Scores of children from Sangre Grande, Valencia, and the environs are excitedly honing their moko jumbie talents in preparation for their August 2024 Notting Hill Carnival performance in London.
Dayne Francois, vice chairman of the Sangre Grande Regional Festival Committee (SGRFC), called on the media and the country to support the youngsters in this initiative. He thanked the sponsors for making this project a success.
Francois said, “The Sangre Grande Regional Festivals Committee recently partnered with the Kaiso Kah Cultural Group to execute a wonderful initiative focused on promoting and educating young people within the Sangre Grande region on the history and development of traditional mas, with a particular emphasis on the moko jumbie.”
Most of the children, he said, reside in squatting communities, and “this initiative provides them with a valuable opportunity to connect with their history and culture that they aren’t likely to access otherwise.”
Joshua Lamorelle, Kaiso Kah Valencia Cultural Group founder, who trains the group, said the level of enthusiasm demonstrated by the children and parents motivates him to continue.
Larmorelle not only trains the children of the Sangre Grande region but also works with prisons and other communities.
