Culture

Most first-generation Goans in Canada speak Konkani, an Indo-Aryan language, as their mother-tongue. Few learned the language formally in school, however, since Konkani only became the official language of Goa in 1989, and only now is taught in schools. Goans recognize that speaking Konkani is a key element in maintaining their identity in Canada, and in the larger communities of Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, they have made an effort to organize Konkani language classes for their children. In addition, Konkani plays and skits are regularly performed by Goan theatre groups in a few cities across Canada, including the Goan Theatre Group that functioned in the mid-1970s and the Goan Konkani Troupe active since the 1990s, both in Toronto.

Goans in Canada see themselves as a fun-loving people who enjoy dance, music, and food. They use the term sosse gado to describe their equilibrium of mind, which, they are convinced, is conducive to a fuller enjoyment of life. The outward signs of this joyous mental state are music, dance, and other performing arts, including both Western and Goan theatre. These activities are essential to Goans in Canada, and act as a catalyst for frequent social gatherings. Throughout the year, formal Western dances are organized by the Goan associations in Canada to celebrate numerous events, especially the New Year. The New Year’s dance sponsored by the Goan Overseas Association in Toronto attracts as many as 1,200 Goans every year. Unlike most South Asians, Goans are interested in Western music. Since the nineteenth century, Goa has produced several composers of Western music, and Goan singers and performers on Western musical instruments dominated the Western musical scene in India. There are members of the Goans community in Canada who are professional opera singers and musicologists, while others perform as singers and instrumentalists in local bands. Toronto Goans have produced and directed well-known musicals, such as The King and I in 1989 and Jesus Christ Superstar in 1994, in which all the members of the cast were Goans.

Goans have also created their own music, known as mando. Originally, mando was a sophisticated poetic composition in Konkani, expressing themes of love and separation, and describing traumatic political and social happenings in the community. Mando poetry came into vogue in the mid-nineteenth century, at the same time that social dancing began, and the mando was set to Western-style music and danced. Today, competitions are held in Goa to maintain high standards in this distinctive Goan art form, and mando singing and dancing are regularly performed by Goan groups in Canada.

An avid interest in sports binds Goans together in Canada. Christians in Goa have been members of India’s national teams in football (soccer), field hockey, and track and field since the early 1930s. Their love of sports has been brought to Canada, and Goan men and women have represented Canada in international field hockey competitions. One of the objectives in the founding of the Goan Overseas Association was to facilitate sports activities among the group in Canada. In Toronto the Overseas Association annually holds track and field events and sponsors an Ontario-wide Gold Cup field-hockey tournament. The Edmonton Goan Association sponsors badminton and field hockey and the Quebec Goan Association sponsors darts teams.