Tiatr Cantaram Singing Competition

What is the Tiatr Cantaram Singing Competition?

The Tiatr Cantaram Singing Competition is a competition organised by Kala Academy Goa, the apex cultural body of the state, under the Department of Art, Culture and Museums, Government of Goa. According to the myScheme description of the competition, it aims to promote singing talent and to preserve and revive the tradition of tiatr cantaram.

Cantaram are the songs of the tiatr, the Konkani musical drama that is Goa's best-known stage form. Songs are not decoration in a tiatr. They carry the argument of the play. The Tiatr Academy of Goa's own production schemes require a full-length tiatr in the traditional format to contain at least 10 cantaram, including at least two duets, one duo, one trio, one quartet or quintet, one choral song and solos. A competition dedicated to cantaram singing therefore feeds directly into the pool of singers the tiatr stage draws on.

Kala Academy Goa was established on 28 February 1970 as an apex body to develop music, dance, drama, fine art, folk art and literature. It is fully funded by the Government of Goa and is governed by a 28-member General Council and a 14-member Executive Board, with a Member Secretary heading the administration. Its complex is at Campal, Panaji.

Who can enter the competition?

You can enter if:

• You are a singer of tiatr cantaram in Goa.
• You submit an entry in the form prescribed in Kala Academy's announcement for that year, before the last date in that announcement.

You are not eligible, or should confirm first, if:

• You are not resident in Goa. Kala Academy's jurisdiction is the State of Goa and its competitions are run for Goan artistes, so a singer from outside the state should confirm with the Academy before entering.
• You cannot meet the age group or category conditions for that year. Kala Academy's singing competitions are commonly run in separate categories, and the categories for the Tiatr Cantaram competition are fixed in the year's circular.

What are the prizes?

Kala Academy does not publish a permanent prize table for this competition. The prize structure, the number of rounds, and the categories are announced each year in the Academy's competition circular. Any figure you see quoted without a year attached should be checked against the current circular or with the Academy office before you rely on it.

This guide deliberately does not state a prize amount, because no amount for this competition is published on Kala Academy's own website or on the Government of Goa portal.

How to enter the Tiatr Cantaram Singing Competition

1. Watch for the announcement. Kala Academy publishes competition notices on kalaacademygoa.co.in and in the local press. The notice fixes the categories, the rounds, the venue, the prizes and the last date.
2. Obtain the prescribed entry form from Kala Academy, Campal, Panaji, Goa 403001, or download it if the Academy publishes it with the notice.
3. Fill in the entry form with your name, address, contact number, category and the cantaram you intend to present, as required by that year's form.
4. Attach the documents asked for: typically a residence or identity document, and an Aadhaar copy and bank details where prize money is to be paid.
5. Submit the entry at the Kala Academy office before the last date given in the announcement. Kala Academy's office hours are Monday to Friday, 9.30 am to 5.45 pm, and the office is closed on weekends and public holidays.
6. Attend the round you are called for on the date and at the venue notified.

Related schemes worth knowing

A singer or troupe working in the tiatr field in Goa has several other routes to support, all of which are documented in more detail than this competition:

• Promotion of Tiatr Music — Scheme No. 9 of the Tiatr Academy of Goa, which pays a tutor's fees and refunds 50% of the cost of a trumpet, saxophone or clarinet after the student completes the course.
• Financial Assistance to Dramatic Troupes participating in Kala Academy's Annual Tiatr Competition, Scheme No. 11 of the Tiatr Academy of Goa, which supports non-commercial troupes on eight production heads.
• Konkani Song and Music Awards (Tiatr Kantaram); Scheme No. 37 in the Tiatr Academy of Goa's published scheme list.

Where to ask questions

Kala Academy, Campal, Panaji, Goa 403001 administers the competition. Telephones are 0832-2420450, 51, 52, 53 and 54, and 0832-2432544. The email listed on the Government of Goa portal is kalaacademygoa@yahoo.co.in, and the Academy's website is kalaacademygoa.co.in. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9.30 am to 5.45 pm.

A note on this guide. Kala Academy has not published a standing scheme document for the Tiatr Cantaram Singing Competition in the way the Tiatr Academy of Goa and the Department of Information and Publicity publish theirs. The competition is run through an annual circular. Everything above that is not attributed to that circular has been taken from Kala Academy's own website, the Government of Goa departmental page for Kala Academy, or the myScheme entry for the competition. Prize amounts, entry fees, age categories and dates should be taken from the current year's circular, not from any secondary source.

How to check your application status

Kala Academy does not run an online portal or tracking number system for the Tiatr Cantaram Singing Competition, so there is no login or reference ID to check against. Follow up the way entries for this competition have always been followed up:

• Call the Kala Academy office on 0832-2420450, 51, 52, 53 or 54 (or 0832-2432544) between 9.30 am and 5.45 pm, Monday to Friday, and quote your name and the category you entered. Staff can confirm whether your entry was received and, closer to the date, whether you have been shortlisted for a round.
• Watch for the round-wise call list. Kala Academy typically notifies selected entrants of their round, date and venue either by a letter or phone call to the contact number given on the entry form, and by a notice at the Academy premises or on kalaacademygoa.co.in. Keep the phone number on your entry form current, since that is how the Academy reaches you.
• Visit the Kala Academy complex at Campal, Panaji in person if you have not heard back within the timeframe stated in that year's announcement. Carry a copy of your submitted entry form as proof of submission.
• Email kalaacademygoa@yahoo.co.in if you cannot call during office hours, mentioning the competition name, your name and the date you submitted the entry, and ask for written confirmation of receipt.

Because the competition runs on a fresh circular each year, a status enquiry about last year's competition does not carry over. Each year's entrants must track that year's specific announcement and round schedule.

Common reasons for rejection

• Entry submitted after the last date in that year's circular. Kala Academy fixes a closing date in the announcement and does not routinely accept late forms. Submit well before the deadline rather than on the last day, since postal or in-person delays at the office count against you.
• Entry made on the wrong form or an old year's form. The Academy prescribes a fresh entry format for each edition. Using a form from a previous year's notice, or a generic application, is grounds for the entry being set aside. Always collect or download the current year's form from the announcement itself.
• Applicant is not a resident of Goa. The competition is run for Goan tiatr singers under a state cultural body's mandate. An entrant who cannot show a Goa address or residence proof risks disqualification, so confirm eligibility with the Academy office before submitting if you live outside the state.
• Category or age mismatch. If that year's circular splits the competition into age groups or singer categories, an entry filed under the wrong category is liable to be rejected or moved without notice. Read the category definitions in the announcement carefully before filling the form.
• Selected piece is not a genuine tiatr cantaram. The competition is specific to tiatr cantaram, the songs of the Konkani tiatr stage, not Konkani songs in general or film songs. An entry built around a piece the judging panel does not accept as cantaram can be disqualified at the audition stage.
• Incomplete or unsigned form, or missing identity and bank details. Entries that leave out the residence or identity proof, or the Aadhaar and bank details needed to pay any eventual prize, are commonly returned or held back until corrected. Check every field and attachment listed on the form before submitting.
• No response to the round-call notice. An entrant who is shortlisted but does not appear on the notified date and venue is treated as having withdrawn. Keep your contact number reachable and check for the call letter or notice through the closing weeks of the competition.