Cool Jazz

Films, Films, Films . you have seen the lot. Now it is time for Cool Jazz! That was the punch line that was used by us for the Heritage Jazz Yatra held last Sunday in Panjim. Actually, this line should go much further than just jazz. It is now time for music, something that is part and parcel of our culture, our roots and so much that we live for.

Goa has been in the fore­front of music and is the first and the last musical frontier in our country. With the abundant talent that we have, we can also be a world destination for music simply because we do not have to create a new cul­ture. It is there, part of our very being. There is one in­gredient that is so impor­tant for rapid growth and that is the unity of purpose amongst the people of Goa. There has never been any doubt about the musical ability of our people. They have gone to the far cor­ners of the world and have conquered boundaries and hearts with their delectable playing. However, despite the fact that there has been a lot that has been done through the Kala Academy as well as many other cul­tural organizations in Goa, tons more can and has to be done.

From our end, we have been involved with the cosy and small shows in jazz which have gone down very well with the people of Goa. For the last Heritage Jazz Yatra on Sunday, I was ac­tually thrilled to see that people actually trekked a few kilometers to be there to listen to top quality mu­sic. The traffic snarls al­most consumed our show but the die hard spirit of jazz and fusion lovers was something that was most heartening to see. When you feel that craze about music, you know why an In­ternational music festival of India is something that can spark something wonderful in our cultural firmament simply because people would go miles to be where good quality music is.

The music festival should be a people's festival be­cause nothing can work without the common man's heart in the project. A lively debate through the press as well as the electronic media would throw up dif­ferent ideas which can then be fused into a programme that will have an interna­tional flavour. Let the peo­ple decide what they want and we could even throw up a competition in the local press where people are in­vited to send in their views as to how to tap our music potential to the fullest. I am sure top companies would be thrilled to sponsor good prizes for great ideas which emanate from the grass­roots and surely, this would help in making up for some-­thing that Goa would be so proud of.

So, as we reach the close of the International Film Festival of India, could we nurture a new idea, something exciting that would unite and something that would bring out true Goanness, where people who are Goan in spirit would participate in a process that could have meaning much further than just music which is the spir­it of Goa?

 

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