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Shigmo
Shigmo or Shimga is the Goan expression of the sprit of spring around the
month of March, very close to the carnival. The focal hour of its celebration is
the full moon day of the month of Phalguna. Shigmo is the time for the home
coming of the brave, who had left their firesides with the Dussehra. For the
farmer and the shepherd, it is the time of rebirth of nature and for the warriors,
the time of return of man. Ceremonial thanksgiving, processions to temples and
shrines, songs, dramas and dances, bonfires, masquerades and abuses, festoons,
banners, colours and sweets are in plenty on this occasion. Rang-panchami gets
merged into the celebration with the throwing of colours in a boisterous
manifestation of gaiety.
The other manifestations of Shigmo in Goa are the Romatt or
Mell, Goff and Tonnya Mell, Dashavatari Khell and Kalo plays and dances.
These are performed in most of the rural areas of Goa where Hindus predominate.
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Foogddi
It is a dance very much loved among Goan Hindu girls and
women. The details
of the dance vary from caste to caste in Goa. Brahmin girls dance it with a
brass pot on the head. Farmers, fisher folk and Kunnbis (Gavddis) dance it by
forming an interlocked circle often of up to 12 girls. The Mahar women of Pednem
area, dance it singly throughout, though in a group with exquisite footwork and
attractive rhythm, which is kept up with foot claps every time the dancer
revolves around herself.
At the Chovoth in
Goa, nature revives the spirit of fulfillment with the
season of fruitfulness. An uncontrollable explosion of energy sets the feet in
motion. The girls and women start singing and dancing before Lord Ganesha. The
most popular form of Foogddi in Goa is the one with circle formation which
begins with the chanting of religious invocations. Konkani songs of special
significance as well as of social themes follow upon the religious hymns. They are sung by first
improvising some homely group activity like grinding, washing or kneading which
provides them with a dramatic setting. In this conductive setting, the group
exchanges opinions and information in crisp couplet and salacious stanzas. It
can also include scandals and gossip about those who are absent from the scene.
After this first part in slow tempo, the group breaks up into
pairs and with interlocked hands, swirls around with gradually increasing
pace, singing songs of matching speed. When the swirling attains maximum
speed, they simply keep up the rhythm by blowing air through the mouth,
making Foo.. Foo sounds. When totally exhausted after the song and dance
they sink down with heady satisfaction, laughing yet looking jealously
at the pairs still spinning like tops with the dizzy emissions of Foo..Foo..Foo..
in the air. This unique sound in the expression of the song has bestowed
the name of Foogddi, on the dance form. Foogddi is an all weather
indoor dance and needs no special religious occasion for performances.
It is mostly danced on all important religious and social occasions. It
may even form the tail-end portion of other dance forms like the "Dhalo".
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