Deknni (also spelleddekhnnî,dekni,dekṇi,dekhṇi) is a semi-classicalGoan dance form. The plural ofDekhnnî in Konkani remains the same.
One of the earliestdeknni which may be dated around 1869 isKuxttoba in which he is called "heir to India and terror of Goa", implying resistance to Portuguese rule. Kuxttoba was a member of the Salekar branch of the Rane family. Information about his birth, the reason and the course of his rebellion and the manner of his end are vague. He rebelled as an individual against the rule of the Portuguese in Goa but he presented no concept for a free Goa.
One of the best knownDekhnnî songs is "Hanv Saiba Poltoddi Voitam" by Carlos Eugenio Ferreira (1860–1932) first published inParis in 1895 and then in Goa in 1926 byTipografia Rangel. The song was adapted byRaj Kapoor asNa mangoon sona chandi in hisHindi movieBobby.[1] The story that is depicted in this song is about two temple dancers who want to go for Damu's wedding and they approach the boatman to ferry them across the river. The boatman says, "No! The river is rough!" The dancers offer the boatman their gold jewellery; but the boatman is still firm. "No!" he says. So the dancers dance for the boatman and this time he ferries them across the river.[citation needed]
| Hanv Saiba Poltoddi Voitam (I’m Crossing to the Other Side of the River) | |
|---|---|
| Konkani lyrics | Translation |
| First stanza | |
Hanv Saiba Poltoddi Voitam, | Oh, to the other side I’m crossing, |
| Second stanza | |
Damulea mattu-vantu, | In the tent of Damu’s wedding |
| Refrain | |
| Ghe, Ghe, Ghe (Take it, Sir!) | |
| Konkani lyrics | Translation |
Ghe, ghe, ghe, ghe, ghe, ghe gâ Saiba, | Take it, take, take, take, oh!, |
| Source:Dekhnnî by Carlos Eugenio Ferreira (1860–1926) taken from the "Greatest Konkani Song Hits Vol. 1 (2009)".[1] | |
Other deknni songs are: