Mrs. Sophia Lee from The Ellerslie School introducing The Barbados Land-ship to the people of Tanzania

"Karibu kwa familia na marafiki zetu nchini Tanzania kutoka Shule ya Ellerslie na watu wa Barbados"

Play the following video to listen to our greeting in Swahili

Translated from Swahili - "Welcome to our family and friends in Tanzania from The Ellerslie School and the people of Barbados"

National Flag of Barbados

The Ellerslie School Crest

Mrs. Sophia Lee, cultural practitioner of the Haynesville Youth Club and multi-talented promoter of Barbados' Afrocentric heritage

Our very own "cultural ambassador," Mrs. Sophia Lee, from The Ellerslie School, Barbados, has journeyed to the United Republic of Tanzania to share an amazing part of our island's indigenous, intangible cultural heritage, The Barbados Land-ship, with the people of this beautiful and culturally diverse East African country.

Mrs. Lee, a consummate professional, academic, and promoter of our nation's Afrocentric heritage, is keen to share her knowledge, talents, and experiences of the Barbados Land-ship, a uniquely Barbadian cultural gem, which traces it origins back to the mid-19th century, with everyone, especially schoolchildren. Hence, the preservation of this ingeniously creative and adaptive movement can be anchored both in scholarship and the performing arts. Thereby preserving its linkages to our colonial past while charting a new course beyond national boundaries to encapsulate maritime quests which circumnavigate the Barbados Land-ship's diasporic moorings towards culturally relevant and synergistic "ports of call" with all who come into her gaze.

This present educational course to Tanzania, plotted by Mrs. Lee, is one of many such cultural explorations to "newfoundlands" of creative experiences, expressions, and exchanges.

Furthermore, Mrs. Lee is a decades-old cultural practitioner of her beloved Haynesville Youth Club in Barbados. While there are other numerous activities (including dance, theatre arts, festivities, and community engagements) for which Mrs. Lee may be credited, this post seeks to highlight her sterling promotion and preservation of this magnificent Barbadian cultural institution, The Barbados Land-ship.

As such, this is NOT an attempt to document Mrs. Lee's life's work as a cultural practitioner but merely an unqualified and biased portrayal (by this blogger) of her laudable efforts to contribute to the advancement of one of our nation's indigenous cultural treasures, particularly within the confines of school.

Note, this journey has only just begun. Ship Ahoy!

Reflections of The Barbados Landship

Ahoy 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZUyNQElLLo

Ahoy 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usiq9wP_C7o

Ahoy 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54lsgQXVEVk&t=12s

Recent cultural brainchild of Mrs. Lee:

Professor Emerita the Most Honourable V. Eudine Barriteau

Professor Barriteau is a former principal of the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies and a world-renowned academic, feminist scholar, and proud alumna of The Ellerslie School

Video of The Ellerslie School Naming Ceremony for the 

Queen Eudine E. L. S. Landship Dock

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqaU38tG-DY

__________________________________________

The Tanzanian "Port of Call"

     Flag of Tanzania 

 (Swahili: bendera ya Tanzania)

Maps of the United Republic of Tanzania

About:

Tanzania is an East African country known for its vast wilderness areas. They include the plains of Serengeti National Park, a safari mecca populated by the “big five” game (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino), and Kilimanjaro National Park, home to Africa’s highest mountain. Offshore lie the tropical islands of Zanzibar, with Arabic influences, and Mafia, with a marine park home to whale sharks and coral reefs. ― Google

Capital: Dodoma

Currency: Tanzanian Shilling

Official languages: Swahili, English

Dialing code: +255

Population: 65.5 million (2022) World Bank

THE ARRIVAL

Mrs. Lee (centre), "Captain of L.S. Ellerslie Tanzania" flanked by two Tanzanian school officials

Video 1

Mrs. Lee (wearing green shirt) enjoying the company of her Tanzanian student "inductees" of the newly anchored 

"Ship Lighthouse"

Video 2

FROM THE INDOOR TO OUTDOOR CLASSROOM (DAY 2)

Mrs. Lee's students keenly demonstrating their quick adaptation to the various manoeuvres (simulated dance movements) of the Land-ship

These manoeuvres were written on the classroom's chalkboard and performed by students afterwards

Video 3 of students' perfromance

Video 4

Video 5

Video 6

At lunch with the teachers savouring the traditional dish: 

Ugali Crayfish and Vegetables

(with fingers in the dish - the original "knife & fork")

Video 7

Video 8

(notice the similarities to our own Caribbean pelvic gyrations in dance)

Video 9

Video 10

"L. S. Ellerslie Tanzania" preparing to depart

Video 11

Video 12

School assembled at "Ship Lighthouse Dock" for Grand Finale performance under the instructions of a Tanzanian teacher

"My role here has been completed. I will now sail back to the Caribbean" - Mrs. Lee

(All photos and videos specific to Tanzania were provided by Mrs. Lee)

A Final Note

Mrs. Lee has so far taken this indigenous Afro-Barbadian cultural performance artform (The Barbados Land-ship) beyond the shores of Barbados, its birthplace, to continental South America and Africa. 

She has been manoeuvring the Landship to regional and extra regional "ports of call" and "Docks" by sharing a part of one of our uniquely and culturally rich intangible heritage assets with the world. Thereby, encouraging a love for one's indigenous culture, fostering a love for community and family, while offering a positive avenue for young and old alike to immerse themselves in a socially cohesive and uplifting form of cultural performance and preservation with the unmistakable component of individuals having fun during the execution of their naval-inspired manoeuvres.

Like cultural master craftsman and theatrical connoisseur, Winston Farrell, whose award-winning play, House of Landship, the playwright's seminal masterpiece, enshrines the Landship in the annals of literary and performance historicism, so too is Mrs. Lee's extraregional and groundbreaking 'exportation' of this cherished Barbadian cultural artformance. 

Her scholarship also encapsulates the promotion of Barbados' heritage tourism both within the Afro-Barbadian diaspora and the wider global tourism industry. It is another way by which Barbados introduces itself to the world as it continues to 'punch above its own weight' in the increasingly popular world of heritage tourism. 

Stay the course, Mrs. Lee. You are doing a great job not only for your own personal and professional development but for your country as well.

Re-sailing the Middle Passage (all ahead flank) with new vigour and hope.

ADDENDUM:

THE HISTORY OF THE BARBADOS LANDSHIP

The Landship is an institution, which is unique to Barbados. It owes its origins to Moses Wood, who founded it between 1863 and 1868, marking its 150th anniversary in 2014. Wood was a Barbadian who had served in the Royal Navy, and on his retirement, he sought to recreate some of the camaraderie and discipline of the navy, along with some of its pomp and splendor.

Landship members dress in naval uniforms and have naval ranks and titles, which include Lord High Admiral, Captain, Boatswain, Quarter Master, Doctor, Matron and Engineer. Female members were inducted after World War 1 and dress as nurses. They are referred to as stars, a term believed to have come from the Universal Negro Improvement Association founded by Marcus Garvey.

Ships have names such as Cornwall, Vanguard, Director, Duke, and Rodney. Nautical terms are applied to all activities; the meeting place is known as the “dock” and at the start of a parade, the ship is said to set sail. As the name suggests there is no actual vessel, and all manoeuvres take place on land. By the 1870s there were Landships all over Barbados, parading in full regalia on a variety of social occasions.

The manoeuvres consist of a combination of marching and dancing to simulated naval conditions, which include “rough seas”, “man overboard”, “sailor hop”, and “wangle low”. Orders are given by the officer in charge, while the music and rhythm is provided by the ships’ “engine”, the Tuk Band. One of their popular dances is “plaiting the maypole”, where dancers holding long coloured ribbons, dance around the maypole (perhaps the ship’s “mast”) until the ribbons are intertwined; then they reverse the process. Eight ribbons or strings are attached to the maypole and are said to represent our African heritage and the eight legs of Anansi the spider.

The Landships are also friendly societies where members pay contributions, and when funds permit there is an annual bonus, as well as sickness and death benefits. The Landship also had its own magazine, The Barbados Landship Review. The movement, which is an activity of working class people, is today at its lowest numbers, and is finding it difficult to recruit young members. Nonetheless, the Barbados Landship, a combined crew from several decimated ships, can still be seen sailing in various parts of Barbados on festive occasions.

_________________________________________

WORKSHEET

Part 1 (Vocabulary & Sentence Construction)

 1.  Find the meaning of the words and phrases underlined in the passage above.

 2.  Write one complete sentence of your own on each of the underlined words and phrases above.

Part 2 (Comprehension)

Answer the following questions based on the information given in the passage above. 

1. How many years was the Landship in existence?

   a)       50 years

   b)      100 years

   c)       Over 150 years

2. Three ranks or titles given to people in the Landship are ___________, __________, and _________.

3. The name given to the pole used for dances in the Landship is the

 

a) flag pole 

b) maypole

c) grease pole

d) utility pole

4.  How many strings does this pole have?

          a) 15
          b) 7
          c) 8
          d) 5

5. What do these strings on the pole represent?

          a) Our African heritage and the eight legs of Anansi the spider.

OR

          b) Our eight national heroes.

6. What is the name of the group which provides music for the Landship movement?

          a) The Merry Men

          b) The Tuk Band

          c) The Landship Band

7. Circle the following dances which are performed by Landship members.

          a) Wangalow

          b) man overboard

          c) cha-cha-cha

          d) general exercises

          e) sailor hop

          f) rumba

8. Name at least one other function the Landship has in the community outside of performing?

         a)    The Landship helps less fortunate people in the neighbourhood.

         b) The Landship builds boats for fishermen.

         c) The Landship acts as a type of bank where people can save their money.

9. Draw a circle around one major challenge that the Landship has experienced over the years.

         a) Young people wanted more modern dances and uniforms.

         b) The ship sank.

         c) There were not enough new people joining the movement.

         d) The ship’s engine stopped working.

10. Only persons who are or have served as sailors can become members of the Landship.

    

END OF EXERCISE

-----------------------------------------------------------

Click on the link below to view related material on other Barbadian cultural icons

https://teach7g-education.blogspot.com/2015/07/barbadian-cultural-icons.html

"Slavery Done" - by Tony "Commander" Grazette (1985)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H7pRD1IQDI

___________________________________________

QUEEN EUDINE E.L.S. DOCK

(The Ellerslie School Landship)

"Ship Ahoy!"

VIDEO

Queen Eudine "sailing" at the Barbados Workers' Union (BWU) Solidarity House

VIDEO

OOW 

2024

Celebrating African Awareness/Black History@Ellerslie Secondary School 2017

Ellerslie Secondary School Teachers & Students TOGETHER with wooden replica of Sankofa bird

Ellerslie Secondary Teachers with student drummer celebrating African Awareness/Black History

Sankofa is often associated with the proverb, “Se wo were fi na wosankofa a yenkyi," which translates as: "It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten."

OOW

2017 

Dreams of my Fathers

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Delivered 28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.
[should difficulty arise with video, use link provided]

Click on video above [or on link below] to view "I Have a Dream" speech by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I47Y6VHc3Ms

AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text version below transcribed directly from audio.

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."¹

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."²

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!³

---

¹ Amos 5:24 (rendered precisely in The American Standard Version of the Holy Bible).
² Isaiah 40:4-5 (King James Version of the Holy Bible). Quotation marks are excluded from part of this moment in the text because King's rendering of Isaiah 40:4 does not precisely follow the KJV version from which he quotes (e.g., "hill" and "mountain" are reversed in the KJV). King's rendering of Isaiah 40:5, however, is precisely quoted from the KJV.
³ At: http://www.negrospirituals.com/news-song/free_at_last_from.htm
Also in this database: Martin Luther King, Jr: A Time to Break Silence
Audio Source: YouTube.com
Audio Note: AR-XE = American Rhetoric Extreme Enhancement
External Link: http://www.mlkmemorial.org/
External Link: http://www.thekingcenter.org/
Copyright Status: 
Copyright inquiries and permission requests may be directed to:

Estate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
Intellectual Properties Management
One Freedom Plaza
449 Auburn Avenue NE
Atlanta, GA 30312
Fax: 404-526-8969

A life-time of labour is worth it all if it rescues just one more soul.

OOW

2017

BARBADIAN CULTURAL ICONS

Barbados’ traditions are drawn from the synergies of West African and British cultures that shaped the island’s national identity.  While the majority of the population is of African descent the island was a colony of the British Empire for over 300 years, hence the British influence is inextricably interwoven in the shaping of its cultural icons.

INTRODUCTION

A country’s culture is what makes it unique and sets it apart from the culture of other countries. This neither excludes nor can it negate the influence of earlier parent cultures, which help to shape and define that country’s cultural identity. The shaping of Barbadian cultural icons certainly springs from this maxim. Indeed, our dominant parent cultures, what some term the historical hegemonies, are at times an uneasy symbiosis of African and British cultural influences. One must also remember the Arawaks; the first indigenous people to settle the island.

Recent archaeological discoveries unearthed at the site of Port St. Charles Resort, located on the northwestern coast of Barbados, point to Amerindian settlement some time around 1623 B.C. The British settlers of 1627 A.D., like their ancient Amerindian seafaring predecessors, who arrived here from Venezuela, also saw the unique geographical location of Barbados as an ideal place to call home. As the eastern-most Caribbean island, this sovereign island nation with just 431 square kilometers (166 sq. mi) of land area has become home to more than 280,000 people. If home is where the heart is, then Barbadians, whether born on Barbados or born elsewhere, continue to express heartfelt commitment to the preservation of Barbados as a prosperous, peaceful and democratic state.

Barbadians, or Bajans, a people of warm, friendly and open character, have always embraced and celebrated authentic Barbadian culture as a growing multiethnic one, developed under the influence of various cultures into a strong character of its own. Nowhere is this more evident than in the demographics of Barbados. About 90% of the inhabitants are of Afro-Caribbean descent. The rest of the population, comprised of Europeans (4%), mostly from Ireland, and the United Kingdom, as well as Asians, particularly Indians and Chinese, including communities of Syrians and Lebanese, Indo-Guyanese, and a Jewish community of descendants who arrived in the early 17th century; have all come to call Barbados home.

This cohobblopot of strong historical elements has given rise to inherent iconic folk traditions. We are more than the dialect we speak, a regional variant of English, the official language of Barbados, spoken by most people in informal settings. While we share similar cultural characteristics to those of our sister Caribbean nations and to others further afield, such as Japan: both countries have the highest per capita occurrences of centenarians on earth, these alone do not define us. Our uniqueness stems from the fact that we are Bajan. It is a distinction of privilege, which can only be claimed by those so ‘born and bred’, naturalised, assimilated and ‘culturised’. Like our beloved centenarians, the Bajan cultural identity is a finely aged tradition.

Yet, one cannot underestimate the irresistible influence of the Afro-Caribbean folk traditions in the shaping of Barbadian cultural icons. Specific mention will only be made of some of these cultural icons. Namely: Tuk Band, Shaggy Bear, Mother Sally, Green Monkey and Stilt Walker.

 EXAMPLES OF CULTURAL ICONS

EXAMPLE I: TUK BAND

The Tuk Band is an African-based Barbadian musical ensemble, which plays tuk or rukatuk drum music mixed with British military rhythms, folk ballads and religious songs. Tuk is one of the most traditional forms of folk music, having its origins in the slave culture of the 17th century in Barbados. This is a roving band that consists of a kettle drum, bass drum, triangle, and penny whistle. It starts with a slow waltz, followed by marching rhythms and then breaks into a fast African beat accompanied by dancing, movement and merriment. Over the years, Bajans have added their own mix to these regimental rhythms.

The Tuk Band performs during various festivals, such as, Crop Over, the Holetown Festival, and at Christmas and New Years. In addition, the Tuk Band provides musical accompaniment for the Barbados Landship; an institution unique to Barbados. Indeed, the ship’s “engine” is the Tuk Band. Various costumed figures that are African in origin accompany the Tuk Band.

EXAMPLE II: SHAGGY BEAR

    Shaggy Bear is said to represent an African witch doctor figure. Shaggy gained a reputation as the Bank Holiday Bear because he always shows up on Bank Holidays. His shaggy costume, designed to frighten as well as impress onlookers, resembles the bushy coat of a bear as he flips around the Tuk Band doing acrobatics. While the shaggy costume speaks to the existence of harsh economic times the energetic movements simultaneously represents the persistence of Barbadians to break free from the doldrums of financial hardships. Perhaps this is Shaggy’s way of ‘conjuring’ good fortune for those seeking prosperity during difficult economic times.

EXAMPLE III: MOTHER SALLY

    Mother Sally, pronounced by Barbadians as ‘muddah sally’, represents female fertility, with extra large buttocks and protruding bosoms. Some would argue a genetic or anatomical legacy and blessing of Mother Africa on her diasporic daughters of the New World. Traditionally, a man dressed as a woman who wore a mask to hide his identity, bearing the trademark bulging buttocks, performed the role of Mother Sally. Within recent times, women who wear no mask have increasingly performed Mother Sally. Their comical performance is a favourite among Bajans and visitors alike, specifically since the movements of rhythmic pelvic thrusts and gestures are heightened by the voluptuous shape of the wearer.

EXAMPLE IV: GREEN MONKEY

    Like Shaggy Bear, the masquerader who performs the Green Monkey is male, and his comic and at times startling performances are acrobatic in nature. His antics mimic these mischievous little creatures, which inhabit the gullies that run across the island and even in peoples’ gardens! The Barbados Green Monkeys originally came from Senegal and the Gambia in West Africa, approximately 350 years ago. However, as a result of environmental differences and evolution, the Barbados monkeys today have different characteristics than those in West Africa.

    As our most famous or infamous resident, the Barbados Green Monkey often carries the dual ambivalent role of national animal of Barbados but also a national nuisance, particularly for farmers. Yet, this green hairy primate, whether mischief-maker or merry-maker, has secured its residency in the parishes of St. John, St. Joseph, St. Andrew and St. Thomas, where much natural vegetation and woodlands still exist. His notoriety has been enshrined in the logo of the Barbados Wildlife Reserve and carved into the prodigious estates of The Green Monkey golf course of Sandy Lane, Barbados’ premiere world-renowned golf resort. The Barbados Green Monkey unquestionably has also found his home in the hearts of all Barbadians.

EXAMPLE V: STILT WALKER

The Stilt Walker or Stilt Man (‘tilt man), Moko Jumbies, as they are commonly known in Trinidad and Jamaica, is a stilt walker or dancer who represents a ghost or spirit (traditionally a god) of Congolese origin. The Stilt Walker dances on long pieces of wood known as stilts. These stilts make him appear to have long legs. The Stilt Walker not only accompanied the Tuk Band during festive occasions but also acted as guide to the Tuk Band as he was elevated above the band. Due to his towering height and power of divination, he watches over his village and is able to foresee danger and evil.

While this figure was rooted in African heritage, the costume of the Stilt Walker imitated the style of clothing worn by elite men of Barbadian society and was made complete with the use of a mask which was intended to look European. Today, the Stilt Walker wears brightly coloured clothing and seldom wears a mask. He also represents the importance of surviving hard times, often symbolised by the stilt figure effigy of Mr. Hardin’. The latter so named due to that period between sugar crops, when employment was difficult to obtain and money was scarce. This time was referred to as “hard times”. The burning of Mr. Hardin’, a tradition that ended in 1979, symbolized the hope that the hard times to come would not be too severe.

 REFERENCES

Best, Curwen. Barbadian Popular Music and the Politics of Caribbean Culture. Rochester, Vt.: Schenkman Books, 1999.

Callender, Allison. “Folk Culture and Costume at the Folk Museum in Barbados”. Clothes Tell Stories: Working with Costume in Museums. (ICOM Triennial General Conference), Aug. 2013 

Hoyos, F. A. Barbados: A History from the Amerindians to Independence. London: Macmillan, 1978.

Marshall, Trevor G. and Watson, Elizabeth F. “Barbados”. Music in Latin America and The Caribbean, Vol. 2. Austin, Tex.: U of Texas P, 2004. 345–357.

Meredith, Sharon. “Barbadian Tuk Music – A Fusion of Musical Cultures”. Music, Power and Politics. Ed. Annie Randall, London: Routledge, 2004.

Millington, Janice. “Barbados”. Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Vol. 2. New York: Routledge. 1999. 813–821.

https://barbados.org/history1.htm#.X8mh5Gj0m00

OOW

2015