Goa’s distinctive performing art form Tiatr blends music, dance and drama to create an engaging social commentary.
Typically, Tiatr contains six or seven acts, interspersed with songs that are independent of the main story. The narrative in Konkani, the local language, is based on relevant social, religious or political themes. While satire is an important component of tiatr, it is devoid of any malice. Comedy and improvisation are integral parts of this century-old art tradition.
Apart from the regular commercial shows, Tiatr is also performed to commemorate church and chapel feasts. A variant known as ‘khell tiatr’ is performed in the open in villages as part of festivities during the carnival, Intruz and Easter.
Continually drawing inspiration from current events and trends, Tiatr has spawned a new form of pop music. With a unique fusion of traditional local and western pop, Tiatr music traverses the globe to keep the vast Goan diaspora abreast of what is happening back home.