Saligao Summer: Music for the Heart and Soul
A private invitee-only concert was just the balm that I needed on a day when tempers were higher than the temperature
When I first told R, the guardian of Luso-Indian culture in Goa, about my plans to come to Saligao this summer, she forwarded me a link to a concert organised by Sofar Sounds, a music events startup company that aims to create intimate, secret gigs in unique spaces. I was quick to register for the free concert and secure an invite.
I didn’t know then that India would be mourning the lives of 26 tourists who were slaughtered by bloodthirsty terrorists in Kashmir. This particular attack had led to a lot of public anger among the chattering and middle class of India, since they saw themselves in the unfortunate victims. It could have been anyone among the middle class who decided to go to the beautiful but troubled state at a time when their children’s schools were closed.
Knowing the nature of these kinds of concerts, I decided to accept my invitation and my choice was made a lot easier since the venue this month was the lawn of a co-working space in Saligao.
Google Maps showed me the shortest path to the venue and I almost instantly regretted taking it since this was a dusty and dug up road! This road digging curse of Bombay has spread further south. My regret, however, gave way to wanderlust once again when I noticed some aqua-green hills! Saligao is blessed with these deeply-forested gems that have several shades of green when the evening sun shines on them.
After walking though the dusty road, I reached the main commercial area of the town, which had a 1970s feel to it. The buses heading to Panjim and other parts of Goa were filled with labourers from northern India as well as people from the northeastern states working in the hospitality industry. This article in the excellent local newspaper O Heraldo talks about the situation with workers from other states and a genuine disinterest among Goans to take up certain jobs.
Another regular sight in any part of Goa is the wine shop or liquor store. Saligao has more than its fair share. Locals, migrant labour and tourists alike seem to have an unquenchable thirst for cheap alcohol.
Away from the heart of the town is another set of small and winding lanes with houses in various conditions. I noticed some new posh bungalows, while some of the older ones, far more beautiful, had indeed seen better days.
The Sofar Sounds team, comprising volunteers in Goa, really set the lawns up beautifully for the concert.
As I sat down on a mat and made myself comfortable, a young woman with curls and an Italian companion asked if they could sit down next to me. S’s name means confluence in Sanskrit, but when I heard it for the first time I was reminded of a city by the Volga and another in Iraq.
A regular at the swing dance sessions on Mondays at the Saligao Institute, S told me that Goans, especially those in Saligao welcome anyone who wants to take part in community activities. The way she was approached by some people at the concert, I could tell that this wasn’t just some pretty and extroverted young woman, but someone with a reasonable degree of fame in this state. I was definitely not going to pry on this evening.
The concert featured three musicians, the first of which was a Malayali named Michael Dias from Kochi. He’s been living in Aldona for a few years and seems to be in love with the town and its name. He even sang a song named Aldona! Another song was dedicated to a cat! I liked Michael already.
The next singer, a songwriter who goes by the name “A Dog Without a Bone” also sang a few beautiful songs. Without directly naming the tragic events in Kashmir, he addressed the elephant in the room.
In a country where people are screaming for revenge, baying for blood and calling for war, it was nice to be in a place with people with a lot more common sense than should be common. The sound of heartfelt music, beautiful lights, clear skies and a crowd that had people from all across Goa, all across India and some other countries, people from the ages of 17 to 70! It felt great to be in such an environment. Again, a place where you could just say hi to anyone and everyone and be made to feel welcome.
I was too tired to stay for the third part of the concert and made my way through the small lanes and past the town and within sight of the Mae de Deus Cathedral, before taking the dark and familiar Cemetery Road back home. I was sprinkled with a light pre-monsoon drizzle before I opened the door. The scent of Petrichor was indeed the icing on the cake.
May the imminent monsoon winds blow away war clouds from this subcontinent…