Tobago Ole Time Wedding Re-enactment Draws Crowds In Moriah

[00:00:01][music] >> This Tobago old-time wedding has been reenacted by the village of Moriah for the past 39 years. It is the only village that has consistently [music] displayed an aspect of culture for the Tobago Heritage Festival since its inception in 1987.

[00:00:19]CEO of the Tobago Festivals Commission, George Cowan, describes [music] it as a trademark event for the festival.

[00:00:25]>> The Moriah experience is one of the unique unique heritage experience that everybody looks forward to. And today, like no other, we see the crowd, we see the people, we see the interaction, and we happy for this kind of numbers. Tells us that we doing something right.

[00:00:42]>> For Ingrid John [music] Jack, a stalwart of the wedding reenactment, said, "Seeing the passion of the young people [music] toward preserving the tradition fills her with pride."

[00:00:52]>> When you first started, you would never get so much >> [music] >> young persons. Mostly used to be the adults.

[00:00:59]And then the young persons who started come involved in it.

[00:01:03]And here we are, as you can see for yourself, the little ones can't even walk properly and they want to be a part of it. And some we had to turn them back because it was too much.

[00:01:15]>> This year's edition of the Tobago old-time wedding featured a look at what it was like to get the bride ready for her big day. Members of the family would start cooking and cleaning the home while the elders assisted in dressing the bride coupled with a healthy dose of marital advice.

[00:01:33]Now the bride is ready and they are off to the church for the nuptials. All while the village maco did her best to cast doubt about the bride's virtue and the groom's morality. After the wedding ceremony, the procession begins. Women dressed in colorful frocks and men in top hats and scissor-tail coats dancing their way through the streets.

[00:01:55]One dance is the brush back, Three steps forward and two steps back symbolizing the challenge and road of life. Then they dance to the Tobago jig and the Congo ballet. All accompanied by the energy of the tambrin and fiddle.

[00:02:11]For one of the male dancers in the bridal [music] party, Lyndon Lashley, it is a sense of pride to be a part of the portrayal.

[00:02:19]>> It's something that's of a nostalgic kind of um experience cuz it's like you're being a part of what used to be in years past and to now being at it now and to also not only learn about it myself, but to then now educate others who may not know about it. It It gives me a sense of pride being being a Tobagonian.

[00:02:44]>> For visitors, it is an exhilarating experience following the processions from the church to the community center for wine and cake and then to the reception.

[00:02:54]>> Oh my, it's amazing. It's beautiful. I said to a lot of people today, this is what we need to be doing. We need to hold our culture. We need to honor it and embrace it.

[00:03:06]And the fact that this reenactment is happening still today, this is so important. This is living archive.

[00:03:12]>> I think that Moriah is the best place in the world. This is so much fun and it's beautiful to see the culture, the history and everything that's happening.

[00:03:19]Everybody's so welcoming. It's like you're really part of a wedding in the old days. So, thank you for doing this festival.

[00:03:26]>> After being impressed with it a year ago, Hayden Gonzales decided he had to bring his mom to experience it as well.

[00:03:33]>> Traditional, you know what I mean? I wanted to come and see the dance. You know, the old cake, the wine, the whole how they did it back in the day and a lot of the costumes that they're wearing.

[00:03:42]>> It's really brought back a lot of memories from the old time.

[00:03:47]>> Next year the Tobago Heritage Festival turns 40 and the village of Moriah is planning to celebrate it with their most elaborate portrayal yet of the Tobago old time wedding. Candace Shakson, TT News.

[00:04:01]>> [music]