Digital Music Front

Posts Tagged ‘trance’

So I recently returned from a trip to Goa, a trip that turned out entirely differently than I imagined it would. You, like myself, might have anticipated that a trip to Goa would entail endless beach parties and Goa trance, but this year you would have been wrong. This year, after I had only been in Goa 2 days, the government announced a complete ban on beach parties from the 27th of December to the 5th of January. Not only that, but they put a curfew on music, no tunes after 10pm (it was 8pm for a couple of days). The cops even busted up a drumming circle on the beach one night.

The justification for this was ‘terrorist threats’, but the only info available on said threats was a warning from the Israeli government, who after the ban was announced responded by saying to expect 40000 less Israeli’s in Goa over the new years period. They were right, I hardly saw any Israeli’s the whole time I was there. Despite the recent terror attacks in Mumbai, I can’t help but wonder if the ban wasn’t a political move designed to drive the hippies out, because regardless of intent that was what it did.

Now, while I did get the feeling that perhaps some of the locals were a bit fed up with the hippies, not even they could deny that without them the Goan economy would crumble. The thing that draws people to Goa as an international destination is its reputation as a party spot, the birthplace of Goa trance. If you take that reason away the place really has very little to recommend it – its just another beach, except dirtier, with no surf, and further away from everywhere than many other, nicer beaches.

I believe this new years just gone I witnessed the death of Goa, without the music and the parties the place has lost its soul. A moment’s silence then, to mark the end of an era.