Carnival is now a 4-day extravagant state-sponsored festivalwhich attracts thousands of tourists to Goa. But, besides the high-velocitycarnival-related entertainment programmes in the major towns, it is the khell(musical folk plays) also referred to as ‘fell’ which draws a lot of publicattention and following in the villages of Salcete in South Goa.
Salcete, therefore, is considered the cradle for the originof this unique stage art form. It has also sustained this art for severaldecades.
Though neither the origin of this folk art, nor the name ofthe person who initiated it is unknown, it is understood that the presentationof these musical folk plays began before the advent of the Portuguese in Goa.
One unique characteristic of this form of musical folk playis that the entire play is presented on the ground without the need for aformal stage. That is the reason why they were also referred to as ‘zomnivellefell/khell’. Moreover, there are no props or stage sets needed. All that isneeded is live music, sound and artistes to enact the roles.
In earlier times, amplified sound, too, was not a direnecessity. While the passage of time has always brought about changes,innovations and improvements to any human endeavor across the globe, our humblefell/khell also felt the need to metamorphose into ‘khell tiatr’ and catapultitself onto the formal stage. Much later, it transformed itself into a‘non-stop drama’. The whole process of this change-over from one form to theother is an interesting part of the entire phenomenon. TAG has now documentedthis piece of history in a book called, ‘Fell vo Khell’ authored by VitorinoPereira.
But the most encouraging aspect of the whole thing is thatthe artistes who hold this unique Goan folk play close to their heart will notlet this art die. They keep tradition alive by staging the fell/khell duringcarnival in the villages of Salcete and its surroundings.
The credit for scripting and presenting this very popularformat of musical folk plays for the last several decades and staging them goesto the people of South and specifically to the ‘Xasttikars’(Salcete people).
Since its establishment, the TAG felt the need to keep thisart alive and it took upon itself the task and responsibility of taking thefell/khell out of Salcete and present it to art lovers across the Zuari. In thepast, TAG has presented a festival of such fell/khell at the Kala Academy openair quadrangle.
It was the desire and dream of Tomazinho Cardozo, presidentof TAG to popularise this unique stage art among the people of Bardez. Onlytime will tell if the fell/khell will find followers in Bardez, but this shouldnot deter the TAG from making a concerted effort to take it all thetalukas in the north.
