Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (SB)

Mangaluru, Feb 8: The valedictory ceremony of short time certificate course on ‘Gumat’, a traditional percussion instrument will be held at Milagres College Auditorum on Saturday, February 9.

Fr Valerian Fernandes, editor, Raknno Weekly, HM Pernal, editor, Kitall and Lakshmana K Prabhu, member, Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy, will attend as chief guests and honour the students with certificates.

R P Naik, president, Konkani Sahitya Academy will preside over the programme while Fr Michael Santhumayor, principal, Milagres College, will be the Gurkar of the event.

Forty students of Milagres College including 10 girls have undergone the certificate course on Konkani folklore of the bygone days. Principal Michael Santhumayor took special interest to pass Konkani’s rich heritage theorugh this course. Well known music director Joel Pereira, who is among the few players of Konkani speaking community, had has learnt the art from his father and is teaching to playing of Gumat to students.

The classes started on January 21 onwards and students spent an hour daily to learn Gumat instrument. After the routine classes, they engaged in playing the instrument along with folk songs of Konkani especially songs written for Gumat.

Gumat has a history of more than 500 years. It is a percussion instrument of earthen vessel having both sides open on the bigger opening a leather of monitor lizard is mounted. Generally Gumat is accompanied by 'samel', another traditional instrument with wooden drum and goat leather mount.