Alongside the instrumental backing of theSpanish guitar, a series of rapidly played notes issue from this rarelyrecognised musician’s tool. It has the ability to generate everything rangingfrom the sonorously joyous to the tragically melancholy. Such is the potentialof the Guitarra Portuguesa, and the hold it has on Iberian music.
Over the years, the level of relevance thatthis instrument has possessed has dwindled. With the passing of the generationthat could be termed ‘the establishment’, the state is left with all of twomusicians’ proficient as ‘guitarristas’. When asked why, exponent of the instrument, FranzSchubert Cotta explains, “To begin with, the exposure to the music itself islimited. If there were greater exposure to the music in itself, and moreplatforms for exposure of these musicians, a greater level of interest in thelearning of the instrument would probably ensue. Furthermore, it is highlyprobable that the lack of instruments available may act as a deterrent as well.”
That in turn brings up the question as tohow one would probably go about learning the instrument itself. Schools thatteach this instrument in Goa are non-existent. For the most part, when needed,musicians make-do with a performance on the mandolin, which is, needless tosay, a poor substitute for its grander counterpart. “There are no opportunitieswhatsoever to study the instrument in the state. Institutions that teach theGuitarra Portuguesa are best found in Lisbon and Coimbra. But again, financialconstraints come into play, and make a study of music prohibitive andimpractical,” opines musical maestro Orlando Noronha.
Questioned further about how one maypossibly study the guitarra, Noronha sheds light on some of his ownexperiences. “At an earlier point in time, the Fundação Oriente did not offer scholarships to individuals seeking to studymusic. At best, one could study music as an add-on course of sorts, in additionto the curriculum of the scholarship, which is precisely how I learned to play,during my allotted period of study in Portugal,” he adds.
However, with the passage of time, a lot ofemphasis has been laid upon reviving certain lost traditions, and the art ofthe Fado is one of them. Needless to say, the Guitarra Portuguesa is to theFado what bread is to butter; an embellishment that one can’t do without. Assuch, one can but hope to see a steady increase in guitarristas that areproficient at unlocking all the wonders that this instrument holds.
