Tiatr

Tiatr is a type of musical popular in the state of Goa on the west coast of India where they originated as well as in Mumbai and

with expatriate communities in the Middle East. The dramas are performed in the Konkani language and include music, dancing

and singing. Performances are often taken from more modern social issues and stories.

The word tiatr is from the Portuguese word for theater. Tiatr songs and performances are recorded and sold on CD and DVD in

Goan markets. They are mainly melodramas about family and domestic life, with each lyricist offering their own explanation for

life's varied problems.

On April 17th 1892 the first tiatr performance was Italian Bhurgo by Lucasinho Ribeiro, staged in Mumbai.

In 2007, the Government of Goa started the Tiatr academy to facilitate the development of the Tiatr. In 2008 legislation was

approved granting 15 lakh of rupees to the newly formed Goa Tiatr Academy. Although efforts have been made to preserve the

art form as a tradition of Goa, there have been calls for greater recognition of Mumbai based tiatrists.