Gone are those
great days when many of our elders working abroad used to return home in Goa
during the Lent season only to listen to the great songs “Motets” which were
very popular in Goa and mandatory to sing in our Churches during the Lent period. Though it was popular in
Goa but not everywhere in Roman Catholicsm.
Motets are the very
sorrowful songs of the sufferings of Jesus Christ and they were scripted and
sung in Latin, however, in mid sixties they were translated in Konkani in
Goa. The original Motets scripted in
Latin with the very sorrowful tune were very pleasing to the ears, I noticed
earlier some of the passionate listeners and admirers of Motets by just
listening to the tune only and not understanding the meaning of same because
they were in Latin, they used to cry and actually tears were rolling down their
cheeks. It is sung in voices with the accompaniment of the musical instruments
such as Double bass, Violin, Clarinet and Trumpet. Its genuine beauty was lost
when its originality was mutilated in the translation process.
Motets are the great
heritage and asset of the Goan Catholicism but unfortunately it seems it is dying
now which should be prevented by all means by the Church authorities in Goa.
During my younger days where I did my first schooling in the Parochial school
in our village, our Church Mistiri by virtue of being a Mistiri he had vast
knowledge of “Solfas” written on 5 lines and the Motets are recorded in this
form of Solfas. Our current local boys
and girls who are acting like Church Mistiris by playing Organ and Guitar in
the Church are having totally zero knowledge of Solfas and thus they are unable
to promote neither Motets nor other rich devotional songs which used to reverberate all the four walls of our Churches.
Once during my vacation in Goa, I wrote one article on Motets and its copy I gave to one lady who was
acting like a Church Mistiri in our Church.
When she read the name “MOTET”, she immediately asked me “ Who is this
Motet?” Unfortunately our Church music
and devotional songs are gone into the hands of these Motes only. In such a situation how we can develop? When Altu-Faltu person takes the charge of
our devotional songs in the Church, there becomes mockery of these great songs.
Much of our diamond
wealth in the form of devotional songs including Motets remained hidden in the
Church armory in the absence of properly qualified person in the form of
Mistiri. In our Churches there is no
qualified Solfist Mistiri who must be hired or employed like earlier days by
paying them salaries. The fund for their
salaries can be easily acquired as it is done now for so many other causes. The
quality of the gold is known only to the Goldsmith and hence the quality,
beauty and greatness of Motets are known only to the qualified Solfist Mistiri
and not to any Altu – Faltu Pe. Vigar and because it is so, most of the Pe.
Vigars have left the Motets dying a slow
death.
In mid sixties, J.P.
Souzalin the renowned Tiatrist from Bombay came to Goa with his Tiatro “Saibinnicheo
Sat Dukhi” during the Lent season. The
then great musician from Siolim Maestro Joaozinho D’souza who was also the Band
Leader of his Band “Johnson and his jolly boys” which was the best in Goa then,
he came to see this Tiatro of Souzalin twice and when I asked him the reason,
he said even after listening to the Music of one Motet in one of the scenes, he
was not satisfied.
During Portuguese time
in Goa, Emmisora de Goa recorded best of Motets including from our Church
Choir in 1958 where I was one of the
participants and one of the most sorrowful Motets we recorded was "Filius Filius
est Jerusalem”. There should be an enquiry at All India Radio Panjim, to find
out where is this wealth of Goa Church gone because most of the people who occupied
the top post there after the exit of Portuguese from Goa were ignorant of
Motets and other such materials and as such there is every possibility for them
to destroy the same.
A.Veronica Fernandes.
