Loutolim
is a land where, quite literally, time stops and there is a measure
of preservation of the Goa of old. There are plenty of elements that
live within the boundaries of the village, in the life that it lives
and breathes. From the scenes that ensue at Marlett Bar, to the
constantly musically illuminated house of the legendary musician, the
late (and yet immortal) Emiliano da Cruz, to the stately opulence
personified by Maria de Lourdes Filomena Figueiredo de Albuquerque,
the ‘Lady of the House’ at the Casa Museu Vincento João de
Figueiredo – a veritable labyrinth that showcases centuries worth
of Indo-Portuguese history, the village is constantly buzz with a Goa
that is alive and kicking, while paying tribute to the past, all the
while considering the present no more than an aberration, a blot on
its picturesque landscape. With such sketches, rife with animation,
it is only fitting that the greatest artist that the state (and
perhaps the country) has ever seen, is a son of that very soil.
Yesterday,
May 2, would have been the 90th birthday
of the legendary cartoonist Mario de Miranda. Many came forth to pay
tribute to the icon, including Google, who dedicated their Google
Doodle to him. It is oddly fitting, as apart from being a cartoonist
par excellence, Mario, as he was known to all from ages 12-92,
illustrated exactly how Goa was perceived by the outside world. In
this manner, he went on to become a brand ambassador for the state,
the level of which even the state itself, through its ‘official
machinery’, hasn’t managed to accomplish. The remarkable bit
about this is that Mario had not formally studied Art. He began his
career as a Cartoonist for the Times of India Group in the year 1953,
before moving into illustration and fine art. In later years, he took
to painting as well and went on to dot many a wall on various
buildings in Goa and other parts of the country with murals. Many of
these still stand today, and once one stellar example, is that of
Café Mondegar along the Colaba causeway in Mumbai, which is as
eclectic as Mario’s work itself.
It
is in fact on this note that one needs to stop and ponder for a
moment, how it was that Mario, whose focus on cartooning gained
plaudits worldwide, never seemed to resonate as much within Goa
itself, the place he called home, especially given how the greatest
part of his focus in his early cartoons reflected Goan village life.
His time in Mumbai, reflected life in ‘Bombay’ as he knew it, and
is considered by many on par with his depiction of life in Goa. He
was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2002 and the Padma Shri in 1988,
before the Goa government presented him with the State Cultural Award
in 2008 and the ‘State Reward’ for being a Padma Bhushan recipient.
Yet, those who knew Mario will attest to how little awards meant to
him as opposed to him putting his work out into the world for others
to connect with what he saw. And much of the world did. His volumes
‘A Little World of Humor’, ‘Germany in Wintertime’ and
‘Impressions of Paris’, went on to tell the tale that Mario
didn’t see the world the same way as just about anyone else. He saw
what they saw in it, but he simultaneously saw it a class apart, a
class which would make its way into his sketches.
Looking
back on what Mario has left Goa, a legacy that will stand the test of
time (and then some), the latest in a long line of books that
showcases his massive compilation of work was launched by Gerard Da
Cunha, the curator of Mario Gallery, in Bardez. This volume, titled
‘The Life of Mario -1949’, will include the years ‘1950’ and
‘1951’. A concert was also held, that paid homage to the great
cartoonist. Performances by Sonia Shirsat and Familia Cotta were held
in his honour. Indeed, it is sad that Emiliano, Mario’s ‘Lotlikar’
compatriot and another Goan legend, who would have naturally taken
the stage, passed away only last year. It would indeed have been
fitting to see one great man take the stage in celebration of
another. However, there can be no doubt that they were looking down
at us; Mario sketching away those gathered at the event (much like
the gatherings he depicted with the famous ‘Banda Nacional de
Loutolim’), while Emilano tuned his violin before he burst into
song, to complete a picture perfect moment.
