The carnival is a time of great merry making. It is that time of the year when the attention of Goa is riveted on the floats, the designs and the costumes worn by the participants. The carnival has been a constant on the Goan calendar since 1965 when it was resurrected by Timoteo Fernandes, a musician who modelled it after the famed Rio carnival. It was an occasion to party. It was a time of brass bands. Francisco Martins who later in life made a name creating floats that caught the attention of crowds in Goa, India and even around the world sighed and said “Those were the days of brass bands and people singing. Please remember those days most of the houses were ground floor and first floor. Everyone could hear the singing. Now the buildings are taller and we need a bigger sound”. He said in 1974 he had 18 boys who practiced every day. He said he would pick up sacks from the road which would dry overnight and stitch a white cloth inside. This would then be used by the boys at the Carnival. He said all the boys and girls took part with great enthusiasm. Parents he said would participate and it was great fun. He said “Nowadays parents don’t take part in numbers. Now I have to pay Rs 2500 to each person participating. Last year I paid Rs 5000 for couples and Rs 70,000 for each of the two bands I hired. Now parents send their daughters to participate but I have to pay them. I don’t mind. Times have changed, people are busier. I have learned to live with these times. I miss the old days but I don’t look back. ” Vasco Alvares has been participating in the Samba square for almost ten years but has been part of the carnival for much longer. He said “My grandfather started the parade soon after liberation. It was simpler then but was great fun. People participated on their own accord. Now it is completely commercial, it’s all about money. The carnival spirit is just not there. Carnival used to be all about sheer merrymaking. Four days of going crazy. Now it is all so different. There are themes attached which have nothing to do with the carnival. Of course political satire is still present however. Earlier it was done via tiatrs now it is done through floats”. He said there is no comparison between the carnival of those days and what is being done now. Another sprightly old timer is Messias Tavares who said he was participating in the carnival since its inception. He said “The floats came in 1974 and the route then was from the post office to Azad maidan. They started changing the routes after a while. It was great, the good old days. It was not commercial and we had good traditional floats with different themes. I used to be the dance director for Francisco’s floats. It is now very commercial. Then the mood was very different. We cannot compare the floats of today and those days.” Tony Dias said they tried to revive the tradition of the Assalto dance which is held a week prior to the Carnival. It involved live music, masks and evoked a great response. He said “The old people knew about it. This year due to the pandemic it is not possible. Now with companies giving money, the floats are much more colorful. In these miserable times it is good we are having the carnival. It will build up some hype and remind people around the world that the carnival in Goa is still happening.” Meanwhile in a meeting held last evening a decision was taken to organize the carnival in all its glory later in the month. The Mayor held a meeting with Francisco Martins, Messaias Tavares, Tony Dias and other veterans involved in the conduct of the carnival over the years. Francisco Martins who was selected as the President of the Carnival Committee Panjim said “Everything is on. The floats, Samba square, the Red and Black party will be held on the last day of the celebrations. So be prepared to party on the 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th.” It was also decided to go back to the old route for the floats to be used. The carnival floats will start in Panjim and end at Kala Academy. When asked what the theme of the floats would be Francisco Martins said that would be decided following a meeting with the government and the tourism department. He said it would be a rush to ideate, design and build the float but it would have to be done. He however smiled and said it would have to be done. None of the concepts presented by him have ever been rejected. He ideated and built a float in a mere five days for the Liberation Day celebrations. He has won the first prize for seven consecutive years. Francisco has also been involved with floats at the Asiad 82 in Delhi, Afro-Asian Games and other major international events in the country and abroad.
Tony Dias said it was great news to have the Carnival in all its glory. He said “This is good news for Goa. It should be a good time for everyone.” One can only hope everyone moves along smoothly and everyone remembers that having fun is very good but it will also be important to remember that one will have to follow all the protocols set in place by the government to fight the virus that has run rampant for a year now.
