KARSTEN MIRANDA
With the annual carnival on the anvil, there is a common sentiment that’s being expressed among the social circles of Panjim. The feeling that the Carnival seen in today’s generation is no more the electrifying and magical carnival of the generation gone by.
No one can express this better than the King of Carnival himself, Fanquito (Francisco Martins) who has been part of this cultural event for the last 42 years.
“Those were the days when Panjim would come alive with Carnival. There was that excitement in the air, merriment all around and everyone would flock together for this celebration. It was special because of that community spirit and the quality and passion in the various acts,” said Fanquito.
Fanquito has worn many impressive hats when it has come to Goa carnival parades and not only has he won prizes and accolades here, but he has mentored and inspired numerous people who have taken an active part in various capacities at the last many carnivals,including this year’s King Momo Bruno Azaredo.
“The difference here is the time that is needed to plan out these cultural events. A lot can be done if there is enough time to execute this. Minimum of three months,” said Fanquito while reasoning about why the carnival of today does not match the glitz and glamour of the carnivals of the past.
Fanquito, who has also won awards and held several high positions at Republic Day Parades in the past, added that the planning for the same would begin 5 months earlier.
“I would have loved to have organised a central workshop in Campal where technical support could be offered to those coming up with floats. He also observed that the number of people who were coming forward to be part of various carnival activities had dipped. “There was no dearth in quality and we had the best of all fields, be it musicians, dancers, designers, choreographers and even the top models,” adds Fanquito.
Speaking about this year’s carnival, Fanquito felt that this could be a special one that could bring people from neighbouring areas for the Panjim Carnival and also observed that events like the Samba Square would add to the charm of Carnival.
“Carnival has been a great platform for so many of us, a big part of our culture and in years to come it should get more inclusive,” concluded Fanquito while listing out a myriad of ideas of how the city can play a bigger part in what has always been the best part of the year for him.
