ASSAGAO: In the evolving landscape of the Catholic Church, marked by the transformative Vatican II in the early 1960’s, one traditional aspect faced a crossroads — the Latin language. While the Mass transitioned to the regional languages, in order for the people to understand and participate in it, some rich Latin traditions persisted. In the village of Badem, Assagao, two stalwarts, cousins Mathias Fernandes, 77, and Felix Fernandes, 87, stand as living pillars, holding steadfast to the fading Latin tradition.
Mathias, who began his journey as a sacristan at the age of seven, and Felix Fernandes, with a similar childhood, reminisce about their impoverished backgrounds. Working menial jobs to support their families, they found solace and purpose in the church. Mathias recalls, “Our family’s income was from farming, fishing, poultry, and a piggery. I had to leave school early as my family was very poor, and when I turned seven, my parents pushed me to do church work. My first salary was just 50 paise, which I was very happy to get,” he says, adding that he was always full of mischief and relegated to take care of the piggery after returning from work, to keep him occupied. Felix recalls his childhood fondly, though he spent a large part of it working- plucking coconuts, fixing roof tiles, cutting firewood and various other odd jobs he performed for the people of Badem. “The church ‘mistir’ had a unique talent of taming the most mischievous boys in the village, and taught us Latin church songs, taught us to play the violin and tried to instil in us some creativity that will help us later in life,” he says.
Both Mathias and Felix attribute their passion for the Latin language and tradition to the mistir, it was he who moulded them and instilled a love for music and singing.
The duo learned traditional Latin prayers, including ‘ladainha’, ‘laudate’, and ‘tediao’, still sung during weddings in Goa. “After having learnt the Latin art there was no looking back, and people would call me to sing ‘laudate' for weddings. The ‘laudate’ sung today is a shorter form of the original ‘tediao’, which was then sung by my uncle. In a way singing of such traditional Latin songs has been part of our family, passed down through generations. We learnt music from the church parochial schools, which are now discarded,” says Mathias.
However, both Mathias and Felix express concern about the diminishing interest in preserving this cultural gem. Mathias notes, “The older generation knows its importance; no wedding would be complete without the actual ‘tediao’, and singers like us would be called for the wedding, especially to the house of the groom.” Felix recalls being an actor in great Konkani dramas, a writer of dramas and a Latin singer who was in demand in his ward. “At the ripe old age of 87, I still sing the ‘laudate’ and the ‘tediao’, and take part in ‘ladainha’. God gives me the energy and the urge to continue promoting and spreading this unique art form,” he says.
They stress the need for awareness to preserve this unique culture left behind by colonial rule, fearing that with their generation passing away, the tradition may disappear altogether.