Bois Man

Stick fighting is one of the ritual practices that was retained by diasporic Africans and dates to the 1700s in Trinidad and Tobago. Men and women duel with “bois”(sticks) in Gayelles or rings. The battle is accompanied by drumming and singing the singing of 'lavways', with the stick fighters moving in a dance-like motion.

The dance is known as Kalinda and was brought to the Caribbean plantations by our African ancestors. The singers or “Chantuelle” carry songs to engage with the crowd and to bolster the fighter.

The Canboulay Riots brought a ban to stick fighting in 1880. In 1937, it was reintroduced in the setting of competitions and is currently a staple of our annual Carnival celebrations. Stick fighting was an important part of the celebrations after the emancipation from slavery. This is a retained art form that is linked to enslaved peoples' resistance and African spirituality.

These images are part of a series of projects where I explore the retained practices of diasporic Africans in the Caribbean. The Chantuelle in this series is embodied by the silhouette in red, who is both the motivator and reminder of the outcome of a battle.

These retained aspects of our history conjure up our ancestors’ survivorship. It connects us to the unconscious self, allowing us to understand our response to the dialogue between our past and our future.