Dressed in black with a flowing cape and extravagantly oversized hat, performer Kurt Layne’s distinctively macabre ensemble blends influences from film depictions of the American Wild West with West African culture. He cuts an imposing figure as he struts down a street, bringing to life a traditional carnival character, the midnight robber.
He recently performed at the Tobago Carnival where he took the opportunity to share his story of staying safe during the pandemic. His achievement aimed at educating people was personal.
“My mother had died from COVID,” he said. “I would advise everyone and especially those close to me to always stay on track to keep up with COVID protocols.”
“Pow pow, I shot COVID dead,” he declared, catching the attention of a group of kids with his “Robber Talk.”
Midnight Robber, Kurt Layne shares information on COVID safety protocols at Tobago Carnival Festival.
Kurt Layne’s ominous performance draws on the best of the character’s oral skills and energetic delivery to convey a message of hope and optimism to his young listeners.
“Give us your hand; Everyone contributes their part and we will certainly have a great start!”
The twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago was dramatically impacted COVID-19 Pandemic. Over 4,300 died from the disease and the economy, largely based on oil and gas extraction, suffered as demand for fuel collapsed during the global lockdown.
The Caribbean nation reopened to public gatherings in April 2022 and six months later, the first Tobago Carnival was launched on the smaller of the two islands, where Kurt Layne and other traditional festival favorites performed.
A seductress with exaggeratedly voluptuous curves, Dame Lorraine is another of the traditional mas (short for masquerade) characters found at Caribbean Mardi Gras celebrations.
Played by Lesley-Ann Ellis, the character performs provocative dance moves in costumes inspired by French colonial plantation owners of the 18th and early 19th centuries.
Dame Lorraine is not associated with extensive social commentary, but in this case Lesley-Ann Ellis is working a calypso song into the traditional dance to focus on encouraging people to keep sanitizing hands and wearing protective masks .
“This thing has to end, so cough up your sleeve; Keep your distance, let this virus go away.”
Both performers collaborated with the Verified Initiative, developed by the United Nations with support from the Social Impact Agency Purpose Combat disinformation about COVID-19 and provide trusted, life-saving information and fact-based advice about the disease.
In Trinidad and Tobago, Purpose, led by the United Nations Information Center for the Caribbean, based in Port of Spain, worked with local stakeholders such as the Tobago House of Assembly to deliver messages relevant to the national cultural context.
A videographer films Verified Initiative carnival performers in Tobago.
Oral Traditions
Oral histories are perfect for conveying COVID-19 information.
Students at Signal Hill Secondary School in Tobago worked with the Verified Initiative to develop messages calling for vaccination against COVID-19.
Student Clorysa Gill explained how the performance known as ‘Speaker Tape’ can captivate an audience. “When you say, ‘Stop it, Mr. Fiddler,’ the way you project your voice and the tone you say, that might tell you, OK, people are listening to my speech now.”
These vaccination and anti-disinformation messages will resonate at what is arguably the largest cultural festival in the Twin Islands, the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival. The event, which brings together the islands’ 1.5 million residents and attracts thousands of international visitors, will take place on February 20-21 for the first time since 2020.
“Carnivals like the one in Tobago are the ideal setting for reaching large numbers of people with the Verified campaign’s messages,” said Liliana Garavito Canon, director of the United Nations Information Center for the Caribbean.
“Among the many positive messages is one that says health and celebration can coexist,” she added. “Everyone just needs to act based on accurate information to protect themselves and stay free from COVID-19.”
