Seven years after meeting Bonneau, I found myself back in Goa, embracing my roots and rediscovering what it means to be niz Goenkar. Inspired by listening to the academic take on travel literature during a seminar organised by the English Department of Goa University, I took my academic scalpel to one of my favourite audio documentaries in French. In one of her series Bonneau, a modern traveller, describes Goa, its people and the Goan way of life.
Anne Bonneau’s Radio Travelogues: a portrayal of the archetypal and stereotypical Goan is part of the book titled ‘Goa, Through the Traveller’s Lens’ edited by Nina Caldeira and published by Goa 1556.
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Goa has been a magnet for tourists and travellers alike for several decades. Much has been written and spoken about the susegad culture, the sandy beaches and the breath-taking sunsets. The hinterlands are equally if not more breath-taking. The traveller will vouch for the deep red soil, the verdant green fields and authentic Goan way of life which are richer than the famed nightlife.
I’ve had the opportunity to work and interact with travellers like Anne Bonneau of Radio France Outre-Mer who have helped me discover the beauties of the place I call home. Amidst the backdrop of the Goan monsoons, walking barefoot in a freshly ploughed field to interview a very engrossed farmer, being treated to Remo’s new single by Remo himself in his spectacular studio loft, discovering people like Victor Hugo Gomes who have dedicated their lives to an ethnographic study of the rich Goan cultural heritage and preservation of artifacts and savouring some flavourful mouthfuls of authentic Goan dishes are just a few of the myriad experiences.
Bonneau’s style of narrating is pure poetry! In her radio series titled ‘Instantanés du monde’ (snapshots of the world), she takes her listeners on a journey along with her by eloquently describing the sights that she sees, the locals that she meets and the food that she tastes. They hear the authentic sounds of the land: the crickets at night, the bakers’ horn, the oldest surviving Dhangar tribe member playing the traditional flute. Her monumental work aims to preserve rich cultural experiences, document traditional occupations and ways of life that are being threaten by the homogenisation of cultures. Snapshots of the places that she has visited and the people that she has met feature in her blog.
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