Moko Somõkõw 2023
Congratulations to the Band Leaders, Designers, all the Stilt Walkers, ground staff, Dj, Pr crew, Photographers, Videographers, Jab Jab and families who supported everyone in the Moko Somõkõw 2023 presentation of Carnival Tuesday. It was an Honor to photograph and videotape the grace strength style and passion of each of the Stilt Walkers, their supportive families and the crew. I hope to return in 2024, hopefully as a fellow Masquerader and an Independent Freelance Digital Content Creator capturing the day as a member of the Moko Somokow family.
Click this link to go to the album of Photos I released for Moko Somõkõw Carnival Tuesday 2023
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Follow my Instagram for More Audio and Videography of my Coverage of Carnival 2023 with short edited videos of traditional Mas, and Characters Such As Jab Jab, Whipmaster, Minstrels, and Moko Jumbies. Videography of the Fireworks displays during the Machel Montano, Destra and Patrice Roberts Duets, all the costumes with the characters that waited on the Sidestage for that performance and many other exciting carnival-related footage.
Information About Moko Somōkōw Band
Synopsis Theme
2023 Carnival Costume Descriptions
Queen- Ms Shynel Brizan,
Aimèe, A Dancer of Freedom’s Cousinship to Epitaphs of Fate Concept
Inspired by Wilson Harris’s novel “Carnival”, Aimèe is depicted as her own “Resurrection Theatre”. Aimèe is a nightclub dancer in her masquerade of creative anger, her fiery energy showing a stairway to the stars even as her theatre burns.
Relation to Theme
Aimèe dances her Resurrection Theatre to highlight the dangers to humanity, the dangerous, virtually impossible stairway it would need to climb if traffic on Earth ceased forever, her Moko Jumbie channelling the fire of destruction into a rocket to outer space.
King- Mr Joel Lewis
Waterfall Oracle
Concept
Inspired by Wilson Harris’s novel “Carnival”, Waterfall Oracle is depicted as a cleansing and pure spiritual force, the source of original humanity.
Relation to Theme
The Moko Jumbie, in his masquerade of the soul, channels the genius of creation in veils of greenest light, blues and roses, veils that weave themselves into chains within all generations, all peoples, in the mystery of the Waterfall.
King- Russell Grant
The Resurrection Mule
Concept
Inspired by Wilson Harris’s novel “Carnival, The Resurrection Mule is depicted as a shadow animal, a shadow dray horse, a phantom dappled with gleaming light bringing redemption from death through the genius of love.
Relation to Theme
The Moko Jumbie Masquerade metaphorically embodies death from falling under the dray cart of history, transformed into a new beast, a new heart, a new love, upon which the universe rides, a trojan Horse pregnant with new seed following an overturned age
The mas presentation is inspired by Wilson Harris’s novel “Carnival”. It portrays vignettes from the novel which show the undreamt of resources of spirit which might lead us back from the abyss of mindless consumption and mindless loathing to gain access to some measure of heavenly love. Our Paradise. As Harris writes; “Heaven requires your gift, your gift of originality. It is but a straw but god will cherish it in the midst of the storm.”
Section 1
King/Individual Portrayal, Joel Lewis as “Waterfall Oracle”. He is a spirit of creativity and love. His followers wear primarily white, which pays homage to the orisha Obatalá.
Section 2
Individual Portrayal, Jamal Arnaud as the “Amerindian Prince” who is found guilty of enacting the laws of his own people rather than those of the colonisers. His followers are the spirits of his slain people.
Section 3
King Portrayal/Individual Portrayal, Russel Grant as “The Resurrection Mule”. He and his followers are avatars of a phantom dray horse bringing redemption from death through the genius of love.
Section 4
Queen/Individual Portrayal, Shynel Brizan as “Aimèe, a dancer of freedom’s cousinship to epitaphs of fate”. She and her followers dance in her own Resurrection Theatre, channelling the fire of destruction into a stairway, a rocket into outer space.
Section 5
Individual Portrayal, Alan Vaughan as “Carnival Lazarus”. Lazarus appears as a spirit in the falling leaves of an Autumnal tree. The Moko Jumbie masquerade channels the Orisha Babablu Aye, signalling a rebirth through colour and light even at the moment of imminent
decay. His followers are “Inmates of the Cosmic Almshouse”
Theme
The mas presentation is inspired by Wilson Harris’s novel “Carnival”. It portrays vignettes from the novel which show the undreamt of resources of spirit which might lead us back from the abyss of mindless consumption and mindless loathing to gain access to some measure of heavenly love. Our Paradise. As Harris writes; “Heaven requires your gift, your gift of originality. It is but a straw but god will cherish it in the midst of the storm.”
Section 1
King/Individual Portrayal, Joel Lewis as “Waterfall Oracle”. He is a spirit of creativity and love. His followers wear primarily white, which pays homage to the orisha Obatalá.
Section 2
Individual Portrayal, Jamal Arnaud as the “Amerindian Prince” who is found guilty of enacting the laws of his own people rather than those of the colonisers. His followers are the spirits of his slain people.
Section 3
King Portrayal/Individual Portrayal, Russel Grant as “The Resurrection Mule”. He and his followers are avatars of a phantom dray horse bringing redemption from death through the genius of love.
Section 4
Queen/Individual Portrayal, Shynel Brizan as “Aimèe, a dancer of freedom’s cousinship to epitaphs of fate”. She and her followers dance in her own Resurrection Theatre, channelling the fire of destruction into a stairway, a rocket into outer space.
Section 5
Individual Portrayal, Alan Vaughan as “Carnival Lazarus”. Lazarus appears as a spirit in the falling leaves of an Autumnal tree. The Moko Jumbie masquerade channels the Orisha Babalu Aye, signalling a rebirth through colour and light even at the moment of imminent decay. His followers are “Inmates of the Cosmic Almshouse”