Two podcasters relive and celebrate their heritage growing up in Goa and upholding traditions as a diaspora community
A moment from a Christmas dance at Club Harmonia in Margao in 2015
What's like growing up in the sunshine state and being Goan? Maybe kiss one to find out? The easier way would be to tune into Kiss Me I’m Goan, a podcast by two Dubai-based childhood friends, and children of the susegad ideology, Carey Pereira, 44, and Neil Fernandes, 44, who grew up in Goa’s Margao.
Launched in July 2022 with childhood reminisces that defined and shaped the Goan-ness in the hosts, the bi-monthly podcast continues to course through conversations on history, traditions and memories, and focuses on one’s reconnect with the culture. The aim is, as they share, to serve as a bridge between the diaspora and young Goans who have grown up outside the state. Pereira and Fernandes share, “As the diaspora widens, many young generation Goans seem to have forgotten the traditions and customs because they’re immersed in another culture. This podcast is a way to help [them] stay connected with our roots. We also hope to go offline and facilitate networking events to bring the community together.”
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A Christmas lunch table set up with Goan delicacies in 2014
Tuning in to the podcast is much like tuning in to musical memories from the state courtesy of the trusty ol’ radio. The introduction to each episode is the audio of switching radio stations, listening to bits of popular Konkani tracks and favourite English music tunes. You wouldn’t be wrong to associate Dire Straits’ Sultans of swing with this community; afterall, it’s the background score to every family gathering.
This conversation then moves on to a mix of solo and guest episodes including one where the hosts dissect the tradition of dance, Hollywood movies filmed in Goa and the precedence of the English language while growing up in Margao. Kevin Vaz, owner of Gobai Food Truck in Dubai, shares tales about the cuisine; musician Esther Eden highlights her Goan influences while Karl ‘The Feni Guy’ Fernandes takes listeners through the evolution of Goa bars and the recipe of feni.
A moment from the duo’s episode with Shilpa and Ajoy Kane
An insightful episode includes Nick D’Lima, a Nairobi-based Goan, and advocate for the culture, who shares heartwarming and detailed stories about the Goans
who settled in Nairobi, the role played by The Goan Institute in upholding the heritage, and more such fascinating insights.
Another delightful guest is Antoine, a weatherman character who makes a brief appearance to tell us what the Goan skies look like. Sample this gem: “It’s hot baba, even the porridge has turned to tizann (a Goan set pudding).”
Carey Pereira and Neil Fernandes
Episodes are approximately an hour long, but they move at an easy pace, packed with jokes, insightful stories and revelations. Social media pages include video snippets from the conversations. The final episode of the season will be shortly released where the hosts will relive memories and paint a picture of Goa as they were growing up.
Leaving us with one of their favourite moments from the episodes, the hosts share, “Shilpa and Ajoy Kane of Apex Medical Clinic explained that we hear [jokes about] being susegad, but we should not disregard it as being lazy. We give equal time to work and the self. Goans have found the right formula for work and
life balance.”
Log on to Kiss Me I’m Goan on Google Podcast; Buzzsprout; Apple Podcast; Spotify; YouTube and Instagram
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