HISTORY OF TIATRO AND "ZUPATTIS".

 

 

The origin of the Tiatro was started with the concept of correcting somebody for doing something not correct.  Earlier, this job was undertaken by the "Zagor" when in the form of “Zupattis” the wrong deeds and the wrong system followed by the Brahmin Bhattkars and others were exposed from the Stage.  So much so, being unable to digest these Zupattis, the Bhattkars dubbed the Zagors as mode of entertainment for the third class Goans.  So also, Tiatro was considered by the Brahmin Bhattkars as mode of entertainment for the lower strata of Goan society.  A hundred years back acting in Tiatro was considered as profession of illiterate and low class of people. So much so, some parents refused to marry their daughters to a Tiatrist boy who normally during those days lacked good discipline, etiquette and education.  In general, the Tiatrist in one word was considered beyond the Stage as a man of vices including that of drinks. 

 

 

Many of the earlier topmost Tiatrists including the legendary Minguel Rod were the first class drunkards but genius in their art of Tiatro as script writers or singers or song composers.  They were all naturally talented and with meager resources and facilities at their disposal they turned out to be exceptionally talented as Tiatrists. It was their stage genius during those days that changed the mindset of the Goans and minimized the ill effects of the social barriers created by the upper class of Goans even in the Church, of course with the consent of the Clergy. 

 

 

Tiatros and Zupattis or Criticism in the Play or in the Sideshow songs are the part and parcel of the Tiatros. Without Zupattis the Tiatros could not be successful, be it the Zupatti for the fellow Tiatrists, Bhattcars or Brahmins or for the ruling class or for the local Pe. Vigars and Pe. Curs for their illicit sex with the local females.  During the earlier days, Tiatrists directed their Zupattis against the Brahmin Bhattcars as we saw in most of the Tiatros of Minguel Rod.  Thru Tiatros during those days policy of cleaning of the social evils like Dowry system, harassment of daughter-in-law by the mother-in-law etc. was implemented. As a matter of interest, audience would never enjoy the Tiatro if there was no Zupatti part introduced either in the main plot or in the Sideshow songs.

 

 

The Zupattis against the government functioning was started immediately following the invasion of Goa by the Bharat Serkar under the premiership of Nehru.  The first Zupatti for the government  after the Portuguese ouster from Goa was rendered by the great political singer Kid Boxer at Mapusa somewhere in the first quarter of 1962 where he was immediately arrested. Fed up of corruption started in Goa in Bharati style, Kid Boxer said in his solo against the government of India, its system and its people,  the following: 

 

TUM BHITOR SORLAI CHUKON ANI MORTOLOI SUKON, DUSREACHO DHES POCHONA.

TUM PANPOTTI KHATAI ANI POCHU KORUN THUKTAI,  LOZUI KAIM DISSONA.

TUM NESTAI FOKOT VALO ANI KHATAI FOKOT PALO ………………….

 

The whole solo was a piercing Zupatti against the government of India for illegally invading Goa and turning it into a mess for Non Goans’ benefit. 

 

 

Then onwards, almost every second Tiatrist started singing Zupatti songs against the government of Goa first headed by Bandodcar.  The most popular Zupatti singers were the Conception-Nelson-Anthony Trio, ROM-REM-ROD Trio, M. Boyer, Remmy Colaco, William de Curtorim, the Trio of Tomazinho Cardoso along with his brother and Volley D’Mello and many others.  Even full Tiatros were scripted based fully on Goan Politics such as “Nationalist” and “Bhondolist”  by Nelson Afonso,  “Amchea Xetachi Pavnni” by Alexinho de Candolim and more.

 

 

Because of the political Zupattis there was a lot of improvement in our Goa since Goa government listened more to the voice of Tiatrists aired from the Stage than from the Opposition Benches in the Goa Legislative Assembly. Even the voice of media was ignored but not of Tiatrists especially of Trio Kings of Con-Nel-Ant.

 

 

Now, recently on 9^th of this month, there was an attempt on the part of Non-Goan Hindu fanatics to stop the tiatro “Akantvadi Goeant Naka” by the young director Tousif  de Navelim.  If it was not for the last minute efforts by the Goa conscious Goans to support the director in going ahead in staging the said Tiatro, it would be a big defeat and a big surrender to the Muthalik diktat by the Goans in general and Tiatro Art in particular. Under the direction of Goa conscious Goan Kennedy Afonso all the Saxttikars challenged the brute might of Mutallik’s gang and helped the director to stage this Tiatro so successfully.

 

 

While this scenario was taking place in and around Vidya Niketan Hall at Margao, there was no sign of CM Parrikar inspite of his being the Home Minister of Goa. By keeping his total silence on this episode, Parricar gave an impression that clandestinely he supports Mutalik and his Hindu fanatics.  Very shortly the next Assembly election will come and during that time Parricar and his colleagues will be questioned by the people’s court on this and similar topics.

 

 

Lastly, it was very unfortunate that personnel from Tiatro Academy of Goa remained totally aloof from this scenario instead of taking active part in defending the director Tousif de Navelim. Even the role of senior tiatrists of keeping a distance from this whole scenario on 9^th August was looked upon with suspicion. They failed to fight for justice for their own colleague.

 

 

While concluding, let me quote Prophet Mohammed: When he was asked once “when there will be justice in this world”, thus came the reply: “when everyone of us will gather courage to fight against the injustice committed on to others as if that injustice is committed on to us only,  then only there will be justice in this world”.

 

 

 

 A. Veronica Fernandes,

Candolim, Goa.

Tel: 7507394349.

TIATRO "AKANTVADI GOEANT NAKA".

 

Finally after announcing the cancellation of the tiatro “AKANTVADI GOEANT NAKA” by Tausif de Navelim, it was successfully staged at 5.30 PM instead of at 3.30 with the capacity crowd at Vidya Niketan Hall, Margao.  Congratulations to the director Tousif de Navelim and his entire troupe who fully co-operated with him in staging this Show.  Special appreciation goes to Kennedy Afonso, Vijay Sardesai, Reginaldo Lourenco and others who strongly stood by the director in staging this Tiatro.  Special appreciation goes to the Margao Police Chief for providing over a hundred Police personnel in and around the Hall with Sniffing Dogs and Metal Detectors. Never in the history of Tiatro such a massive Police protection was provided for a particular Tiatro Show.  However, this was imperative due to the threats issued by the Muthiallik’s supporters to the director.

 

 

By going ahead in staging this Show, the dignity and prestige of Goans was protected otherwise it would be a big victory for Muthalik and his group of Hindu fanatics who speak the language of Swords as against the language of non-violence of civilized and decent Hindus.  In this whole scenario, the greatness of Goans came on to the surface and thru this it was proved to everyone that Goans are not cowards and they are not wearing ladies Bangles.  Thru this victory for Goans, Muthallik and his group and also his supporters got a resounding humiliation. Now, Muthalik and his group and supporters must think twice before venturing into Goan citadel.

 

 

It was surprising to know that there was no presence in and around the Hall of any member of GOA Tiatro Academy.  Their aloofness from this scenario keeps everyone in suspense.   I feel they once again proved to be traitors and cowards because they failed to stand by their colleagues in Tiatro fraternity when their colleagues in distress needed them the most. It is better they should abdicate  their Thrones which made them artificial heroes.

 

While concluding, I salute Tousif de Navelim for staging his Tiatro so successfully and keeping the honour of Goans to the pedestal.     

 

 

A. Veronica Fernandes,

Candolim, Goa.

Tel: 7507394349.

 

 

FREEDOM OF SPEECH FOR TIATRISTS.

Through our misfortune, Goa had to face the rule of 2 dictators during the last one hundred years;  one dictator from Portugal and the other from Goa.  Salazar was the dictator from Portugal and Bandodcar from Goa. Both these dictators rigidly applied their dictatorship to Tiatro and Tiatrists. During Salazar’s dictatorship in Portugal, freedom of speech was suppressed ruthlessly, this suppression was applied in the Portuguese colonies as well or in overseas Portuguese colonies, as they were then called.  It was not only in Goa but in Portugal itself the free thinkers and democrats suffered more because of suppression of freedom of speech.

During Portuguese time in Goa after Salazar came to power, Censorship on Tiatros and on Press was introduced, that means, no criticism of government and its machinery from  the Stage and Press tolerated.  Vavraddeancho Ixtt,  the Konkani Weekly was the victim of this law somewhere in 1958 when it was suspended for 3 months for writing a critical editorial.  

As for Tiatro, because of the censorship, no Tiatrist could write a Tiatro against the government policy nor sing a song against the government and its policies. In order to maintain this Censorship, the village Regidores compulsorily attend the Tiatros organized in the villages, to supervise the Stage proceedings that there was nothing against the government.  Otherwise, criticism against anybody was tolerated.  For this reason, those days’ Tiatrists used to criticize heavily the Goan Brahmin Bhattkars for their misdeeds against Mundkars and non-Brahmins.

Tiatrist always stood for justice for downtrodden and suppressed and harassed Goans. When Dayananda Bandodcar the first Chief Minister of invaded Goa tried to liquidate Goa and Konkani and also started working against the interest of genuine Goans, Tiatrists in Goa from the Stage challenged him. Having no teeth to absorb this challenge and in order to force them to surrender to him, he introduced censorship on their script and songs.  The great political Trio of Conception-Nelson-Anthony whom Bandodcar was terribly afraid, was his target.  During that short period of censorship, this Trio suffered a lot as best of their political Trio songs remained unsung till all three of them once came on to the Stage in full black dress and covered their faces with black handkerchiefs, escorted by M. Dod de Verna and to his questioning the Trio answered as dumb singers thereby giving an impression that their mouths were gagged.  This was in late sixties. Still some other Tiatrists raised this issue from the Stage fearlessly supported by the UG members in the Goa Legislative Assembly till Bandodcar relented.

Tiatrists are a big fear for the government for its misdeeds and because of this fear Bandodcar was more afraid of the Trio Kings for their piercing political songs than of all the gigantic 12 MLA’s of Opposition UG Party. Tiatrists created more awakening against the government misdeeds and their campaign has greater effect on the masses as well as on the elites.

Similarly, Parrikar government is afraid of the  mighty voice of the Tiatrists against his government and its ministers for this reason recently Francis de Tuem was arrested. And now to make the Tiatrists totally Dumb against the government and its ministers, two days back Margao’s Ravindra Bhavan issued a circular whereby the Tiatrists were asked to sign an undertaking not to criticize Ministers and MLA’s,  if they want to hire the Hall for staging their Tiatros.

This is another form of Censorship thru back door by the Hall management headed by the BJP stalwart Damu Naik who disclosed his ignorance on this Undertaking. Can we accept this answer from Damu Naik? Without his knowledge and approval can any document get released? Was there no nod for this Undertaking from the top man of BJP in Goa?  I think from behind the curtain, all are involved in issuing the Undertaking but only after they felt the pulse of the reaction, they washed their hands like Pontius Pilate.

From this incident, Tiatrists must be careful of BJP government in Goa. This issue of Hall and censorship should make the Tiatrists to think of having one Hall in Margao built by their own private capital and owned by them jointly.  Money collection should not be a difficult task. But there must be a will and for that matter a very strong will. For the late Antonette de Calangute’s Kidney operation fund, within a short time the Tiatrists collected so many lakhs. In the case of Hall construction, they can form their own company as we Kuwaitcars did and built our own Hotel Goan Heritage at Calangute. Besides, with so many intelligent brains among them, they can easily go ahead in this project. 

 

A.    Veronica Fernandes,
Candolim, Goa.
Tel: 7507394349.