Selected News Clips

Thank you Dominica

By Ras Mo Moses

As my homeland celebrates its 30th year of political independence, the National Cultural Council of Dominica has bestowed upon me the highest cultural award, the Golden Drum. It's an elating experience that forces me to reflect on the people and opportunities that have helped me achieve what I've accomplished to deserve this honor.

My journey as cultural artist began in childhood, participating in work songs, drumming, and percussion in cassava mills and festivals in Delices, my village, and neighboring villages. We should never underestimate the power of our cultural forms. Essential to the experience are the adults who parent, mentor, and creating opportunities for children, youth and young adults.

Of notable mention is my mother, Catherine St Jean, who taught me the art of writing. She home-schooled me when the term home schooling wasn't yet in use. During my first year in high school, Phyllis Shand Allfrey published one of my short stories in The Star, a local newspaper she published and edited. Seeing my poetry in print turned a spark into a flame.

Opportunities to serve on the National Youth Council and its Cultural Committee played a major role in my development.. The mentorship of Alwin Bully and the training and performance opportunities with the Peoples Action Theater were of great value. Michael Bruney created a space for me to contribute to the technical aspects of theater and to tour with PAT. Waitikubuli Dance Company gave me a space to be me and helped me develop the art of drumming. Allowing me to experiment with performance poetry, Raymond Lawrence choreographed dances to my drumming and poetry. My confidence went through the roof. Peer support from Aquarian Expression Theater group inspired me to create performances that combined drama and poetry. My horizons were broadened and my vision became limitless.

The National Youth Council's Cultural Committee became the Movement for Cultural Awareness, a priceless gem in my life. Opportunities to train others were also opportunities to learn. I learned from the best folk artists on the island. While my main interest was African-derived drumming and dances, I also learned about the African interpretations of European art forms. At little or no cost, I became an expert on national cultural idioms. Partnerships with Karifouna Cultural group and others from the Carib Territory took me back to my indigenous roots and deepened my respect for the islands' first people. I can proudly say that I've worked in every hamlet, village and town as a performer, teacher, activist, facilitator, organizer or youth worker.

The Movement for Cultural Awareness (MCA) was part of the Eastern Caribbean Popular Theater Organization (ECPTO). Being a trainer for ECPTO took me to St Lucia, St. Vincent, Grenada, Barbados and Antigua. To teach the artists and community leaders there to use their own cultural forms as catalysts for action, I had to learn those cultural idioms. This was a wonderful opportunity to broaden my drumming repertoire, cultural knowledge, and teaching material. I learned cultural forms that even many nationals on these islands had not been exposed to. MCA in Dominica partnered with the Small Project Assistance Team (SPAT), to create a role for art and culture in civic engagement and development. We contributed to a national movement serving youth, cooperatives, farmers, women's organizations and churches.

The advent of cruise ship tourism in Dominica made it possible for cultural groups to perform year-round. The Point Michel Cultural group was a pioneer in this. I am proud to have been part of the genesis of that group, helping shape folk artists into professional performers.

My migration to North America has allowed me to use my Caribbean skills and expertise in venues from universities, to hospices, inner-city neighborhoods, and the United Nations in New York. I taught at the University of California, trained youth workers to use popular theatre, and produced my CD, Tchebe/Hold On and a musical hip-hop play about youth violence. I have written a new volume of poetry and an anti-violence curriculum built around my original songs and poems.

I have worked on HIV/AIDS prevention, gun and gang violence, women's issues, and immigration. I created the first carnival parade in New Haven, Connecticut and Drum City, which climaxed with a thousand drums. I've continued to hone my musicianship and performing. I've developed digital audio recording and production skills that now enable me to empower inner-city youth to do the same. This has produced amazing results. It is my dream to continue to do this around the world.

It's been a journey worth reviewing. What goes around comes around, so my focus has been to refocus on the cultural development of Dominica through training of youth. To this end I founded the Ralph Casimir and Orian Theophille Cultural Fund. The initial project brought together Dominican artists in the Diaspora in a compilation CD to raise funds for the sole purpose of arts education for Dominican youth.

Beside every successful man there is a powerful woman. I want to thank my wife Kathleen McAfee for her invaluable support over the years. Thanks to my children Mosi, Gammy, Amilka and Aminah and sisters Cheryl and Laurel. Thank you to my family and friends without whom I could not have come this far.

This award is for those artists who went before, unrecognized. Thank you, Dominica, for the gift of cultural expression that you have given to me. Many people far and wide around the world have shared this gift by being comforted, healed, inspired and energized. I love you, Dominica. I will be a proud Dominican for life.

Time to rhyme: Dub Poetry Festival

Anti-violence educator Ras Mo Moses walked into a youth detention facility in San Francisco a few years ago to find a group of hardened teens listening to nothing but hard-core rap. A lecture from a podium wasn't going to cut it with this crowd, he soon realized. "I needed to speak a language they understood," said Moses. (Full Article)

Fontaine's natural rhythm unbeatable

André Jebbinson, Staff Reporter, Jamaica Gleaner
February 4, 2007 - Dominican singer, Nasio Fontaine, is only one of the many artistes who reggae icon Bob Marley has influenced. Though he grew up in Dominica, he was still under the influence of the flow of the music into his consciousness and it lifted his energy. (Full Article)

Independence Pan Fistival, 2006

The Dominica National Steelband Association in collaboration with the National Cultural Council and the Division of Culture present the Independence Pan Festival, 2006 - Pan By The Bay. (Full Story)

Dominica's Quiet Giant - Mr. Edward André

Roseau, Dominica - Often one can look back in history and identify a single event, time and/or a single person whose presence, sacrifices and deeds were so enormous and critical to a movement, that we are simultaneously happily amazed and

frightened - at the fragility of the survival of subsequent dependant events and cultural occurrences. There are similar stories throughout the Caribbean of steelpan people who were the only entities that stood between life and death of the steelband movement in their midst. (Full Story)