and it's a very elegant ballroom dance. It's a ballroom dance where the couple dances together, but they never touch hands. They never touch each other. So it's beautiful, and very different from other folk forms. And traditionally, when Mundo is sung, the tempo of Mundo is slow. It's followed by the uptempo toolpaths so doing what is another art form from Goa. And it's appear it's generally the music that people identify with go when they think of go and go and music that they know it's usually a billboard and they'll put a small songs it just like four lines, just one verse two verses and it's an older art form. So the report actually, it was all yes predates the Mundo and it is a typical folk form where you know, people sing about simple things and you know, sometimes it's, it has satire, sometimes it is sarcasm, sometimes it is been sometimes it's just fun. Sometimes it is nonsense, it's nonsense. Yeah, it's just
Clyde D'Souza 37:10
a reason after the LIFO Fannie's have been dragged into
37:14
it, it could also it could also be after three four hours in the hot sun dancing the paddy fields and you know some entertainment so be that yeah, it also could be that
Clyde D'Souza 37:25
and what's your favorite mango?
37:28
Mundo my favorite manga is a slow one so my favorite manga is Sagal emoji Vida Cheeto it's very sad
Clyde D'Souza 37:35
okay
37:41
so Kelly Moochie veto chi to do guru songs
38:04
booth songs
38:17
the future wrote wrote do cargo moves Oh food raging at GD than wrote Arrowtown do Gergo LOI. Musou Fouda Ricci at the
38:57
that's it's really sad.
Clyde D'Souza 38:58
Excellent. What does it mean?
39:03
I think about all my life, and I, I cry about it. There's nobody I have in this world. And the second verse is also really beautiful.
Clyde D'Souza 39:14
Wow. I mean, this that single was like, really in a lot of, I guess pain and who was who is the original singer? Do we know?
39:21
I don't know. No, it wouldn't be a solo singer. Right. Yeah, exactly. The composer I'm not sure. I could look it up. Yeah, but usually a lot of Mundo written around that time. One of the categories or one of the emotions was you know, this melancholic, yearning, you know, missing the loved one or the loved one gone. But the girl got married to somebody else and went away and yeah, all the other way around. The boy said he's coming in he never returned from abroad. So that's, yeah, a lot of them are like that.
Clyde D'Souza 39:54
Right. And and you said the report generally for follows the model right. So basically starts off on a slow tempo melancholic slightly, but there's the kind of, maybe the night wears on and the drinks are had or whatever. Kind of odd, they just get tired of like being sad. You know, just forget about it and just sing and be merry. So
40:16
it's not it's not really after the drink. So it's basically a single performance. So first the slowfall at the Mundo, right? And as Amanda gets over, they move into a slow build path and then we're fast. So it's like one full sequence you know, even though it's wonderful sequence Yeah, it's even the dancing is slow and then the step picks up as the time goes up. So imagine I finished that Mundo and then I go to
40:44
see Celia Moochie Jade Juan Vito chiru kurios CC Li Mo J Judwaa ambito Cheju you're so
41:00
and then I'll move to the FASTA file which is
41:03
when Rama Gemma, and he also said that when the Rama Gemma and he said that to their muscle reach a pillar laghi el Medina aka the Amazon richer pillar rug, fairy Medina, the mama and daddy finally to own the mama Lo. And finally, the Amazon richer pillar and pakka yet can soften their muzzle reach a pillar the car.
41:33
And then you have a grand finale, which everybody knows, yah,
41:35
yah, yah, yah, yah,
41:43
and that's how we close.
Clyde D'Souza 41:44
No, I just want to say that I've just done a duet with Sonia, she was certain, that's the point of it, I'm gonna quit everything now.
41:54
Please don't do that. You
Clyde D'Souza 41:59
know, but what is good about this is that at Madruga, you do all of this, and you, you know, you're singing along with the musicians, and then you get the crowd involved. And, and you you kind of tell them, Okay, this is what I'm going to do. And now using this part, I think this part becomes it suddenly becomes a very interactive, engaging in where the audience is involved with everything.
42:19
So I think that's, that's one way in which they will take back a part of that performance service, it's just a concert that they go, they attend, they live, they don't like, they click photographs, a few clips here and there, put on social media, and it's forgotten. But you know, with them learning and singing a little bit of a little bit of a month or a little bit of doing that it's sort of they take it back with them. And that's what we want, because that's our primary motto is to see that these art forms
Clyde D'Souza 42:49
are alive. Yeah, I think I think you're doing a lot in not only in terms of just performing them and keeping them alive. But I if I'm not mistaken, you also have a school where you teach kids musical styles and follow and all of that is
43:02
primarily father, it's not really a school project that I'm in. Yeah. And we've been teaching father to people who want to learn in material of their age. So we've had students from the age of eight to 82. Wow. Yeah. And add to Yes, so. And people, not all of them are singers, not all of them speak Portuguese, not all of them have had any musical education, you know, so it's not really required. But they do learn the file, and they love to sing it, and they learn about it. So a lot of Tod in the classes. When we were we were thrown this challenge, I had to sort of, you know, design the entire syllabus, and the syllabus had to be designed because in Portugal, traditionally, there is no school of value. You learn further by going to college, the fall, do you learn how to by just breathing that air and feeling that pain and singing it out? You know? So there is no like, you know, Western music you have great system if you have a Guru, Guru shishya Parampara. So that is not there in the fall. Of course, now they've started some, some sort of classes there which I am yet to learn about. Yeah. But then what happened here was when I had to design the syllabus, I had to also keep in mind that these are students like me, who have not been speaking Portuguese from birth. These are students who have not been listening to file from birth, the keeping all the obstacles that I faced, keeping all those in mind. I designed the syllabus and it picked up really well. The first batch that we had was in McGraw Hill. And when I say we it is a group and it's called fab to go. We have fear on Instagram or on Facebook, follow to go and anybody who's interested in learning the Father will from us, anytime in the future, we have a batch. You just let us know on either of these two
Clyde D'Souza 45:03
these accounts and how long does this the course last?
45:06
I mean, the course that I designed for the first level was 10 classes of two hours. Each one plan is physical. Its Physical. Its Physical. Yes. We did try online during the lockdown. Yeah, but I wasn't really very happy with it because it's very difficult to Yeah, you have to add the singing if it was only theory is different. Yes, exactly. We're hoping to have live classes soon. Probably in tangent or somewhere?
Clyde D'Souza 45:36
What was the Instagram handle that you said,
45:39
Father, go FA D. O. D, go. It's the same for a Facebook and the same for Instagram. We I mean, we have more material on the Facebook account because it was started earlier. And you have even videos of children and classroom and you know, so you can actually see how we have been working with the fob.
Clyde D'Souza 46:01
Right? And Sonia, any like up and coming further singers from go who you've kind of seen, like, you know, who's like, you know, next on the radar or whatever do you think and who are they?
46:13
Um, there are quite a few that saying the fall. We've got Nigel rubella, who is she's already quite known. She was also released an album, that here in Goa, then we have one of my students culture in Korea. So it's a nice change to have a male voice.
Clyde D'Souza 46:31
So yeah, I always thought it's mostly female. And that's mostly
46:36
right. That's generally Yes, a lot of people also say that they prefer listening to a lady sing the father, rather than a male voice. But this boy is gifted. And he has the emotion and the feel of the fall. Like I've not seen before here, at least in Goa. So I'm really proud of, of this boy. And then we also have other students that is Srishti provid. Si, her sister suara. With Si, there's also Manuela Loeb, who was not our student. But she also was into the father of course and for study, she had to go abroad, but she is also there. So there are quite a few that we and I'm, I'm hoping to get more and more people hooked on to this Minashi Dias, then there is well there are quite a few the youngsters then some of them have moved from fall due to other other genres of music. And some of them leave go up because they have to for education or work or whatever. But I'm I'm hoping that sometime later they get back to the farm and make it a very beautiful part of their lives.
Clyde D'Souza 47:47
Right now one thing that we didn't talk about is that mother go there also snacks and food and Portuguese snacks. Which was also one of my favorite parts about the entire experience. So please tell me a little bit about the the snacks also that are sold over there.
48:04
Yeah. So at madrigal, what tends to happen is for the experience of the Father and Mundo, it is you know, you enter we have music and then there's a break. And then the break yourself a plate of snacks and a drink. So it's of course your choice that the snacks that are prepared are all homemade snacks, which many times are not available at commercial points. Yeah, so you don't have these things available outside. Like for example, you have prestige the backend now, so that's called fish from Portugal. It's like a Indian word you would have say a Bacala pecota For that Yeah, but it's very nice. And then you have some times you have even sausage from Portugal you have then the other stuff from your which like you know you have the party you have you have you have a choice. Yeah, yeah, sometimes o'clock eight Yeah. And then you have a dessert which is Pastel de nata, which is again, very typical Portuguese very famous. Yeah, it's lovely, which is made in Goa. Yeah. So basically these tags are made by the ladies. One is Tina, the wife of Landon aronia who has designed the space and and is the Portuguese guitar and the violin. And the personal the Natha is made by Marlon Neil's wife of Irish music, who plays the other guitar, the viola, the father at the ACMA turbo, so it's all in and you'll find the cams and Merlin's daughter, sometimes at the reception, you know receiving guests and checking the reservations. Then you will find the Daniela and you'll find my outlines daughter's clicking
Clyde D'Souza 49:53
the lights? Yeah, I remember one of his daughters coming up to me and speaking in Portuguese, fluent Portuguese. I don't know whether it was. Yeah. But he said he was talking to her in Portuguese. And I was like, Okay, well, this is like literally another Yeah. Yes, yes. Nice.
50:08
Yeah. And then there'll be this little tiny one, the youngest kid, his youngest, youngest will stand out, it will stand at the end at the exit to kick you hand you a small takeaway on the way out. It's beautiful. It's very nice. And that's how God is, you know, a lot of people that, ya know, it's always it's generally a family affair. So even when we go for a wedding, or when we go for a party, it's the entire family that goes for the same party, you will have parents dancing, and you'll have children dancing. At the same time, you will have parents dancing with children, you will have sons, you know, inviting the mother to for a waltz or for Jive or whatever. That is how it is indoor and it's not like the youth will go into one zone. There are different type of music there. And yes, it does happen. It's not that the youth Sure, of course. Yeah. But a lot of our events here are family events where the
Clyde D'Souza 51:09
generations were generation. Exactly. In the grandchildren. Exactly. Yeah. That's how we win in our families. And that's how I grew up, you know, dancing within.
51:21
Exactly.
Clyde D'Souza 51:22
You know, we'll do the masala whatever. Yeah, actually.
51:24
Dance classes. Dance classes also happen in such Okay. Absolutely. Exactly. Yeah. You know, and that's how you learn. Yeah.
Clyde D'Souza 51:34
Yeah. I never thought about it that way. Sonia. You're You're right. I mean, you know, the good thing. The Mulu is very family oriented. And all our parts were very family based. And even now, I actually prefer those over, you know, although forms of parties that's
51:47
exactly. Now when this is something that is unknown to the rest of the world is unknown to the people who come to enjoy gua. Because, I mean, they're not going to be entering these circles. So they will only enter commercial spaces and that it's a different ballgame. ballgame. Totally. So yeah. So this is how it's always been. And so therefore even at madrigal it's a very family driven thing. And yeah, everybody's involved. Yeah.
Clyde D'Souza 52:16
So it doesn't happen every week. Or every are doing it. So just tell us Yeah.
52:23
Yeah. So Mother Go is usually we have the performance twice a month, every alternate week. But there are exceptions. For example, if it's a holiday season, or if it's festivities, then we do skip or sometimes we have more than two performances in a month. So it depends. So the best is to check out again, the Instagram page of Madruga it's motherboard dot ghewar. And then you know, you're aware of when the next performances.
Clyde D'Souza 52:51
Yeah, I mean, I hope that whoever's listening or everybody who's listening to the podcast, definitely on their next trip to go, they aren't gonna have to check it out. I mean, it's a absolute, like mind blowing experience for sure.
53:05
I hope I hope they do that. They'll be most welcome.
Clyde D'Souza 53:10
Okay, so now, we move on to the next segment, which is the ouzo round. It's called the rapid fire it's something that a lot of listeners like and yeah, it's a nice fun segment so I'll ask you these really quick questions and you have to give maybe just quick answers to them you know like one word one line answers so you set on fire. Who is your father hero and who do you look up to?
53:37
So have them Amalia and my mother go Wow, great.
Clyde D'Souza 53:42
Okay, your absolute dream when you to perform.
53:46
Albert Hall.
Clyde D'Souza 53:47
Whoo. Okay, that's a good one. I hope it happens. I hope so. To just put it out there. Yeah. Put it out there right now. So
53:57
yeah, it will.
Clyde D'Souza 53:59
Great. Okay, where are you like singing in gua or abroad? Okay, cool. Yes to go and artists that you that you love,
54:09
Lorna, and Lorna. Yeah, I'm a big fan of Lorna.
Clyde D'Souza 54:17
She's absolutely. She is stunning.
54:21
She has influenced for generations. And at this age of 78 Crockett stage. Yeah, absolutely enough, I'll be able to climb the steps if I'm alive at that age.
Clyde D'Souza 54:33
I'm sure you will be working wherever.
54:37
Yeah, no, no for me.
Clyde D'Souza 54:38
What's your favorite go and phrase or line or term?
54:42
I can call it go and now although it's Portuguese, it's called that.
Clyde D'Souza 54:46
Oh, okay. Cool. So that's my favorite. That's that's that's my entire podcast and the book and everything lies on but what is it? What does it mean to you what is to say God mean to you?
54:57
So God means
55:00
For me, it's at peace or at ease. It's you do everything you know life throws you challenges and everything, but take it as it comes. Don't be in a rush. Don't chase. Don't try to find shortcuts. Don't try to reach where you want to reach, you know, by ways which are not right. It's just nice. Then we'll just let it be. It will happen. That Sociedad for me yeah,
Clyde D'Souza 55:29
very nice. Okay, now I get to like this podcast
55:34
for so long it finally happened.
Clyde D'Souza 55:36
Its own time and yeah, well said. And now other than the one the Mondo that you saying earlier which is your other favorite Mundo?
55:46
Other favorite Mundo? I like the reactionary also it's I think one of the first Mundos I learned in my life probably that's why I like it. Oh, it's also a love song. Oh, okay. So
Clyde D'Souza 55:57
there's a couple of lines.
55:59
Okay, though the
56:07
Sundari Hema Joe's yeah to Jackie's Jeep Judah. Dave you're ready more. So Amy more oh, god
56:46
you're ready. Morgan. Soy eat Aima mall, gotcha.
Clyde D'Souza 57:07
So it's the waves of the sea, right? The sea. And he's waiting for his lover over there. And it's like the waves. That's what he's that's what he's feeling.
57:18
Yeah. Yeah, you're a maga. remarquer. Yeah, come, come my love, you know, and have a look at me. I'm here waiting for you.
Clyde D'Souza 57:26
Yeah, well, yeah, that is a really beautiful model. And I think it's now going to be one of my favorite ones as well. So Sonia, finally we've done a podcast together. And thank you. It's been absolutely amazing. And I'm glad that you know that we did it. And like you said, just let things happen on their own time. And I think this has been a good podcast. Did you enjoy it?
57:52
I did. I did. And tell you I'll tell you a fact. This is my first podcast.
Clyde D'Souza 57:58
Oh, well, yes.
58:01
So thank you very much for this.
Clyde D'Souza 58:03
Great, great, great, I'm sure our listeners have been you know mesmerized by all of this. And like me, they've had goosebumps while listening to all the beautiful mothers and fathers that you sang for us. So thank you Sonia for for being on the podcast. You've taken it to the next level of where you're like, and I hope that all the listeners who've listened will be at madrigal or Bill will be watching out for you on your Instagram maybe like I remember now seeing your children. Were at the courtyard where there was the statue of Beethoven and someone's house and I've watched you there it was beautiful. So hopefully, if people maybe they can follow you on Instagram then maybe spoke to the other unconventional venue. Right? Yeah, so what what's your what's your Instagram? Just tell us that as well. So
58:47
it's just my name is Sonya chips that yes, so Nia Shi RSAT Yep.
Clyde D'Souza 58:54
Great. Super. Thanks, Sonia for doing this I really enjoyed I'll see you again soon. Some time with each other for sure. So yeah, thank you and
59:03
take care. Bye bye Moga
Clyde D'Souza 59:08
hope you enjoyed this episode of say God stories from Guam. Don't forget to rate review and follow this podcast. This is Clyde saying bye for now. Follow me on Instagram at glide de Souza author or buy my book Suzy got the gun out of contentment. For more go and stories, recipes and a whole lot more. This podcast is brought to you by bound, a company that helps you grow through stories, follow them and bound India on all social platforms or updates on this podcast. Or take a look at their other podcasts. More Gosu and see you soon