The Inaugural Storytelling by Elle Celeste project takes a deep dive into the history, culture and political satire of Trinidad and Tobago’s Ole Mas characters. Ole Mas is theatre. It utilizes so many different art forms and really shows the creative and innovative nature of Black people.

We took carnival, once simply an exclusive event used to commemorate lent, and turned it into a beautiful inclusive affair of sharing history and culture. Taken from everywhere, a point was made to exclude us and strip us of our identities. But we fought, we got creative.

They took and we created. They stole and we innovated. We made art. Carnival is art. Theatre. History. Culture. Preservation. Carnival is storytelling.

It kept us who we are and not the bodies they attempted to minimize us to. It protected our minds, spirits and bodies. I challenge you all to think about the elders that came before us, toiled the lands, and shared the stories to make you, you. To learn all the beautiful parts of your life. I’m grateful I have the opportunity to share my home with you.

Together we aspire. Together we achieve.

- Elle Celeste

Making Juju Warrior the first character for this project was intentional. Today is Emancipation Day. Trinidad & Tobago was the first country in the world to commemorate the abolition of slavery by making it a national holiday. Even post independence, commemorating those before us was a priority. 

Commemoration is a celebration.  One that is meant to preserve the memory of something and keep us deeply rooted in the truth of what we are celebrating and why. 

The Juju warrior character is just that - a commemoration. The character was created to celebrate the African ancestors before us that were stolen and sent to Trinidad and Tobago to be enslaved. Enslaved on stolen land, colonizers saw everything about us to be demonic, perverted and uncivilized. They wanted to be sure that anything they did not like, or see as valuable to their mission, was gone. We did not allow that.

 The Juju warrior is one of the first carnival characters. It is meant to reflect African warriors and chiefs. The term “juju,” french for plaything, has been associated with traditional African religions. The term is seen as a spiritual belief system that uses objects and spells in their practices. The character is known to have white tribal markings on their body and face, headpieces, large necklaces and grass skirts. They are also known for carrying swords and shields. In the beginning, participants would use whatever they could to create these characters. Caucus bags were cut and dyed to create the shirts and necklaces. Juju warriors were also a part of the steelpan bands back in the day.

In the 1950’s and 60’s this character was heavily popularized. This is believed to be as a result of the pre-independence Kenya massacres during their long fight for decolonization against the British.
Today is about commemoration. Happy Emancipation Day Trinidad and Tobago.

Crowley, Daniel J. “The Traditional Masques of Carnival.” Caribbean Quarterly 4.3-4 (1956): 194-223. Print.

“Bound to Bleed.” That’s what they called my grandfather when he was stickfighting. If you got in the circle with him, you were bound to bleed. This mirrors the behavior of the Trinidadians that took part in the Canboulay* Riots, the 1881 riots that are believed to inspire a few stickfighting carnival events.

There are a few different origin stories for the Stickfighter but there is one thing for certain, Stickfighting and the Kalinda* that is associated with it, originated from African stickfighting and drumming. “It is both a martial art, a sport, a dance, and a musical form, with origins traced to the 1720s.” It is said that while on the estates*, slaves would participate in stick fighting. It became a friendly rivalry that carried on post-emancipation. Estates became very “tribe-like”, each group having their own specific chants and dance. 

Similar to the origin, the Stickfighter costume has various interpretations. A more fancy Stickfighter costume includes a fancy pants and top with an extravagant head covering or hat. Some other costumes were simpler, like the negre-jardin are used specifically in reenactments. They consisted of simple brown pants, white shirt, and head coverings. The Pierrot Grenade costume was also used in stickfighting, as he was known to be combative. But, this was confusing to people as it is a character on its own.

Before Carnival, there was Canboulay. On estates, slaves were not allowed to participate in carnival with the colonial “elite.” Slaves would have their own celebrations. Post- emancipation, Canboulay continued. To celebrate freedom, sugarcane was burned. This represented a resistance to the colonizers and applied pressure to send a message. 

Each year, Canboulay celebrations continued. Stickfighting was a major part, as well as Kalinda. Canboulay as a whole was not pleasing to white people. Sticks were banned as a result. Drums, being associated with Kalinda, were banned as well. A police chief, named Captain Baker, continued to apply pressure, and wanted to allow nothing associated with Canboulay to prosper.  But, we kept applying pressure. In 1881, the police planned to meet the Canboulay participants in the streets. A riot broke out and it is said that “canboulay revellers swept the ground with the police.” Those same banned sticks were used to protect ourselves and our festival.

After that, they gave up. We were free to continue our cultural celebrations. Post emancipation, we did not allow anyone but ourselves  to define what “free” meant.

 We protected our festival, our art and our freedom.

*Kalinda is also spelt Calinda.

*Canboulay translates to Cane burning.

*Estates are similar to American plantations.

Liverpool, Hollis “Chalkdust” Rituals of Power and Rebellion: The Carnival Tradition in Trinidad and Tobago, 1763-1962. Chicago, IL.: Research Associates School Times, 2001. Print.

MEP Publishers | Rituals of resistance: the Canboulay Riots re-enactment | Caribbean Beat Magazine https://www.caribbean-beat.com/issue-108/rituals-resistance#ixzz6cBC7Xes8 

The inspiration for this project is based solely around the Midnight Robber character. My grandfather was also a Midnight Robber. Inspired by the storytelling techniques of characters such as the Pierrot grenade and First Peoples, the Midnight Robber character was born. Unlike the Pierrot Grenade, the robber does not rely on facts. The stories are made up and prioritize boasting. The speeches they give to tell stories are a form of spoken word, called “Robber Talk.”

The long winded speeches, though they are not based on facts, are decorated with history and sometimes even references to the current political climate. In addition to the occasional facts, the robber brags about ancestry, fearlessness and exploits. Religion and astrology are popular references as well. With so many significant references that represent the beliefs and culture of the island, the main goal of the story is not to be forgotten - The Midnight Robber stories are meant to brag and instill “doom and fear.” After his speech, he walks around with a small coffin and has listeners pay him for his story. 

The Midnight Robber costume is typically an all black satin pants and top, fringed hat, and cape. Both the cape and hat are decorated with bones, skulls or with things that support the robber’s persona or story.Though historically the costume is black, modern robber characters have been known to dress in color. The costume is believed to be influenced by cowboys. In addition to the costume, robbers often carry swords, daggers or guns. A whistle is carried and blown throughout his storytelling. 

This character is one of the most popular, and rightfully so. Created during a time when the people of Trinidad were still very much oppressed, the art of this kind of storytelling was very much needed. Outside of carrying along stories filled with our ancestry, history and toils, we were able to create stories that glorified ourselves and our abilities. Boasting about invincibility, strength and fearlessness was just what we needed.

Crowley, Daniel J. “The Traditional Masques of Carnival.” Caribbean Quarterly 4.3-4 (1956): 194-223. Print.

https://www.nalis.gov.tt/Resources/Subject-Guide/Carnival#tabposition_24145

The Gaily Babydoll character is a brightly dressed satirical portrayal of a mother with an illegitimate baby. The character dresses in bright colored, frilled dresses that expose the legs. Some characters wear a bonnet or mob cap as well. In the past, full masks were worn. Now, partially masks or something covering the eyes are more popular. In addition to the costume, she also walks around with a baby. Though this character is mainly played by women, in the past men have played this character and included high-pitched voices in their act for laughs. Popular in the 1930’s and 1940’s, this character had “died down” for a bit. Now, it has made a comeback in a variety of forms.

What I enjoy about this story is that shame is not being placed on the mother, instead it is to be placed on the man. During mas, she walks around accusing men of being the father of her child. In order to get her to be quiet, they pay her so she will be able to raise her baby. In addition to embarrassing the male passer-bys, she is also loudly accusing men in a public place. In society, women are often to be seen and not heard. This character is not only loud but it is also addressing a problem in society. This character gave a voice to the voiceless. 

There are two things to look at in this satirical story - abandonment and accountability. Popular in the 1930s and 40s, a close look at single mothers and broken families was a topic at the time, influencing the satire. So, at first glance, the story seems to be addressing single mothers. Women did receive a lot of blame, at no fault of their own, so applying shame to the men was significant to this satirical story. But, I feel as though there is another thing that can be addressed here. The abandonment of families and community by the hands of colonists.

Forced into slavery and separated from all they knew, new families and communities were created on the estates. After emancipation, many people were separated again. Leaving family and community to be rebuilt once more. What was ignored, is that people were left with nothing, now striving to make their own. Looking at the misuse and abuse of our country and our people, we were expected to be happy, bright and grateful for being handed crumbs. Our people were abandoned and left to figure things out on their own. Having to continuously fight and riot to be heard, this attitude carried into communities and families.

Crowley, Daniel J. “The Traditional Masques of Carnival.” Caribbean Quarterly 4.3-4 (1956): 194-223. Print.

https://www.nalis.gov.tt/Resources/Subject-Guide/Carnival#tabposition_24145

Dame Lorraine is another satirical character meant to mock the elaborate pre-lent events held by the French and British elites in the 18th and early 19th century. During lent season, the white elites would dress up for their own carnival. Dressed in huge dresses that were meant to showcase large physical assets, they danced and had their own songs. The enslaved people, and even the non-elites, were not allowed to participate. Looking at their carnival, we created our own, which included mocking their style of festivities  Though this character was birthed in Trinidad, Barbados has a similar character called “Mother Sally.”

The Dame Lorraine character costume is dressed as a voluptuous woman in a long dress. Historically,  the dresses were colorful. Using whatever material was readily available to them, they made dresses and accessorized them with fans and hats. The main part of this costume is not the dress, it is the assets. The breasts and backside are exaggerated to make fun of the elites and their obsession with over enhancing  these assets for their events. Large bras are worn and stuffed and a large fake backside is worn in addition to petticoats to create this look. In addition to this, their costumes also include imitation jewelry. Dame Lorraine is also known for the parasol she carries with her. A mask was worn with their costume, hiding their identity.  

The character originally came with a whole performance. She was a part of a skit that was a parody of the wife of rich planters. Men typically played this character even though today, it is predominantly played by women. Many of these participants were descendants of french planters or “people with some respectability” They hid behind wire masks. At one point in time, the British had banned masks, revealing the identity of many different traditional character participants. Each character would choose a part of the French to make fun of – big backside and large breasts being the most popular.The character’s names were in French Creole - : Misie Gwo Koko, Misie Gwo Lolo. Later on, this was all placed into one character. In addition to their names, Dame lorraine was known for the music and dance performed. Today, the music style is still associated with them.

The Dame Lorraine character tells a great story. The elites had their exclusive event where in addition to being dressed in their fancy dresses that were accessoried with special attention to their assets, they had some theatre going on as well. Upper class would dress as negre jardins, or garden slaves. When slaves started putting on our own thing while the elite had theirs, we started to mock them, just as they mocked us. Nowhere were we ever trying to be like the elites, instead we decided to mock them. Highlight their infirmities that they tried so hard to enhance, create something better than they ever could. Something that has lasted and become more significant than theirs ever could have been. Carnival is ours.

 Crowley, Daniel J. “The Traditional Masques of Carnival.” Caribbean Quarterly 4.3-4 (1956): 194-223. Print.

 National Library and Information System Authority. (n.d.). Traditional Carnival Characters.

https://www.nalis.gov.tt/Resources/Subject-Guide/Carnival#tabposition_24145

Moko Jumbie, though birthed out of Ole Mas, is a character that is very recognizable by many in the Caribbean. Dressed in long, brightly colored, pants,  a simple shirt or jacket and an elaborate admiral styled hat, they dance throughout the streets all day.  The hat is sometimes made out of wild cucumber. Moko Jumbie’s face is often painted. His dance, similar to what many call a “jig,” is often paired with him playing  a flute or drum. While dancing, the moko jumbie collects money from people on the balconies. But, that is not what makes them hard to miss. Moko Jumbies walk on stilts that are 10 to 12 feet high, sometimes the stilts are painted or covered in fabric. 

The Moko jumbie is an authentic African masquerade mounted on sticks. In the past, the Moko Jumbie was sometimes accompanied by a smaller character, in a similar costume, to add emphasis to the Moko Jumbie’s height. 

The word “Moko” is a diviner in the Congo language. In West African tradition there is also a god called Moko, who is considered to be a god of retribution. Some believe that this is the origin of the Moko character in Trinidad. “Jumbie” was added post-slavery by freed- slaves. It translates to spirit or ghost. 

A Trinidadian historian, John Cupid, told the story of the Moko Jumbie. When asking a Moko Jumbie where he was from, he would respond saying, “I have been walking all the way across the Atlantic Ocean from the West Coast of Africa,laden with many, many centuries of experiences, and, in spite of all the inhuman attacks and encounters, yet still walking tall, tall, tall.” The stilts, and its height, also gave them the “ability to foresee evil faster than ordinary men.” Having this gift, they were able to protect the village and its people. 

I selected Moko Jumbie as the last character because of the “where are you from” response. It  encompasses the story that all Ole Mas characters tell, even the ones I did not select for the project. There was a time where the character had lost its popularity. But the character was bought back by two Trinidadian men. The Moko Jumbie reveals to us not only why these stories exist but why they should be preserved and upheld with respect. 

His story tells us that the pain that is forced upon us, is unable to make us small or less than. 

We will always stand TALL, dancing in the streets to wearing bright colours that represent our feelings of joy. Proudly showing that after everything, we are still here. 

We will GUIDE those that come after us, sharing centuries of history and experience.

We will PROTECT ourselves, towering over those that attack us, our shadows making our presence  known. 
We will always STAND TALL. We are to GUIDE those that come after us. We protect OURSELVES.

 Creatures of the Mas | Caribbean Beat Magazine https://www.caribbean-beat.com/issue-71/creatures-mas#ixzz6W3tgge4O  

https://www.nalis.gov.tt/Resources/Subject-Gu  https://www.nalis.gov.tt/Resources/Subject-Gu