“The Side-Show Songs” is an integral part of Tiatro and to give a good image of Tiatro, the Side-Show songs must be good though, the script and display of the main Play may be very good. People got the tendency to judge the quality of the Tiatro based on the quality of the Side-Show songs. Though it was rather difficult for the Tiatrists to sing political songs during the Portuguese regime because of the rigid laws applicable against the singers and also because of the censorship existence then, yet somehow or the other some Tiatrists rendered political songs and escaped from the jaws of the punishment because of the lenient Regidores as we had one in our village and who was responsible to check this. Portuguese government allowed all the freedom for Tiatrists to sing on anyone except against its presence in Goa. For this reason during those days many of the Tiatrists rendered “Zupattis” to the Bhattkars harassing Munddkars, Clergy for promoting casteism in the Chuch and even government servants doing injustice.
About a century back when in Agacaim, the “Renders” stopped extracting Toddy in protest against the newly introduced tax on their business and when they were in protest period, one of their colleagues was shot dead while extracting the Toddy against the decision of the protesters. This news was first flashed in a loud voice from the Konkani Stage. However, the existing government of that time took a lenient view of this exposure though it did not like this exposure.
Again somewhere in 1959 at Ribandar Hospital when one patient was undergoing an operation, suddenly the light went off disrupting the operation because of which the poor patient died. Immediately then one Tiatrist rendered a very critical song against government apathy in supplying proper flow of electricity, the singer even named the Hospital director for being inefficient and responsible for the death of the patient. It was a big thing at that time to sing such a song on such a critical topic but Portuguese government did not do anything.
Kid Boxer and Trio Kings of Conception-Nelson-Anthony were the first Tiatrists immediately in the post 19.12.61 period to sing political songs in the same Tiatro at Mapsa, directly against the Bharat Serkar for givng Goans a bad taste of Bharati administration. Kid Boxer in his song warned Bharati Serkar saying thus: “Tum, (Goyant) bhitor sorlai chukon – Mortoloi sukon, dusreacho desh pochona; Tum panpotti khatai ani poch’chu korun thuktai, lozui kaim dissona; Tum nestai fokot valo ani khatai fokot palo". While the Trio Kings tore the Bharati Serkar into pieces for creating scarcity in Goa and mess of Goa for which they held the irresponsible Nationalists responsible for the ills Goa. All the four Tiatrists were immediately castigated by the government machinery existing then and Censorship for a brief period was first time introduced In Goa under Indian rule.
The second time censorship introduced in Goa was somewhere at the end of Bandodcar’s rule by his government to punish the Trio Kings who were doing greater job as Opposition from the Stage than all the 12 UGP MLA’s. Bandodcar was only afraid of their Trio songs otherwise he did not care for anyone in Goa even for the mighty Opposition UGP MLA’s.
After this, many tiatrists started singing political songs but up to now none matched the capacity of Kid Boxer because Kid Boxer was fighting his ideological battle against the government of the sovereign country Bharat by standing on its soil. He was not only fighting but he was ready too to face the punishment for his actions and in fact actually he faced the punishment and suffered. Though he was called by his detractors as an enemy of Bharati Raj and pro-Portuguese but according to my observation he was Pro-Goan.
A.Veronica Fernandes,
Candolim, Goa.
Tel:7507394349.