The playwright speaks Eintou talks about her play Kambule

My play Kambule pays tribute to our warrior ancestors of The Mas and brings their achievements to the attention of the entire society

Eintou Springer’s Kambule – A Synopsis

The play reminds us of the roots and history of Carnival and the bitter struggle that masqueraders waged in defense of their right to cultural expression. 

 The British colonial administration, through its police chief Captain Baker had determined to stamp out the Jammette Carnival of Port of Spain’s working classes. After a vicious attack on the masqueraders in 1880, communities across the city put their differences aside and planned to deal with Baker and his men. In the forefront were the stick fighters, the warriors of the mas. Their historic defeat of the Baker resulted in a Commission of Enquiry and the right of the people to their celebrations.

 We celebrate Carnival today because of the fearless actions of these African Ancestors. In honour of their sacrifice, Eintou has decided to use the Kikongo word for procession, Kambule as the title of her play.

 In the words of the Playwright

My play Kambule pays tribute to our warrior ancestors of The Mas and brings their achievements to the attention of the entire society. The Carnival that we now take for granted was fought for by the former enslaved of the barrack yards, not only in Port of Spain but also in the East and South of the island. The riots of 1881 in Port of Spain were however the most significant.

In the light of the bombardment of all our youth with alien images and cultures, ‘Kambule’ says to our young people that you have much to claim and you have much of which you can be proud! Kambule reminds us that the African created a great deal despite enslavement. In the gayelle of existence, those ancestors fought inch by contested inch to clear a space for the manifestations of their culture; those manifestations whether remembered or forged in the crucible of the environment to which they had been forcibly transported.

Let us remember, as we face renewed assaults on The Mas in the form of bikini and beads and the growing trend towards the importation of costumes, that there is much to defend. Cultural Resistance should not be a phenomenon of the past.

Theatre and the Arts have a seminal role to play in rekindling ancestral memory and creating the positive self-image necessary both to deal with the now and to prepare ourselves for the challenges of the future.

I have dedicated this play to the pioneering work and research of Dr. Hollis Liverpool, the Mighty Chalkdust. It is just one of the offerings of my lifelong commitment to promoting and protecting the culture of the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

I hope that this production will stimulate the interest of the powers that be to making Kambule available to all young people across Trinidad and Tobago.

Ashe … Eintou

Cast of Kambule

Pierrot 1                                                          Muhammad Muwakil

Pierrot 2                                                          Sterling ‘Gamma’ Kent

Boisman/Maitre L’Ecole                                     Keon Francis

Chantwell                                                        Ken Alexis

Cariso Jane                                                     Camille Quamina

 Baby Doll                                                        Dara E. Healy

 Miss Edna, Elder                                              Eintou Pearl Springer


Musicians

Drummers

Chibale: Kayode Charles, Ajani Healy, Shomari Healy, Iremedi Charles

Xavier Phillp and Drummers

The Mayaro Tamboo Bamboo Section                                   

 

Creative and Technical Team

Director/Playwright                                        Eintou Pearl Springer

Production Management                                 Idakeda Group

Coordinators of Performing Groups                 Norvan Fullerton

                                                                   Louis McWilliams

                                                                   Tony Hall

 Stage Manager                                             Patrick Cambridge

 Sound Engineer/Lighting Technician                Victor Donawa

 Costume and Props Mistress                           Jennifer John

Check out the event invitation on our Facebook page, keep checking the site for more updates on Kambule 2010 and as always …

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