On the 26thof this month at Candolim Orda, St. Serbastiao Vaddo, on the occasion of the feast of St. Sebastiao Chappel at Orda, oganised the Tiatro of Comedian Ambe, “TUKAM ZAI TOXEM”. The “Mattou” where the Tiatro was organized next to the Chappel was small and the attendees were full and the Tiatro went on well with the small but more nonsensical incident created by one local Bebdo who sitting by force next to the Drummer started shouting unnecessarily and disturbing the proceedings on the Stage. Seeing this disturbance, the participants at the Stage stopped their proceedings forcing the Stage Manager to put off the Lights. Then the members of the organisers intervened and physically lifted the Bebdo like a doll and then the Tiatro was resumed.
This is the scene where Jessica & Tari seen praying
By seeing him on the Stage performing his comedy role, I found Comedian Ambe a good comedian but as the director and writer of the Tiatro I saw him first time just when I went to see this Tiatro in my village Candolim and seeing with my own eyes I can rightly say that he deserved compliments. However, it was again I found disgusting because the scheduled time of starting the Tiatro was not maintained and instead it was started at 8.30 PM as against the scheduled time of 7.30 PM. Because of this delay some of the attendees were put into total inconvenience. Such incidents should be avoided in the future.
The story of the Tiatro is based on the blind parental love especially the father’s love for his only son by pampering him so much and giving him so much of pocket money finally turning him totally an irresponsible boy. With this money the son becomes totally useless and goes after vices the main being the “Drugs” and finally dies in a tragic Motorbike accident while his girlfriend also a drug addict dies with the overdose. The end comes very tragic.
Seen above is Tari singing his most beautiful song
As a director, Comedian Ambe selected all the artistes well. First of all the selection for the role of the father was truly deserving to Tari whose style of speaking with perfect clarity and his wonderful dress code similar to that of C. Alvares and Prem Kumar made him the most attractive actor in this Tiatro. His acting was admirable and among the current artistes I can easily rate him the best even from among the yesteryears’ Tiatrists. While Jessica whose attractive looks and majestic physical appearance would charm any hero like Mohana’s beautiful looks would do to any handsome boy during those good old days, performed the role of the mother wonderfully. One of her Cantos during the second part was very interesting and she also rendered it beautifully with her charming voice. However, during the second part when she wears a black skirt and a Whitish Blouse and with the magnificent pair of foot-wear, it did not suit her especially during this time because of her motherly standing. In this dress code she looks more youthful, neither her hair was given greyish colour. However the director should have paid more attention to such aberrations. To be a director is not a joke, there is a saying in Konkani “Har nachta mhonn Ghanndoi nachlear zata?”. Intrestingly, it looks on Konkani Stage there are more Directors and less ordinary actors many of whom think that they are omnipotents but in reality they are more iditiots than the idiots themselves. It is only because of their concern for the minor aberrations that yesterday’s great directors namely C. Alvares, Prem Kumar, J.P.Souzalin, Alexinho de Candolim, M. Boyer, Milton and others of their like became great. The greatness of direction either elevates or lowers the greatness of any Tiatro. I saw once in our village how C. Alvares scolded Mohana for not wearing appropriate dress meant for the aged woman in his most memorable Tiatro Jurament. During those days their beautiful Tiatros became more beautiful because their marvelous direction brought an extra beauty to their already beautiful directions. Because of similar infringement I noticed Alexinho de Candolim in his Tiatro Santa Cecilia shouted at Miss Filomena Lopes. Coming back to Jesisca’s dress code, in this dress code she looked more younger. Otherwise she deserved highest compliments for the wonderful role she played. It is mainly because of her magnificent performance and the superlative role played by Tari raised the otherwise already raised level of this Tiatro. The role of thse son was excellently played by Cajy de Kakoda. He is showing all the attributes of the perfect Tiatrist.
The comedy part was well dished out by the director of this Tiatro Comedians Ambe, Ophelia and Riston, the last one was no doubt a fresher yet, at least to my eyes and from what comedy role he performed, it indicates there is a fabulous and enormous amount of comedy is stored in him but he must know to release it appropriately. He is very acrobatic and elastic but he must not give an impression while acting that he is prone to vulgarity. His action should indicate that he is above the vulgarity which need not necessarily be in talking only but it can be also in action. He must create his image in such a way that it must be “Caesar's wife should not only be not suspected but she should be above suspicion”.
The Side Show songs were all well rendered and composed well too. However, the best of the songs in the whole Tiatro was the one beautifully rendered and intellectually very well composed “Respect for your teacher” by Tari. In all respects this song is the super and not any other Ladru-Pedru type of Tiatrist can compose and sing such a great song. Tari deserves the best of compliments for rendering this song where he indicates how the Ruler of Sultanate of Oman, Sultan of Qaboos who died recently once he came to the Muscat Airport to receive his guest from India the then President of India Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma who one was the Sultan’s Professor at the Unoversity of Poona when Sultan was studying in Poona. Not only this, as per the singer Tari, Sultan driving the Car himself like a driver took the visiting guest to Sultan’s Palace from the Airport without any shame for doing the job of a driver for the Indian President. On the contrary Sultan felt proud for driving his teacher. I feel happy Tari is full of wisdomatic and historical knowledge which he should keep on imparting to the Tiatro goers.
The other songs deserve mention here are the solo rendered by Xavier Gomes on the importance of Flowers, a solo on “Gaddiapon” by Cajy de Kakoda on “Gadfdiapon” which he sang with excellent timing and beautiful voice, another solo by Agostinho de Calangute, he also rendered a nice duet with the nice girl Ophelia, the beautiful duo renderd by both the beautiful females Jessica and Ophelia, it sounded so pleasing to the ears of the audience because of the professional type “Segundo” voice Jessica gave to this duo. Both the songs of the King of Political songs painstakingly composed and rendered, one a solo by Franciis de Tuem and the other a Trio he rendered along with Kakoda and Xavier Gomes. Both were highly political, in the Trio he lambasted Michael Lobo so much that he tore his ‘’Izzat” into pieces. With this reputation will Michael Lobo go for the election again? Asked many there. Time alone will give the testimony.
A.Veronica Fernandes.