Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Jan 19: Alfred Bennis Creations will present Hope Baila Show on Sunday, January 27 at St Agnes Special School Grounds at 6.00 pm.
‘Baila’ means ‘Dance’ in Portuguese and is understood as such by the Latinos of Europe and Latin America. To the Sri Lankans, Mauritians and the Konkani people, ‘Baila’ is the name of a beat, in fact, the most popular beat in their music. The term ‘Baila’ is a part of their Portuguese legacy.
Among the Konkanis, until 1988 the term ‘Baila’ was hardly known. What is known as ‘Baila’ today, was known as ‘Polka’ until then. ‘Polka’, named after a similar beat of 6/8 time signature in Western music. The ‘Polka’ beat (uddto tall) was very similar to the Konkani folk ‘Dulpod’ beat played on their ‘Gumott’ (a folk percussion instrument). When Brass bands played the ‘Polka’, wedding pendals reverberated with the exuberance and joy of the dance that accompanied it – a dance that the Konkanis could dance naturally, a dance which was the true and natural expression of their joy. However, with the increasing influence of the English language, western music and western fashions, and the resultant loss of self respect, the polka dance began to be referred to as ‘country’ dance and considered unfit to be danced at respectable gatherings, unlike western dances.
Mandd Sobhann, (established in 1986 with sole objective of preserving, promoting and enriching Konkani culture and ensuring the transmission of the Konkani heritage to future generations), with a view to revive the neglected and the dying Konkani dance-form and redeem for it the respectability it once commanded and truly deserved, renamed ‘polka’ as ‘Baila’ and gave it centre-stage. In 1988 Mandd Sobhann organized ‘The World’s First Baila Show’ and ‘Baila Dance Contest’, in a big way – with big sound, big orchestra, big audience and big prizes. And thus, the traditional Konkani dance-form was resurrected.
Today Baila is here to stay. No party is today complete without singing and dancing the Baila. Baila today, undoubtedly, is the most popular music and dance of the Konkanis, young and old. Baila is popularly known as the ‘Bhangra’ of the south. Baila, is Mandd Sobhann’s most popular experiment and Mandd Sobhann is bent upon taking Baila to the center-stage of World music!
Baila has all qualifications and credentials to adorn world's centre stage - a) enchanting music n exuberant beat; b) its own ethnic costumes n ornaments c) specific n exclusive steps n moves - therefore, if Baila is promoted n popularised at the world level, nothing can stop Baila adorning world's centre stage. If Bhangra can do it, so can Baila.
Towards this goal, Mandd Sobhann is organising a 'Baila Workshop' on Sunday, December 20 at Kalangann. Then everyone around the world are invited to participate in the Baila Video Challenge.
Alfred Bennis Creations is organising the Hope Baila Show on January 27 at St Agnes Special School Grounds at 6.00 pm sharp to enrich Baila tradition. It is also a charity show to help Hope Charitable Trust.
The show will have 22 famous singers, 9 accomplished musicians, 15 Baila dancers and a compere - performing. It's a rare Baila treat.
The admission is free.