Tobago: Emancipation Day to get going with thrilling Drum Show at street parade

Under the stirring theme “A People, a Nation, a Journey of the Drums to Freedom,” Tobago is set to celebrate African Emancipation Day with a vibrant street procession, followed by a grand stage show.

This year’s celebration, put together by the Tobago House of Assembly Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities, and Transportation, is interpreted already as one of the most powerful expressions of cultural heritage and community spirit.

Jessie Taylor, Cultural Officer, THA, told media that the focus on drumming this year, was intended following reasons. “The drum has always been a powerful icon in African traditions and, in slavery, the plantation era. The drum was not just a musical instrument. It was the voice of a people. It was the carrying force; it brought comfort to the people, in their most bare, naked form, and without drumming the people would go without some amount of comfort, so the drum was everything,”.

The theme and activities for this year continue the trajectory of honoring the historical legacy. “This year we start with the drums,” said Taylor.

He further expressed about the collaboration of the Tobago Drummers Association, which will see a special “drum explosion” to the Emancipation Day parade, which is also the closing event of the month-long Tobago Heritage Festival.

This event falls under the remit of the Culture Department, which forms a part of the THA Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities, and Transportation.

The street parade is expected to commence at 9 am from the Crown Point Colosseum and would stroll its way through the streets before terminating at the Store Bay Heritage Park. The spectacle is likely to throb with color and rhythm and announce freedom to all those in Tobago and the ones visiting the island.

He urged everyone to partake in the occasion, adding that Emancipation Day is that special time for reflection, regarding how far one has journeyed towards freedom, and to indulge in rich cultural traditions passed down through the ages. “There is no better opportunity to celebrate our freedom than on Freedom Day, Emancipation Day,” he said.

In the offering of such a unique platform, inter-generational knowledge sharing, community bonding, and collective celebration take place at the event.