The vision
of UNESCO when it commemorated World Day for Audio-visual Heritage (WDAH) on
October 27, 2005 was to digitalize the audio-visual Heritage that highlights
cultural, social and linguistic diversity. The same has been beautifully done
by creative minds in Goa that are using different social media platforms to
reach out to fellow Goans.
Cajetan
Barretto, though currently in Kuwait, is a Goan who loves documenting Goa from
the sky. He looks forward to his trips to Goa when he can take out his camera
and drone and shoot a new perspective of Goa. “Ever since I got hold of a
digital camera, my dream has been to capture the majesty of Goa, its people,
beaches, forests and architecture. My dream became a reality when I purchased a
drone and started looking at Goa from a completely different perspective. I
have catalogued my best work on my Facebook Page, BarrettoPhotography. I
remember the first time I flew my drone over my home in Mobor, I couldn’t
believe it. Was this the same place that I lived all my life?,” says Cajetan,
who was in Goa in April this year.
Matias
Fonseca from Panjim created the memorias_de_pangim Instagram page, which shares
photos and reels of vintage photos of Panjim. Matias started posting photos on
the page during the Covid-19 lockdown. He started with the personal Fonseca
collection by posting an old photograph along with the current photograph of
the same place. Over time, the Instagram account got popular and since now
Matias is working in Doha, his family especially his brother, Mac Jr Fonseca
helps him with the photos.
“In 2020, we had a lot of free time. As
we were going through old family album photos, we were curious about how much
has changed and we started posting. It is good to see and learn about history
and what was once standing in the same exact place. We later started searching
on the internet for photos but once the page started gaining viewers, a lot of
people started submitting photos from their own personal collection,” says
Matias.
He adds, “We get a lot of feedback and
many times people say bad things about the block of buildings that stand in a
place that was open or a beautiful house that is now replaced by a new
building. However, we have no negative emotions towards any builders or land
owners. We are just documenting the history of Panjim through archival photos.”
Rohan Barbosa from Moira is a
mixologist by night and by day he tries to follow his passion of documenting
the rural life of Goa by posting on his Instagram page, finding_feni. “I come
from a farmer’s family and I have access to many local things that most of my
friends don’t have. They know about the concepts but don’t know its history or
the roots of these traditions. Instagram is very active with quick responses
and people are showing a lot of love for the videos which motivates me to add
more content. Many people are also quick in demotivating but everyone has their
own perspective. Also, if the place is pristine clean and a hidden gem, then I
don’t reveal the place. I have seen many places in Goa get completely ruined
with too many visitors who create nuisance in the place,” says Rohan, who was a
national finalist at the Diageo World Class 2019 cocktail competition.
Flexcia D’Souza, originally from
Bicholim, was one of the first Goans to take Instagram by a storm back in 2014
when she started sharing about her travels in Goa. Gradually, she moved on
discovering hidden gems in places and people of Goa. “I have been travelling
and documenting content since 2014 through various mediums. It started with a
blog and Facebook, and eventually moved to Instagram. When reels came in,
travel was at a standstill due to Covid-19 and I focussed on creating a lot of
Goa-centric travel content, which struck a chord with my audience, and my
followers grew. I post about offbeat Goa, treks/hikes, restaurants/cafes/bars
to check out and of late motorcycle rides too, which interests and engages
people and shows people Goa through a different light as what they’re used to
seeing usually,” explains Flexcia.
Her content resonates with people
because she tries to inspire and motivate a lot of others to travel more and
live a balanced and wholesome life. “I really enjoy traveling and exploring,
and that was the reason I started documenting my journey. I also started
posting travel guides which helped people plan their own trips too. I believe
we live only once, and we make the most of it. Travelling really exposes you to
experiences you wouldn’t get otherwise,” she adds.
Kevin Pinto from Tivim who is known by
his Instagram handle @wander_with_kevin, which showcases the natural beauty of
Goa. “People have an incorrect image of Goa’s culture, festivals and language.
There is a lot of misinformation which is circulated online about Goa and I
wanted to throw light on how things are done here. The audio-visual platform
gives me the power as an influencer to reach out to a wider audience and the
information will always be accessible. I post every day and I plan my week in
advance. I travel across Goa and then eventually moved to India and abroad,”
says Kevin, who recently travelled to Palolem, Coorg and Kerala within a week.
Kevin started documenting Goa in 2019
beginning with a YouTube Vlog and then moving to Facebook and Instagram. “My
first ever vlog was on Curdi, Sanguem about the village that reappears every
summer. Instagram is the preferred platform as one has to shoot short videos as
the attention span of the viewers have also reduced. I try to give a lot of
information in my videos and yet if I receive questions in the comments, I
answer them too,” says Kevin.
Nasya Pereira from Revora has been
scanning the internet to find the best photos that evoke nostalgic vibes of
golden Goa. Going back to the 1950s and 60s, one can see the beauty of Goa
through her Instagram page, vintagegoa.memories. “I started posting first on
Instagram in 2018 and now I upload on both, Instagram and Facebook. This is my
passion project and I love finding old photos and researching about them and
the stories behind these moments. I now get a lot of submission especially from
foreigners who visited Goa as hippies and are now living abroad. They digitally
scan the photos and email it to me. These photos have a Goan vibe which is
slowly missing and anyone can relate to them visually. I love the aesthetic
value behind the photos and the collection is an archive of old photos,” says
Nasya.
Nishita Rivonkar from Guirim is
consistent with her posts. She works on reels that showcase the festivals and
food around the state. “I specially love creating reels that can help create
awareness about our traditional festivals. I shoot the reels at my home, or my
friends’ place or the temples. Goa has very unique way of celebrating festivals
and many Indian question me about it. They don’t know the other side of Goa
apart from tourism,” says Nishita, who runs the page Goaexplore on Instagram.
