Zagor
Goa is known world-wide for its vast reservior of music, dance and folklore;
that is deeply rooted in the hearts of Goans, and the rhythm runs in the blood
of the people of Goa. Goan folkore are rich in content and variety. The
folk music has devotional as well as profane overtones, and it is exhibited in a
lively rythmic vitality.
At Zagor, if one recalls, rustic singers sing the zupatteo, songs criticising
wrongs quite openly, publicly, fearlessly. Hindus and Catholics still join in
the zagor performance, which has sobered down a lot now.
Links:
http://www.goaunplugged.com/dancefest.html
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Xivolecho Zagor |
KUNBI ZAGOR - 10th Anniversary
Magazine 1978-1988 UK by CAITAN KUT'THALCAR
In India there are many colourful tribal people who make up a sixth of the
population. In Goa, too, about a quarter of the population is tribal. They are
commonly described as Gawada, Kunbi. Velip and Dhangar people. In Cortalim,
Quelossim and Consua. for example, there are small pockets of Kunbi settlements.
The Christian Kunbi follow a set of tribal customs and traditions and marry
within their own sub-caste. They stem from a race known as Scytho Dravidian and
are fairer in complexion than the pure Dravidian.
Because of their backwardness the Kunbis and others are treated as scheduled
castes and are reserved certain places in colleges and government offices. Their
habits, customs and dress differ considerably though the modern youth now prefer
to dress in Western style clothing like their Catholic and many Hindu
compatriots. And despite their changing outlook, these
tribals regard themselves as a community apart, even declining to partake food
from the meat-eating Catholics.
But like their neighbours they. too, show a common interest in indigenous music
traditions and dancing. And one of their most popular forms of entertainment is
the Zagor (Jagar in Hindi), a tribal folk play which is now staged rather less
frequently to coincide with a village feast or when the spring paddy is
harvested. Perhaps ~Zagor', meaning ~keep awake', may be a tribal Thanksgiving
Harvest play to the gods.
The Kunbis, though Christians, practise certain Hindu ancestral traditions and
rituals. For instance, on the eve of the Zagor, which is staged on a sacred site
called Zagar Mand, special prayers are offered to an invisible goddess of the
area known to the people as Manacha Deo.
Antonio Fernandes, a former Sarpanch of Cortalim and Quelossim, says: Kunbi's
love the traditional entertainment which is unique to our tribe. Zagor is an
expression of the needs of the people, a time to celebrate, sing, dance and
relax the cares away.
The Zagor always have an all-male cast drawn from the village: the actors mainly
come from traditional households. Certain key roles are reserved for men who
have hereditary connections. No female actors or dancers are allowed to take
part in this tribal fiesta. Even the role of the goddess Ambabai, the deity from
Kolhapur, is acted by a male.
The main play often seems pedestrian in content and is generally a reflection of
contemporary society. The story depicts, in song and dance, the games people
tend to play with others' life and feeling. Some stories may feature the
traditional characters of Hav'aldar (policeman). Parpotti (taxman) and Mahar
(the untouchable). At other times tales are told through a series of stereotype
scenes with rapid movements of body to the beat of ghumttam and cymbals.
Each actor is appropriately dressed for the part. Traditionally the opening act
is performed by a solo actor dressed in rich tribal regalia, perhaps to signify
the power of the tribe.
The show starts with the actor entering the stage singing to the prolonged
ovation of his audience. He composes himself and carefully repeats each line of
his song twice. This is followed by all the singers and dancers. The music
strikes after the singer has finished his line so that he is free to dance
undistracted until he orders the music to stop for the next verse of his song.
The music is purely traditional and conjures up a primitive tribal milieu. When
a known family member or a friend enters to sing, a burst of crackers heralds
his entry on stage; no actor is allowed to address his singing lines either
directly or indirectly to another actor on the stage although all the performers
on the stage, alone and together, respond simultaneously to the same music and
chorus. Strangely in this confusion, if an actor forgets his line, he quickly
tries to overcome his lapse and, with a dismissive wave of the hand and head
gesticulation, he leads the musicians. The chorus is led by a principal musician
who plays the zaanj which provides the rhythm and tempo needed to produce a
delightful and exciting performance.
In the divertissement between the main play of the festival night, the Zagor can
suddenly be brought to life in an infectious ebullience creating a mesmerising
effect with ever more articulate ghumttam music with bizarre songs weaved in
sarcasm and sang cynically in riddles. Some sketches are supplemented in quick
fire gags to soften the intended effect on the audience.
There is fun and frolic for young and old alike — a tribal razzle-dazzle with a
powerful drive of bravura dancing which, unlike the Christian adoption of
Western and Latin-American music (save perhaps the Dekn I), is extravagantly
unique in origin and
display.
Yet it seems that the musical instruments, which can bring such a joyous climax
to these simple folk appear to be. For example, the mad/en is made of metal with
one end covered with animal skin and the other converges in a cone shape at the
base. The
singer-actor takes his cuesfrom the beat provided by the mad/en player. The most
popular instrument is the Ghumo which is actually a clay vessel. It is covered
on one end with the hide ofghorpad cr Iguana and its other end is open. The
zaanj is a pair of metal cymbals which, when struck together, can provide a
clashing music sound. (In the London streets you may
have seen the Hare Krishna band and heard the music it emanates; the Kunbi band
is similar.) The Ghumoi provides a high-pitched note and its beat keeps time
with mad/en (Or danka) and together with zaanj it provides the tribal music. Any
number of men can join and bring along the instruments to play music of their
choice: the more the merrier!
As well as being hugely enjoyable the Zagor is a bright folk entertainment show
which can turn out to be noisy, gestural and perhaps liberating tribalism in a
post-modem way with its acid satire and commentary on local and national life.
Jose D'Costa from Igorjevaddo, who composes songs and writes Zagor plays says:
"In many ways the Kunbi community enhances village life in its varied forms and
the Zagor is one of its colourful expressions of ancient tribal ways and customs
which are firmly rooted in the Goan folklore."
Whenever Goans stage their folk plays and Tiatar both inside and outside Goa,
the Kunbi songs and dances are usually performed to mirror the vignette of its
rich and primitive diverse cultural heritage.
Courtesy Cortalim Online USA.