Promotion of Duets/Duos/Trios/Quartets/Quintets/Choral Songs

What is the Promotion of Duets/Duos/Trios/Quartets/Quintets/Choral Songs scheme?

Promotion of Duets/Duos/Trios/Quartets/Quintets/Choral Songs is scheme number 24 in the list of 41 schemes run by the Tiatr Academy of Goa (TAG), the autonomous body established by the Government of Goa in 2009 under the Department of Art and Culture. Despite being called a scheme, it operates as a state-level Konkani singing competition with cash prizes, auditions in both districts, and a finals round.

The reason for the scheme is preservation. TAG's scheme document notes that while singing of solos is highly prevalent, singing of duets, duos, trios, quartets, quintets and choral songs has been on the decline, and that even where such songs are sung, "the correct concept" as practised by the tiatr stage artistes of yesteryears is not followed. The competition therefore fixes definitions and judges against them.

The definitions TAG applies

• Duet: a song sung by a male and a female singer, with interactive lyrics. The two singers depict two different characters.
• Duo: a song sung by two male singers or two female singers, again with interactive lyrics and two different characters.
• Trio: a song sung by three singers; all male, all female, or mixed, with interactive lyrics and three different characters.
• Quartet or quintet: a song sung by four or five singers, all male, all female or mixed, with interactive lyrics and four or five different characters.
• Choral song: a song sung by two, three or four singers, all male, all female or mixed, which must compulsorily be sung in different voices.

The word "interactive" carries weight here. The application form ends with a declaration by the applicant that the duet, duo, trio, quartet or quintet to be performed is of interactive nature, so a song where two people simply sing the same lines together is not what the scheme is looking for.

Who is eligible and who is not eligible to enter?

You can enter if:

• You fall in one of the two categories: up to 16 years, or above 16 years to 40 years, reckoned on the day fixed for submission of the application.
• Your song's lyrics are original compositions and have not been recorded on any audio album or similar release.
• You can produce a self-attested birth or baptism certificate, or a certificate from the Headmaster or Headmistress of a recognised school certifying your date of birth, and the original for verification.
• You are entering in one or more of the four sections: Section 1 duet or duo, Section 2 trio, Section 3 quartet or quintet, Section 4 choral.

You are not eligible if:

• You have participated in popular tiatr. Rule 4 excludes such singers outright, and TAG's decision on this is final.
• Your song has already won first, second or third prize in a competition organised by the Kala Academy, the Art and Culture Department or TAG. Such a song is barred from the first three prizes in this competition.
• Your lyrics are handwritten. Rule 11 says handwritten lyrics will not be accepted; the copy must be typed and in Roman script.
• You are over 40 years of age on the application submission date. The senior category stops at 40.
• You are singing someone else's newly composed song without their permission. The form asks whether permission was taken from the composer and requires an NOC to be attached.

How to apply for the TAG duets and choral songs competition

1. Collect the prescribed application form from the office of the Tiatr Academy of Goa, AS-1, 2nd Floor, Campal Trade Centre, Campal, Panaji, Goa
2. Rule 11 says the form is available at the TAG office. Use a fresh form for every section and category you enter.
3. Fill in the song and singer details. The form asks you to tick the category of song (duet, duo, trio, quartet or quintet, choral song), give the title of the song, and list the names of all the singers.
4. Answer the composition questions. State whether the song was newly composed for this competition and, if so, name the composer or lyricist, and say whether permission was taken from the composer; attaching the NOC if the answer is yes.
5. Enclose a typed copy of the lyrics in Roman script. This is a tick-box item on the form and a hard rule in the scheme. Handwritten lyrics are rejected.
6. Fill in the applicant details — name, address, Aadhaar card number with a copy enclosed, landline and mobile numbers, and email.
7. Attach the age proof. A self-attested copy of the birth or baptism certificate, or the school Headmaster's or Headmistress's certificate. Keep the original ready, because TAG asks for it at verification.
8. Sign the interactive-nature declaration, date the form and submit it to the TAG office by the date announced for that edition of the competition.
9. Attend the notation session. Rule 12 says the date of taking notations by the musician will be informed to applicants, so keep your phone reachable after submitting.

How does the competition itself run?

The competition is held in two auditions, one each in North Goa and South Goa. These are elimination rounds. Five participating groups in each category, that is, in each of duet, duo, trio, quartet or quintet and choral: qualify for the finals. There are no prizes at the audition stage, but participation certificates are given.

Judging is by personalities well versed in song and music, and rule 8 states that their decision is final and binding on the participants.

What prizes does TAG award?

Cash prizes as fixed by the Tiatr Academy of Goa are awarded in both age categories, with a first prize and a second prize under each of these heads:

• Best duet
• Best duo
• Best trio
• Best quartet or quintet
• Best choral song, with a maximum of 4 participants
• Best lyrics

Certificates are awarded to winners in addition to the cash prizes, and trophies are given to the first prize winners in the junior and the senior categories. TAG has not published the rupee value of the cash prizes in the scheme document. The phrase used is "cash prizes as fixed by TAG", so confirm the current amounts with the office before the competition.

What are the common reasons an entry is rejected?

• Handwritten lyrics. The most frequent avoidable error under this scheme.
• A previously recorded song. Original, unrecorded compositions only.
• Prior participation in popular tiatr by any of the singers.
• Missing or unverifiable age proof. The original certificate has to be produced, not just a photocopy.
• One form for multiple sections. Each section and each category needs its own form.
• No composer NOC where the song was newly composed by somebody else.

Where do I raise a grievance?

Contact the Tiatr Academy of Goa on 0832-2230738, fax 0832-2230739, or email tiatracademy@gmail.com. Under the Right to Information Act, the Member Secretary of TAG is the Public Information Officer and the President of TAG is the First Appellate Authority. Note that the judges' decision is final and binding under rule 8, and that TAG reserves the right under rule 15 to make changes in the rules, so a grievance is better aimed at a procedural problem, such as a form wrongly rejected, than at the result itself.

How to check your application status

TAG does not run an online tracking portal for this competition, so status has to be confirmed directly with the office rather than through a website login.

1. After submitting the form, wait for the notation call. Rule 12 says the musician's notation date is communicated to applicants, so the first real signal that your form has been accepted is this call or message. If it has not come within a reasonable time of the closing date, that is the point to follow up.
2. Call the TAG office to confirm receipt. Ring 0832-2230738 and quote the song title, the section (duet, duo, trio, quartet or quintet, or choral) and the category (up to 16, or above 16 to 40) you applied under, since TAG processes forms section-wise and category-wise.
3. Email for a written confirmation. Write to tiatracademy@gmail.com with the same details if you want the acknowledgement in writing, particularly useful if the original form or receipt gets misplaced before the audition date.
4. Track the audition schedule and result separately from the application status. Selection for the finals is announced group by group after the North Goa and South Goa auditions; only five groups per category per section go through. This result is put out by TAG through the audition venue and its own communication channels, not through a portal, so applicants should check with the office or the notice at the audition venue rather than expect an SMS or online update.
5. For the final result and prize list, check after the finals round. Since judging is by an appointed panel whose decision rule 8 makes final and binding, the result is announced at or soon after the finals rather than published on a running status page.

If a form seems to have gone unacknowledged altogether, the most reliable step is an in-person visit to the TAG office at Campal Trade Centre, Panaji, since a physical, offline submission is easiest to trace by visiting the file rather than by phone alone.