Believed to be the original inhabitants of the Konkan, the Gaudas are considered among
the first settlers of Goa. Most of them follow Hinduism, but many were converted to
Christianity by the Portuguese missionaries, however even so they kept their folk traditions
and culture alive. Although many of the folk forms have now become extinct,
there are still a few in practice.

Jagor is a Goan folk drama performed annually to receive the blessings of the folk Deity
for a good harvest season. It usually starts at ten pm, and goes on for ten hours.
It is believed that if Jagor is not performed as per the tradition,
the Tribals will have to face the wrath of God.

Kanta Gawde is an eminent folk artist living in Veling, a small village in the Ponda area of Goa.
The main occupation here is agriculture, horticulture and gardening.
Kanta cultivates many species of plants and is regarded as someone with the
ability to communicate with plant life, carrying on the age-old Gauda tradition
of reverence for nature. He is also actively working to preserve and rehabilitate
the vanishing folk forms of Goa such as Jagor, Kalo, Musal, Khel and Suvari.

The song you hear is called “Naman”. It is a prayer to all the local Gods, the
motherland of the Gauda community, and to the people who witnessed the Jagor.
It is performed on the Maand which is a culturally sacred place, without
the image of any Diety. For this sacred evening of Jagor, on the previous day,
the Hindu Gauda villagers travel with their Christian brethren to the Holy Cross in Nauxi Goa
to offer prayers and light a candle.