Archive for the ‘Features’ Category
Bringing Back Smiles from Gasper DSouza on Vimeo.
A group of 25 street children enthralled an audience of over a hundred adults with their spectacular performance in Calangute Goa. The kids were trained over a period of 10 days by volunteers from the Italian theater group Laboratory of Smiles under the banner of the “Theatre Per Caso” theater company. The children were from rehab homes run by El Shaddai Trust in Goa.
They descended on the shores of Goa in hordes, drawn by the lure of catching a glimpse of the Carnival spirit that sweeps the world, this time every year. This former Portuguese enclave is one place in India where the spirit of Carnival comes alive. 2008 was special in that the Brazilian community in India participated in the parade for the first time. A sea of humanity flooded the river-front promenade in Panjim as the riot of colour flowed down with each passing float.
The Carnival offers the chance for revellers to eat, drink and make merry. In Goa, it also offers a chance for traditions past to meet traditions future – most observed in the amalgamation of music. Old mandos melt into the blasts from Goa Trance, acid and techno music.
This to me is the striking aspect of the Carnival parade where floats bearing potters and fisherwomen, who, having long since given up their traditional occupations and dress, tell it like it used to be – even if for just one day. Such is the spirit of the day, where old traditions share a platform with present and future culture trends.
The Carnival tradition is said to have begun as a last gasp excuse for a good party before the forty days of lent, commemorating the Passion of Jesus. But is is also a mix of of traditions dating back to pre-Christian times. According to one school, the Roman festival of Saturnalia is probably the origin of the Italian Carnival.
As the King of the Carnival – Momo, issued his decree of four days of fun and frolic before Ash Wednesday, there is always the feeling that the Goa Carnival is much too commercialised. But as the old gives way to the new, the bystander is offered a chance to see Goa Past, Present and Future.”
On a dry Sunday afternoon, a group of 36 children gathered together at the Shanti Niketan school in Assagao and, guided by artist, Devi Prasad Rao, sought to explore their inner artistic selves.
That these kids came from Homes for destitute and street children could have easily been overlooked by a casual observer.
Working on abstract themes, these children produced works that could send art school students surrying for cover.
In the words of Dev, “Creativity has no favourites. All it requires is plain child-like innocence.”
With the onset of the monsoons in Goa things can get pretty drab as far as activities go. But you can bet on Goan destivities even in the thick of the rain season.
One of the first festivities associated with the monsoon is the feast of St John the Baptist or San Joao as he is known in the local language. John is believed to have baptised people before Jesus began his public life, by immersing them in the river Jordan. He is also said to have baptised Jesus. Villagers all over Goa jump into rivers and wells to commemorate John’s baptisms.
In the village of Siolim, villagers wearing the traditional copel (a headgear made of flower, fruits (and virtually anything), meet outside the chapel of John the Baptist and jump into the Siolim river. After that they share fruits and sannas (a type of steamed rice cake) singing with the traditional gummots (a musical instrument that’s shaped like a clay pot with a piece of lizard’s skin on the mouth. The instrument is struck on the mouth to produce various tones).
Besides this traditional celebrations, the Siolim Boat festival also draws huge crowds annually. Siolim’s favourite son, Remo Fernandes never misses this event.
The Festival of Visual Arts and Theatre is organised by the Fundacao Oriente delegation in India and aims to bring together artists from different fields like painting, sculpture, theatre and photography. Invited to photograph the event, these are some of images that endeavour to capture the passion and flow of theatre.
See full profile
To view Gasper's work in wedding photojournalism and cinematography, see aether.in
