Goa Culture

Goa Culture
The culture of Goa is a unique synthesis of indigenous elements and extraneous influence. Throughout its chequered history, Goa has nurtured and preserved local art and culture despite being repeatedly conquered by invading forces. The long rule of the Portuguese has influenced the Goan culture in more ways than one and in many aspects of the culture of Goa one witnesses a seamless blend of ethnic and Portuguese traditions. Dance and music are an integral part of the Goa culture and the jovial, warm people of Goa express themselves with colorful performances. Goa is the treasure trove of exquisite art and crafts and tourists visiting the state take artifacts as souvenirs. Communal harmony is an amazing facet of the culture of Goa with the people carving a unique Goan identity irrespective of their religious persuations. Goa TranceThe Goa trance is a distinctive sub-class of the trance music genre. Trance music is a form of fast-paced electronic dance music usually characterized by a tempo of between 130 and 160 bpm, featuring repeating melodic synthesizer phrases. Also known as 604 in trance music parlance, Goa trance developed as a structured music form in the late 1980s. The idyllic beaches of Goa were the genesis of the Goa trance music. During the 1960s and 1970s, Goan beaches such Anjuna emerged as a favorite rendezvous for the hippies, the flower children of the counterculture era. Music was a way of life for the hippies and their experiments with electronic music sowed the seeds for the birth of Goa trance music.After being confined to the Hippies for the greater part of the 1980s, the Goa trance music started making a conspicuous presence from the early 1990s. The heydays of Goa trance music were around the period 1994-1998, and since then its popularity has been on the wane. In recent years, Goa trance has been largely replaced by its successor, psychedelic trance or psy trance.Goa PartyIf you want to party, there is no place on this planet like Goa. Goa is synonymous with partying and the land is chock a bloc with party zones on every nook and corner. Beach parties, trance parties, New Year parties -- parties of myriad hues keep the Goan life throbbing with dynamic energy all year round.Goa HistoryThe history of Goa is steeped in mythological roots. An ancient land, Goa finds mention in Hindu epics as Gomantak, literally meaning 'fertile land with plentiful water.' The first major dynasty to have ruled over Goa was the Satavahanas under who Goa flourished as a prominent center of maritime trade.Goa MusicMusic occupies the pride of place in the cultural milieu of Goa. Goans are born musicians and music runs deep in their veins. Apart from being a vast repository of folk music forms, Goa is also the cradle of a number of Western music forms.Religions in GoaGoans are deeply pious people and religion play an important role in the Goan society. Hinduism and Christianity are the two major religions in Goa, together constituting around 95% of the population.

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