Sunday 23 February 2014

CARNIVAL CORNER: Moko Jumbie

Its that time again where we take a closer look at some traditional carnival characters. Today we highlight the "Moko Jumbie".




Moko is a derivation of the god "Moko", coming straight out of West African tradition. Moko is a “diviner” in the Congo language. The term "jumbie" or ghost was added by the freed slaves. It was believed that the height of the stilts was associated with the ability to foresee evil faster than ordinary men. The Moko Jumbie was felt to be a protector of the village. 

This mas is well-known throughout the Caribbean. It is an authentic African masquerade mounted on sticks. The stilt walker plays on stilts 10 to 12 feet high. His costume consists of a brightly coloured skirt or pants, jacket and elaborate hat. He would dance through the streets all day, and collect money from people on the upper floors and balconies. His dance was similar to a jig, and he was often accompanied by a drum, flute and triangle.
                                                                                                                              NALIS





1 comment:

  1. cool video..just one thing i found was that the actual video only started at the 40th sec or so..was a bit of a delay but i enjoyed it..

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