This pancocojams post provides information about moko jumbies in the Caribbean (the West Indies).
This post also showcases five videos of children in the Caribbean and in the United States
learning how to be moko jumbies (stilt walk/dance) in the Caribbean ikisbtilmoko jumbies in Trinidad and Tobago.
Selected comments from the discussion thread of some of these videos are also included in this post.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. All copyrights remain with their owners. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to all those who are featured in these videos. -snip- Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/08/eight-youtube-videos-of-traditional.html for a closely related pancocojams post entitled "Eight YouTube Videos Of Traditional Stilt Walking & Stilt Dancing In Africa". **** ARTICLE EXCERPT ABOUT MOKO JUMBIES From https://www.gotostcroix.com/st-croix-blog/the-moko-jumbie-a-cultural-icon/ "The Moko Jumbie: A Cultural Icon" [no date, no author given, retrieved August 22, 2020]
"The Moko Jumbie: A Cultural Icon
The Dutch, English, French, Spanish, Danish, British, and American flags have all flown over St. Croix with each country leaving its own impression on our society and cultural. As it turns out the most influential culture on St. Croix was not the Dutch, the French, or the Americans, but the Africans. Presently, the African culture is widely seen in how we behave, the foods we eat, and how we prepare them, and most of all, in our celebrations and traditions – most notably, the Moko Jumbie.
When Africans were brought to the Caribbean and sold to St. Croix planters as labor, they also brought with them seeds, oral lessons, and traditions, and of course their religious and cultural beliefs. Since many of the African cultural practices were forbidden while they were enslaved, the African people often had to disguise their practices in a festive context. Which may explain why the traditional plain “potato sack” costumes of the Moko Jumbie evolved into a colorful one.
Moko Jumbies have been in the Virgin Island’s cultural heritage for over 200 years and can be traced to Africa as far back as the 13th and 14th centuries. The presence of the Mocko Jumbie at our carnivals, parades, jump-ups, and even at a beach BBQ is a blessing and an honor. They are viewed as symbols of our history, culture, and heritage. At celebrations, such as carnival, a wedding, or even jump up, men, women and children perched high up on stilts are dressed in bright colors and masks. In this costume they are no longer men, women, and children – they have now transformed into Moko Jumbies.
The actual meaning of the words Mocko Jumbie varies depending on whom you ask. In Central Africa, the word ‘moko’ means healer, while most English speaking people interpret moko as ‘mock’. Simple, huh? ‘Jumbie’ would be slang for ghost, or spirit. West Africans view a Moko Jumbie as a seeker or a protector and that their tallness is symbolic to the power of God.
Their presence was an important part of African religious ceremonies as well as to the rites of passage when a boy is recognized as a man and a girl as a woman. Many African tribes believed that Moko Jumbies acted as the spiritual seers and protectors of the village. It was believed that the height of the Moko Jumbie allowed them to see evil before it arrived and warn other villagers. Traditional African Moko Jumbie costumes were adorned with mirrors in the belief that evil spirits were afraid to see themselves. In Central Africa, it is believed that that the Moko Jumbie wards off evil spirits by their mockery of them.
Throughout the Virgin Islands, the character and importance of the Moko Jumbie presently lives on. Not as a ‘ghost buster’, if you will, but rather as an exhibit of the culture of the Virgin Islands. In 1978, Gerry Cockrell moved to St. Thomas from Florida and discovered a culture that was embraceable, with the St. Thomas Carnival being one of her favorite cultural events. A friend of Gerry’s had been participating in carnival as a Moko Jumbie when Gerry decided to try it for her self; she has been a part of carnival ever since. She saw that the number of Moko Jumbies was decreasing and saw the need of keeping the culture of the Virgin Islands alive, in 1992 she started a St. Thomas based troupe called Moko Jumbie Jambourie.
Gerry taught the skill in many of the schools to gain youth involvement. Gerry’s efforts help the community to take pride in their history and culture in addition to helping children take pride in themselves and what they can now do."...
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOSThese videos are presented in chronological order based on their publishing date.
Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.
Video #1: Jumbie Jamboree
Carnival Institute,
Sep 21, 2017
Produced by Carnival Institute of Trinidad and Tobago
Music: Laventille Rhythm Section Drums and Tassa and Johann Strauss Jr. Blue Danube the blue danube fast version.
**** Video #2: Kaisokah Moko Jumbies: Stilt-Walkers in Training | BK Stories BRIC TV, Nov 9, 2017
In East Flatbush, a group called Kaisokah Moko Jumbies practice the delicate and rigorous art of stilt-walking in a local alley way. The young stilt-walkers in training learn about their cultural roots as they prepare to compete worldwide.
-snip- East Flatbush is a residential neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn.(a neighborhood in New York [USA] **** Video #3: Dance in Trinidad: Moko Jumbie On 9-Foot Stilts
The New York Times, Dec. 17, 2017 In Trinidad, locals dance on stilts and learn to "touch the sky" from an early age.
**** Video #4: Dancing With 10- Foot Stilts
Great Big Story, April 10, 2018 In Trindad and Tobago, “moko jumbies” soar high during Carnival. The traditional art of stilt dancing is a highlight of Trinidadian celebrations, but for stilt walker Adrian Young, it’s an everyday practice. For the past 21 years, he has been dancing among the clouds. Now, through his Future Jumbies youth group, he’s helping the next generation make their own strides.
-snip- Here are some comments from this video's discussion thread, with numbers added for referencing purposes only. 1. Y'all, 2018 "This is cool, but
How do they get off?"
**
REPLY
2.Nikhil Manrag, 2018
"Ladder i live in tnt"
**
REPLY
3. Skye Hernandez, 2018
"Moko jumbies have a way of coming down with the help of the all-important handlers. You simply turn your back to a handler, put your arms out, stoop and let yourself fall backwards into the hands of the handler. A lot of strength and trust involved. The ones on the higher sticks sit on walls or trees or anywhere high to untie themselves and then come down. And yes, as Epicness FTW says, they use short ladders, if available."
**
REPLY
4. InfiredKookieMonster, 2018
"The Muffled Crew on a wall or high structure"
** 5. It's just Tay Tay, 2019 "I'm from st.thomas in the Virgin Islands and here in the the
Caribbean we love to do this in our parades ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ"
****
Video #4: Magic Of Moko Jumbies: New Generation Of Teens Take Up Stilt Dancing Tradition | NBC Nightly News
NBC News, October 26, 2019
There’s a new generation of Brooklyn kids learning to become Moko Jumbies - stilt dancers that you see at celebrations all across the Caribbean. Jason Edwards, an immigrant from Trinidad and Tobago, is teaching teenagers to get in touch with their heritage.
**** Video #5: MOKO JUMBIE 101 | Artist in Motion
Jason Edwards from Kaisokah USA will show us the basics of stilt walking and do's and don't of being a Moko Jumbie!
****
Edited by Azizi Powell This pancocojams post provides information about traditional stilt dancing in several African nations. These stilt dancing traditions are the source of the Moko Jumbie stilt dancing traditions in Trinidad and Tobago and elsewhere in the West Indies and the United States.
I searched YouTube for videos of African stilt walking after reading that "Moko Jumbies", (Caribbean stilt dancing traditions) have their source in West Africa. I was curious to see what those traditions looked like. As a result of that search, I found videos of and information about traditional African stilt walking and stilt dancing customs in West African and in Central Africa. In alphabetical order, the videos showcased in this post are Gabon (Central Africa), Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali, Nigeria (West Africa), and Republic of the Congo (Central Africa).
This post also includes a few comments from the discussion threads for some of these YouTube videos. Disclaimer: This post isn't meant to be comprehensive depiction of African stilt walking traditions or the purposes of those traditions. The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. Thanks to all those who are featured in this post and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these examples on YouTube. -snip- Most of the content of this post was originally published on November 1, 2015 with this title "Stilt Walking In Africa (information, comments, & videos)". That post also includes a video of stilt dancing in Uganda. However, that custom isn't traditional to that nation. That post also includes an article excerpt about stilt dancing g traditions among the Garinagus (Garifuna) people in Honduras, Central America. -snip- Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/11/seven-videos-of-caribbean-stilt-walking.html for a pancocojams post on Caribbean stilt walking/stilt dancing. Also, click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/11/caribbean-influenced-moko-jumbies-in.html for a post on Caribbean influenced moko jumbies (stilt dancing) in the United States. Click the "moko jumbies" tag for additional pancocojams videos of stilt dancing in the Caribbean and in the United States **** THE TRADITIONAL PURPOSES OF STILT WALKING IN AFRICA From my online reading, it appears that there are a number of traditional purposes for stilt walking in Africa. Given in no particular order, here are some article excerpts that I found on this subject:
Excerpt #1 From http://www.ket.org/artstoolkit/wodm/tour/africa/ivory/dance.htmDance Sampler: Ivory Coast "Dancing on Stilts Every village has a stilt or mask dancer—but you have to be born into a stilt dancing family to do it! Moha Dosso of Ivory Coast dances the Gue Pelou stilt dance One of the most spectacular dances of the Ivory Coast is the stilt dance, also known as a mask dance. Stilt dances are ritual dances that protect the village and are performed at ceremonies such as weddings, funerals, initiations, and celebrations. During private preparations, the dancer communicates with the spirit world of the ancestors and dons a costume with tall stilts and colorful clothes that cover the face and body completely. Once in costume, no one may refer to the dancer by any name other than the spirit name—the identity of the dancer is kept secret. Meet Moha Dosso Could you tell us a little about your background—your village, your country, and your culture? My name is Moha Dosso, and I’m a dancer from the Ivory Coast in West Africa, from a small village named Gouana near the city of Touba. My people are called the Mahouka, and our language is called Mahouka, too. We have a lot in common with a neighboring group of people called the Yacouba, and the name for us all is the Dan people. In Ivory Coast we have about 70 different ethnic groups—each with different languages, arts, and culture. What is the role or purpose of dance in your culture? Is it part of a ceremony or for religious reasons; for artistic expression; or for fun and socializing? Moha: Dance is really used for all of these things, but different dances and music are used for different reasons. Among the Mahouka people, Gue Pelou—the stilt dance—is used for ceremonies and rituals (like a wedding, funeral, or the arrival of the President or an important minister), and also for celebrations like a school dance. This mask represents a spirit who is blessing or protecting the village, so people are happy to see it. There are many other masked dances in Ivory Coast, too—using masks made of different materials and different movements. Women dance in certain masks, and men dance in certain ones."... ** Excerpt #2 From http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/315061 "One of the most popular types of masks in the Sanga region is the type known as kanaga. Like other Dogon masks, kanaga masks are worn at rituals called dama, whose goal is to transport the souls of deceased family members away from the village and to enhance the prestige of the deceased and his descendants by magnificent masked performances and generous displays of hospitality. In 1935, French anthropologist Marcel Griaule witnessed a dama ritual in which twenty-nine out of a total of seventy-four masks were of the kanaga type. These masks are characterized by a wooden superstructure in the form of a double-barred cross with short vertical elements projecting from the tips of each horizontal bar. This kanaga mask was collected in Mali by Lester Wunderman, complete with its costume elements (see 1987.74a through 1987.74i). When the mask is worn, the back of the dancer's head is covered with a hood of plaited fiber fringe at the bottom edge. The dancer wears a vest made of black strip-woven cloth and red broadcloth strips embroidered with white cowrie-shells; strands of glass and plastic beads dangle from its edges. The kanaga dancer also wears a pair of trousers made of indigo-dyed, strip-woven cotton cloth, over which he ties a long skirt of curly, loosely strung, black-dyed sanseveria fibers and short overskirts of straight red and yellow fibers. For a traditional dama, the preparation and dyeing of the fibers are undertaken with as much secrecy and ritual as the carving of the wooden mask. During the time spent by Griaule among the Dogon studying their complex belief system, he was initially told that the kanaga mask represents a bird with white wings and black forehead, but he later came to see this literal interpretation as characteristic of the first level of knowledge, that of the uninitiated. The deeper meaning of the kanaga mask apparently pertains both to God, the crossbars being his arms and legs, and to the arrangement of the universe, with the upper crossbar representing the sky and the lower one the earth. The disparity between these two interpretations illustrates the gaps in our understanding of Dogon art." ** Excerpt #3 From http://arktofile.net/pages/while_s.html The History Of Stilt Walking ..."Stiltwalkers clearly shown in decorations on ancient ruins. Black slaves brought stiltwalking to America...In digs of Benin civilization in Nigeria is a large beautiful plaque showing sword-carrying stiltwalker.... In what is now Tanzania in East Africa, an old rite centered around a tribal dancer who was called the man in the treetop. Standing high on his stilts, he would pray that the young people of the tribe might grow tall and healthy and reach the very height of their ambitions... In the Sudan the Ekoi people tell a story about a wise old man. He had been working on his little farm, planting yams. But the day was hot, and the ground was like a griddle, burning his bare feet. The old farmer sat under a tree and whittled a few branches. Soon he had some walking sticks on which he could carry out his planting in comfort. And it is said this was how the custom of wearing short stilts was begun in that sun-baked African land... In Nigeria, it is usually the boys who are on stilts, trying to outdo each other in their stunts. They hop on one stilt, vie to outreach each other, and compete in their skill at stilting with no hands. Play on stilts sometimes mimics the creatures seen in nature -- the daddy longlegs spider, the tall wading birds, the giraffe."... **** SHOWCASE EXAMPLES These examples are given in chronological order according to their publishing dates on YouTube with the oldest dated example given first. Example #1: Dununba Drum and Dance Party with Stilt Walker/Dancer Guinee West Africa [Guinea, West Africa]
Michael Pluznick, Feb 15, 2007
The Doundoumba is a family of rhythms and dance popular all throughout
Guinee. It originally comes from
the Hamanah region, of the Kouroussa area. It is the "rhythm
of the strong man".
In traditional times it was played to settle disputes among the men of the village. The two in conflict would
dance the Doundoumba , in the Bara among the villiage people. This would insure the safety of the
competition which lasts from dusk to dawn. -snip- Here's a comment from that video's discussion thread: Michael Pluznick, 2008
"Hi, [no name given]
The dancers you speak of are "clowns", (just like
western) and are mocking the foreigners who come to events, (Like myself) and
excitedly film them! The cameras are made out of found items and are of course
not real! Hope this helps.."
**** Example #2: ikokou [Gabon, Republic of the Congo]
La muse, Uploaded on Nov 11, 2007 clip d ikoku y dimbu -snip- Scenes that include a stilt walker begin at 3:25. The Ikoku dance is traditional to the Puna ethnic group. That ethnic group is found in the Central Africa nations of Gabon and the Republic of the Congo. -snip- Here's a comment from that video's discussion thread, with Google translation from French to English: Jesus Sauveur, 2018 "Frรจres et soeurs PUNU Felicitation de ce que vous faites de promouvoir la culture punu. Mais, connaissiez- vs l' origine et le compositeur de ces chansons? rendez- lui au moins un hommage en citant son nom : ( Tsaku ou tsakou) le gars du village IVARU. Car, il est le compositeur de toutes ces chansons. Aprรจs cela, on sera fier de vous." Lieutenant Moukeba -snip- "PUNU brothers and sisters Congratulations on what you are doing to promote the punu culture. But, did you know the origin and the composer of these songs? pay him at least a tribute by mentioning his name: (Tsaku or tsakou) the guy from the village IVARU. Because, he is the composer of all these songs. After that, we will be proud of you."
Lieutenant Moukeba **** Example #3: The Dogon Dance of the Mask [Mali]
New Videos, Uploaded on Feb 11, 2008 The World Famous Dogon people of Mali West Africa.doing a ceremonial Dance. -snip- Here are three comments from this video's discussion thread:
1. wtapache, 2011
"dude! I'm Apache of The White mountain Apache Tribe. We
Dance almost the same as them the song are almost the same yo but in a
different toung. Really wierd!"
** REPLY
2. Auntkekebaby, 2011 "I know smoel. It's soooo similar to the Hopi Indian dance." -snip- My guess is that these two commenters were referring to the similarities between the African dancers in this video and Native American dancers without stilts and not the African stilt dancers which I believe aren't traditional to the Apache and the Hopis.
** 3. Jojo La verite, 2015
"This dance is called kanaga for the dogon. the same dance appear in bamileke tribe in cameroon and is called Kounga."**** Example #4: Mali Africa Dogon Dance (Mali, West Africa)
adjofilm, Jan. 18, 2011
People of the Dogon tribe in Pays Dogon of Falaise de Bandiagara in Mali gave a demonstration of their famous traditional dancing. I recorded about 15 minutes of the one-hour performance...
**** Example #5: Mali - Dogon's Dances
Carlo Di Marco, Published on Apr 7, 2012 The Dogon's dances represent their history. The masks depict the system in the world: animals, men and things, too. In the dance they are an important element and the Dogon use more than 80 masks, depending on the celebration. -snip- Here' a comment from that video's discussion thread. P Kalida, 2019 "Miss my grandpa(man in blue black) may ur soul rest in peace"
****
Example #6: Stilt Dance Ceremony In Ivory Coast, Overlanding West Africa Overlanding West Africa, June 3, 2013Witness the beauty and magic of a traditional stilt dance ceremony in Ivory Coast! Our trips spend the night in this beautiful village with the incredibly friendly Ivorian people.
This film was made by Jamie Noel, a professional film maker and passenger on our Accra, Ghana to Freetown, Sierra Leone trip in January 2013. Jamie made this indepth video of the trip. It highlights the beautiful landscapes, the rich culture, the incredibly friendly people, wildlife, beaches and markets, all accompanied by a great West African soundtrack!
Visit www.overlandingwestafrica.com/accratofreetown for more information and details of this particular trip we run through West Africa: Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, and Ghana
**** Example #7: Royal Tour (1956) [Nigeria, West Africa
British Pathรฉ, Published on Apr 13, 2014 Port Harcourt & Enugu, Nigeria. -snip- A brief scene of a stilt dancer is shown at 2:12-2:21. The commenter indicates that this is called "the staggering dance" and that the dances imitate the movements of long legged birds that live near the Niger creeks.
**** Example #8: Ivory Coast Dances | Planet Doc Express Docs [Ivory Coast, West Africa]
Planet Doc Express Documentaries Published on Dec 8, 2014 There are more than sixty indigenous ethnic groups in the Ivory Coast: the Dan is one of them. For them, ceremonial dances have a special significance and importance. The Dan are known for being fierce warriors, forever locked in a struggle with neighboring peoples. But when it comes to dancing, they become peacemakers, organizing two-day festivals in which the best dancers from neighboring villages are chosen. The vocal polyphony is energetic, accompanied by loud drums; women also actively participate in the musical ritual. This is a typical imitative dance, one of the many varieties of these ethnic groups choreography in Ivory Coast. A man wears a mask symbolizing a forest animal. To the sound of drums, the protagonist is driven to the center of the dancing arena by the ringmasters. Supported on stilts, he jumps to mimic the animal he represents. The Dan believe in a world divided into two halves: the village and its inhabitants on one side, and on the other, the world of wild animals and guiding spirits of the forest. In Ivory Coast the amazing stunts sometimes continue until the dancers fall into a trance. **** UPDATE: August 23, 2020 I just happened upon this video while looking for examples of YouTube videos of Africans wearing traditional feathered headdresses and/or other feathered costumes:
Juju dancing at palace of the Fon of Bafut or Ntoh. [Cameroon, Central Africa]
Mikus Meirฤns, Dec. 11, 2012
"Bafut Beagles" by Gerald Durrell was my beloved
book in childhood. 60 years after Durrell I was in Bafut with my family,
sometimes dreams come true:) Juju dancing is really big part of traditional
grassland culture in Bamenda region, and Bafut with 400 years old palace of Fon
is a great stage for that. Because Fon of Bafut had 26 wife's, and more that
100 kids, and all the dancers are locals, I'am pretty sure, that this juju
dance is really royal:)
-snip- A stilt dancer joins the dance at 2:00 in this video. **** Thanks for visiting pancocojams. Visitor comments are welcome.
This post showcases a video of the song "Papa A Moco Jumbie".
Lyrics for that song are also included in this post along with selected comments from that video's discussion thread.
A video of Moko jumbies parading in St. Croix, Virgin Islands' "jump up" festival is included in the Addendum to this post.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Radha Blanks, the composer of this song and thanks to all those who are involved in this video. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT MOKO JUMBIES
"Moko jumbies" is the term for Caribbean stilt walking/stilt dancing. That performance art derives from traditional stilt walking/stilt dancing customs in Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali, Nigeria (West Africa) and in certain other African nations.
****
LYRICS:PAPA IS A MOCO JUMBIE
(composer: Radha Blank)
It’s carnival time, in my town today
So papa and I get our costumes ready
Oh I cannot wait for everybody to see
When papa stands on his stilts he becomes a Moco Jumbie
My papa’s a Moco Jumbie, stands tall as the eyes can see
I wish I was tall as daddy, he dances to bring harmony
(Come on son dance with me)
I know I may be small, but I wish I was tall
So for the carnival day, I could Moco Jumbie my way
[repeat entire chorus three times]
My papa’s a Moco Jumbie, stands tall as the eyes can see
He dances to bring harmony, and now he's dancing with me
And while I may be small, we came up with a way
So for the carnival day, I can Moco Jumbie my way
Me and my Papa today, dancing down the carnival way.
Song composer Radha Blank posted this comment on that blog June 17, 2009 at 11:16 AM in response to questions about whether Khamani Griffith was the vocalist for the animated video of the song "Papa's A Moco Jumbie":
"hi my name is Radha Blank
im the writer and Trini behind the film...it is indeed Khamani Griffith...he is the sweetest most respectable kid...who always addressed me as Ms. Radha
so glad you all are enjoying it...
it should be uploaded on noggin in a few!"
-snip-
"Noggin" was the original name for the American children's television channel that is now named "Nick Jr".
****
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Papa Moco Jumbie (High Quality)
Marvin Sease Jr. Uploaded on Nov 28, 2009
Papa Moco Jumbie from the Noggin Channel... My little girl absolutely loves this song and I couldn't find a high quality version of it so here it goes.
-snip-
Selected comments from this video's discussion thread
razielzephon, 2010
"Me and my daughter love the song. Cute video too. The only thing I can see that's wrong is the spelling"
**
XrisSmiles , 2010
"Everytime my son hear this song, he laughs and runs , cause he knows im gonna grab him up and dances with him.
im glad Noggin is multicultural. Knowing that everybody can learn about everybody makes me proud to be an American."
**
HeidiDu, 2010
[written in response to the question "Is this carnival in Brazil?"]
@sweetangel74
"No, this isn't Brazil. This is from Trinidad and Tobago. They're 2 islands just to the North East of Venezuela (they're in the Caribbean). They have a huge 2 day Carnival that takes place the 2 days before Ash Wednesday, i.e. Mardi Gras (Tuesday) and the day before that."
**
beautyofgrace23, 2011
"ahhh I'm from St. Croix and no parade is complete without a moco Jumbie :)"
**
antigua26, 2011
"im 15 and this is the best thing ever... i love it because i am able to see that my little brother can find his own culture on an american network ... thumbs up to them for this...showing kids different cultures :D"
**
dearia gamble, 2012
"20 here and i never get tired of this song so beautiful
"my papa's a moco jumbie stands tall as the eyes can see i wish i was tall as daddy he dances to bring harmony" dwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa :D"
**
BobbyJames89, 2012
"Voice sound familiar right!? It's Khamani Griffin from 'All of us', Norbit and Daddy Day Care. He's also the voice of Tolee from Ni hao Ki Lan."
****
ADDENDUM:
Moko Jumbies perform at Jump Up, St Croix 7/8/2011
This post provides information and comments about stilt walking and stilt dancing (Moko Jumbies) in the Caribbean* and showcases seven video examples of stilt walking and stilt dancing in that region.
An alphabetical list of the nations showcased in this post are Guyana, St. Kitts, Trinidad & Tobago, and the Virgin Islands.
Disclaimer: This post isn't meant to be comprehensive depiction of Caribbean stilt walking traditions. A number of other Caribbean stilt walking videos can be found on YouTube.
*Note that one of these videos is of stilt walking in Guyana. Guyana is a South American nation which is also considered part of the Caribbean. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guyana
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
Thanks to all those who are featured in this post and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.
****
INFORMATION ABOUT MOKO JUMBIES
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moko_jumbie
"A moko jumbie (also known as "moko jumbi" or "mocko jumbie") is a stilts walker or dancer. The origin of the term may come from "Moko" (a possible reference to an African god) and "jumbi", a West Indian term for a ghost or spirit that may have been derived from the Kongo language word zumbi. The Moko Jumbies are thought to originate from West African tradition brought to the Caribbean.
...Moko, in the traditional sense, is a god. He watches over his village, and due to his towering height, he is able to foresee danger and evil. His name, Moko, literally means the “diviner” and he would be represented by men on towering stilts and performs acts that were unexplainable to the human eye. In one remote tribe, the Moko rises from a regular mans’ height to the skies fluidly with no help and descends similarly to leave others to wonder how he performed such an act.
The Moko arrived in Trinidad by “walking all the way across the Atlantic Ocean from the West coast of Africa, laden with many, many centuries of experience, and, in spite of all inhuman attacks and encounters, yet still walks tall, tall, tall. (John Cupid, Caribbean Beat)” The idea of the Moko survived by living in the hearts of African descendants during slavery and colonial life to eventually walk the streets of Trinidad in a celebration of freedom, Carnival. While this figure was rooted in African heritage, Trinidad adapted the figure, notably by adding on Jumbie or ghost to the name. The by the early 1900s Moko Jumbies had become an element of Trinidad’s Carnival. This figure would walk the streets of Port of Spain and other cities protecting the city and revelers from evil. As part of his role in Carnival the Moko Jumbie would accept donations from onlookers in upper floors of buildings. However, his notable figure of Carnival slowly faded until a drastic revival.
By the early 1990s Moko Jumbies were essentially non-existent in Carnival, until two men brought this tradition back. These men, namely Moose and Dragon, have brought the Moko Jumbie back to a place of prominence in Carnival and created a new kind of Moko Jumbie. One man originally brought the idea to them as well as the knowledge of how to make stilts. The style of stilts they walked was very similar to the modern day ones but with one main difference, they had no front leg brace. This changed when a man named Ben Block from Canada, a random traveler, came to Trinidad with a pair of stilts. He had a frontal brace on the upper leg and the Trinidadians took inspiration from this design and used it in their own. Now there are two main Moko Jumbie bands in Trinidad, Watusi and Kilimanjaro, as well as several smaller ones. So while the idea of the Moko came from Africa, Trinidad has made it its own."...
****
SHOWCASE EXAMPLES
These examples are given in chronological order according to their publishing dates on YouTube with the oldest dated example given first.
Example #1: Moko Jumbies -- Trinidad Kids Carnival
IsDePanInMe, Uploaded on Dec 13, 2007
The beauty and splendor of Trinidad Carnival. Street Theater at its best.
****
Example #2: Zanqueros Team extreme Guayana
Erickolivero, Uploaded on Apr 10, 2008
team extreme guayana... demostrando puro talento..
No hay imposibles, Solo mentes incapaces.
no hay limites, el limite lo pones tu.
****
Example #3: Trinidad Moko Jumbies - Carnival 2011
****
Example #4: Keylemanjahro Moko Jumbies at 2011 Point Fortin Borough Day, Trinidad
Maria Nunes, Uploaded on Aug 26, 2011
-snip-
"Keylemanjahro" is a updated way of writing “Kilimanjaro”. Since Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, East Africa is the highest mountain in Africa, selecting that name for a Moko Jumbie school and group implies excellence.
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Example #5: Mini-Ritual Dancers Moko Jumbie WUK UP in Post Office Square! TUN UP! [Virgin Islands]
Chantel Hoheb, Published on May 2, 2013
2013 St. Thomas Children's Parade.
Follow the Caribbean Ritual Dancers! http://www.facebook.com/CaribbeanRitu...
2013 Winners of the "50 and Under" troupe category!
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Example #6: New Lands Point Fortin Moko Jumbies
point fortin moko jumbies Published on Nov 13, 2013
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Here's a comment from this video's discussion thread:
Ali Sylvester, 2014
"New lands jumbies are the best jumbies out of trinidad cause i feel they change the game with new moves i have never see this before on stilts im the ceo of brooklyn jumbies just want to give respect where its do bless up to the team keep keep jumbies alive"
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Example #7: Sugar Mass 42 St. Kitts Parade Day 2013/2014: Moko Jumbies
This post provides information and comments about stilt walking in Africa and showcases seven video examples of stilt walking in that continent.
I searched YouTube for videos of African stilt walking after reading that "Moko Jumbies", Caribbean (Trinidad & Tobago) stilt dancing traditions have their source in West Africa. I was curious to see what those traditions looked like, and as a result of that search I found videos of and information about West African and other African stilt walking customs.
In alphabetical order, the videos showcased in this post are Gabon (Central Africa), Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali, Nigeria (West Africa), Republic of the Congo (Central Africa), and Uganda (East Africa).
Disclaimer: This post isn't meant to be comprehensive depiction of African stilt walking traditions or the purposes for those traditions.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
Thanks to all those who are featured in this post and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.
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THE TRADITIONAL PURPOSES OF STILT WALKING IN AFRICA
From my online reading, it appears that there are a number of traditional purposes for stilt walking in Africa. Here are some article excerpts that I found on this subject:
From http://www.ket.org/artstoolkit/wodm/tour/africa/ivory/dance.htmDance Sampler: Ivory Coast
"Dancing on Stilts
Every village has a stilt or mask dancer—but you have to be born into a stilt dancing family to do it!
Moha Dosso of Ivory Coast dances the Gue Pelou stilt dance
One of the most spectacular dances of the Ivory Coast is the stilt dance, also known as a mask dance. Stilt dances are ritual dances that protect the village and are performed at ceremonies such as weddings, funerals, initiations, and celebrations. During private preparations, the dancer communicates with the spirit world of the ancestors and dons a costume with tall stilts and colorful clothes that cover the face and body completely. Once in costume, no one may refer to the dancer by any name other than the spirit name—the identity of the dancer is kept secret.
Meet Moha Dosso
Could you tell us a little about your background—your village, your country, and your culture?
My name is Moha Dosso, and I’m a dancer from the Ivory Coast in West Africa, from a small village named Gouana near the city of Touba. My people are called the Mahouka, and our language is called Mahouka, too. We have a lot in common with a neighboring group of people called the Yacouba, and the name for us all is the Dan people. In Ivory Coast we have about 70 different ethnic groups—each with different languages, arts, and culture.
What is the role or purpose of dance in your culture? Is it part of a ceremony or for religious reasons; for artistic expression; or for fun and socializing?
Moha:
Dance is really used for all of these things, but different dances and music are used for different reasons. Among the Mahouka people, Gue Pelou—the stilt dance—is used for ceremonies and rituals (like a wedding, funeral, or the arrival of the President or an important minister), and also for celebrations like a school dance. This mask represents a spirit who is blessing or protecting the village, so people are happy to see it. There are many other masked dances in Ivory Coast, too—using masks made of different materials and different movements. Women dance in certain masks, and men dance in certain ones."...
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From http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/315061
"One of the most popular types of masks in the Sanga region is the type known as kanaga. Like other Dogon masks, kanaga masks are worn at rituals called dama, whose goal is to transport the souls of deceased family members away from the village and to enhance the prestige of the deceased and his descendants by magnificent masked performances and generous displays of hospitality. In 1935, French anthropologist Marcel Griaule witnessed a dama ritual in which twenty-nine out of a total of seventy-four masks were of the kanaga type. These masks are characterized by a wooden superstructure in the form of a double-barred cross with short vertical elements projecting from the tips of each horizontal bar.
This kanaga mask was collected in Mali by Lester Wunderman, complete with its costume elements (see 1987.74a through 1987.74i). When the mask is worn, the back of the dancer's head is covered with a hood of plaited fiber fringe at the bottom edge. The dancer wears a vest made of black strip-woven cloth and red broadcloth strips embroidered with white cowrie-shells; strands of glass and plastic beads dangle from its edges. The kanaga dancer also wears a pair of trousers made of indigo-dyed, strip-woven cotton cloth, over which he ties a long skirt of curly, loosely strung, black-dyed sanseveria fibers and short overskirts of straight red and yellow fibers. For a traditional dama, the preparation and dyeing of the fibers are undertaken with as much secrecy and ritual as the carving of the wooden mask.
During the time spent by Griaule among the Dogon studying their complex belief system, he was initially told that the kanaga mask represents a bird with white wings and black forehead, but he later came to see this literal interpretation as characteristic of the first level of knowledge, that of the uninitiated. The deeper meaning of the kanaga mask apparently pertains both to God, the crossbars being his arms and legs, and to the arrangement of the universe, with the upper crossbar representing the sky and the lower one the earth. The disparity between these two interpretations illustrates the gaps in our understanding of Dogon art."
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From http://arktofile.net/pages/while_s.html The History Of Stilt Walking
..."Stiltwalkers clearly shown in decorations on ancient ruins. Black slaves brought stiltwalking to America...In digs of Benin civilization in Nigeria is a large beautiful plaque showing sword-carrying stiltwalker....
In what is now Tanzania in East Africa, an old rite centered around a tribal dancer who was called the man in the treetop. Standing high on his stilts, he would pray that the young people of the tribe might grow tall and healthy and reach the very height of their ambitions...
In the Sudan the Ekoi people tell a story about a wise old man. He had been working on his little farm, planting yams. But the day was hot, and the ground was like a griddle, burning his bare feet. The old farmer sat under a tree and whittled a few branches.
Soon he had some walking sticks on which he could carry out his planting in comfort. And it is said this was how the custom of wearing short stilts was begun in that sun-baked African land...
In Nigeria, it is usually the boys who are on stilts, trying to outdo each other in their stunts. They hop on one stilt, vie to outreach each other, and compete in their skill at stilting with no hands. Play on stilts sometimes mimics the creatures seen in nature -- the daddy longlegs spider, the tall wading birds, the giraffe."...
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SHOWCASE EXAMPLES
These examples are given in chronological order according to their publishing dates on YouTube with the oldest dated example given first.
Example #1: ikokou [Gabon, Republic of the Congo]
La muse, Uploaded on Nov 11, 2007
clip d ikoku y dimbu
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Scenes that include a stilt walker begin at 3:25.
The Ikoku dance is traditional to the Puna ethnic group. That ethnic group is found in the Central Africa nations of Gabon and the Republic of the Congo.
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Example #2: The Dogon Dance of the Mask [Mali]
New Videos, Uploaded on Feb 11, 2008
The World Famous Dogon people of Mali West Africa.doing a ceremonial Dance.
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Here's a comment from this video's discussion thread:
Jojo La verite, 2015
"This dance is called kanaga for the dogon. the same dance appear in bamileke tribe in cameroon and is called Kounga."
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Example #3: Mali - Dogon's Dances
Carlo Di Marco, Published on Apr 7, 2012
The Dogon's dances represent their history. The masks depict the system in the world: animals, men and things, too. In the dance they are an important element and the Dogon use more than 80 masks, depending on the celebration.
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Example #4: Dununba Drum and Dance Party with Stilt Walker Dancer Guinee West Africa [Guinea]
Aslan Koyun Published on Sep 17, 2013
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Example #5: Royal Tour (1956) [Nigeria]
British Pathรฉ, Published on Apr 13, 2014
Port Harcourt & Enugu, Nigeria.
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A brief scene of a stilt dancer is shown at 2:12-2:21. The commenter indicates that this is called "the staggering dance" and that the dances imitate the movements of long legged birds that live near the Niger creeks.
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Example #6: STILT-WALKING [Uganda]
NTVUganda, Published on Aug 17, 2014
Stilt-walking is an art of entertainment that is known for drawing huge crowds in circuses and other recreational areas. NTV’s Suhail Mugabi caught up with three brothers who have mastered the art and now reports.
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The video narrator indicated that stilt walking is new in Uganda and that the brothers who are the focus of this video use stilt walking for entertainment purposes.
Planet Doc Express Documentaries Published on Dec 8, 2014
There are more than sixty indigenous ethnic groups in the Ivory Coast: the Dan is one of them. For them, ceremonial dances have a special significance and importance.
The Dan are known for being fierce warriors, forever locked in a struggle with neighboring peoples.
But when it comes to dancing, they become peacemakers, organizing two-day festivals in which the best dancers from neighboring villages are chosen.
The vocal polyphony is energetic, accompanied by loud drums; women also actively participate in the musical ritual. This is a typical imitative dance, one of the many varieties of these ethnic groups choreography in Ivory Coast.
A man wears a mask symbolizing a forest animal. To the sound of drums, the protagonist is driven to the center of the dancing arena by the ringmasters. Supported on stilts, he jumps to mimic the animal he represents.
The Dan believe in a world divided into two halves: the village and its inhabitants on one side, and on the other, the world of wild animals and guiding spirits of the forest. In Ivory Coast the amazing stunts sometimes continue until the dancers fall into a trance.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to all those who are featured in these videos.
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Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/08/eight-youtube-videos-of-traditional.html for a closely related pancocojams post entitled "Eight YouTube Videos Of Traditional Stilt Walking & Stilt Dancing In Africa".
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ARTICLE EXCERPT ABOUT MOKO JUMBIES
From https://www.gotostcroix.com/st-croix-blog/the-moko-jumbie-a-cultural-icon/ "The Moko Jumbie: A Cultural Icon" [no date, no author given, retrieved August 22, 2020]
Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.
Video #1: Jumbie Jamboree
Produced by Carnival Institute of Trinidad and Tobago
Music: Laventille Rhythm Section Drums and Tassa and Johann Strauss Jr. Blue Danube the blue danube fast version.
Video #2: Kaisokah Moko Jumbies: Stilt-Walkers in Training | BK Stories
BRIC TV, Nov 9, 2017
East Flatbush is a residential neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn.(a neighborhood in New York [USA]
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Video #3: Dance in Trinidad: Moko Jumbie On 9-Foot Stilts
The New York Times, Dec. 17, 2017
In Trinidad, locals dance on stilts and learn to "touch the sky" from an early age.
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Video #4: Dancing With 10- Foot Stilts
Great Big Story, April 10, 2018
In Trindad and Tobago, “moko jumbies” soar high during Carnival. The traditional art of stilt dancing is a highlight of Trinidadian celebrations, but for stilt walker Adrian Young, it’s an everyday practice. For the past 21 years, he has been dancing among the clouds. Now, through his Future Jumbies youth group, he’s helping the next generation make their own strides.