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Friday 23 August 2024

Let's Go To Goa

I may have mentioned before that I have been a subscriber to eMusic for many years. I wouldn't join now as the current monthly rate is £17 for 40 tracks and all the main indie labels have long since left the platform, but on my historical deal I only pay a third of that and I mostly use it to experiment with some of the considerable amount of African, Asian and Brazilian music on the site.  

It was in that spirit of exploration that I invested in a few tracks from "Konkani Songs - Music From Goa Made In Bombay", a compilation on the Trikont label which contains Goan pop songs from the 1950s and 1960s. Some of the artists like Mohammed Rafi were also active in Bollywood, hence the reference to Bombay I assume.

The blurb that goes with the album is very misleading. For example, it claims that konkani is a single musical style whereas it is actually the local language. Wikipedia lists multiple different styles sung in konkani. 

It is then claimed that this fictitious single style has its roots in liturgical music introduced to the region in the Portuguese colonial era. Unless they got mariachi bands to accompany the liturgy that doesn't explain Bab Peter.

Best just to revel in the mystery and enjoy the groovy sounds.

"Mog Boom Boom Boom" - Bab Peter

"Nach Athanche" - Carmo Rod

We will leave you with more liturgical music, some old, some new.

4 comments:

  1. I've been several times in Goa in my life and listened to local bands but none of them made music like Carmo Rod. Great stuff

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    1. Now you have more free time perhaps you could go back to Goa and take some field recordings?

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  2. Ring of Fire - I couldn't take my eyes off the four pink-clad flossies fighting over one microphone.

    JM

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  3. All excellent. And Sonic Boom & Panda Bear's Reset is the gift that keeps on giving. Who would have guessed that what was missing was a mariachi variation?!

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