Doha: Goan welfare Association, Qatar celebrated ‘World Goa Day’ on November 6, Friday at Mercure Grand Hotel, Doha Qatar. More than 600 members of the community participated in the grand celebrations.
“The basic idea was to promote Goan culture, cuisine, customs, traditions, music and language,” explained GWA president Simon D’Silva. It displayed all grandeur and pageantry with immensely captivating traditions and delicious cuisine that displayed the real essence and identity of Goa.
Chief Guest of the function Fr.Anand Castelino, Cap OFM Our Lady of Rosary church, Qatar, inaugurated the function by cutting of cake. Guest of honour Mohammed Habib Nabi said that Simon D’Silva and his team have been doing a marvelous job for the last 16 years by putting up such magnificent events for the community.
The multi-talented ace compere Mahesh Prabhu had the audiences on their feet with his unique style of compering. DJ Glorio set the dance floor on fire with his ubeat mixing of retro, pop and goan melodies.
Live Band and Doha’s favourite Joyce and Aggie provided scintillating music throughout the event leaving the audience clamoring for more live numbers.
GWA committee members Simon Dsilva, Pearl Fernandes, Allan De souza, Hazel Rodrigues, Glorio Fernandes, Tania Rodrigues, Cajetan Rodrigues, Effie Noronha, Edgar Fernandes, Hasen Fernandes, Deepshikha Barretto and Pradeep Barretto joined in on the dance floor creating all the more excitement at the event.
The inaugural event, which started at noon, was still going strong at 6 pm and included Goan traditional dancing, Goan Dance, Music, Singing and a Goan Fashion show. A traditional Goan Food Festival with a sumptuous buffet was savoured by the audience. It was a complete blend of art and culture, a fun -filled day with lots of spot games and lucky draws, where winners were awarded with beautiful gifts.
Traditonal Fashion show enthralls audiences
The excited crowd was seen lined up along the (imaginary) ramp to witness the fashion show that was choreographed by Effey Noronha and well co-ordinated by the GWA committee members. Each member was clad in a traditional outfit and walked the ramp to songs with apt music for each of them.
The fashion show depicted the Batkar (landlord), Poder (traditional Goan baker), Render (toddy-tapper), Kunnbi (the earliest settlers of Goa) and Kharvi (the fishing community of Goa), while others depicted the traditional attire worn by the Christian bride and bridegroom, the attire worn during Sao Jao and Carnival, the clothes worn during the Portonne (when the new son-in-law is invited for lunch at his in-laws’ house for a reception on the second day after the marriage). While the groom wears a suit, the bride is expected to wear a bright red sari.
The fashion show also depicted traditional outfits worn while performing the Manddo and the Corridinho. Manddo is a musical form that evolved during the 19th and 20th Century among Goan Catholics of Goa. While the men wear formal coats, showing Portuguese influence, the women wear a unique Indian costume called panobaju. The Corridinho is a form of Portuguese dance performed in Goa, where the girls wear long skirts and tie their hair in a scarf and the boys wear formal black trousers with a waistcoat and hats.
‘World Goa Day’ is the day that is celebrated by Goans worldwide to mark the decision made by India’s parliament on August 20, 1992 making Konkani, the main language of Goa, as an official language in the Indian constitution.
