Gombey

The tradition & historical record

The Gombey is an iconic symbol of Bermuda, a cultural expression full of colorful and intricate masquerade, dance, and drumming. This folk tradition reflects the island's blend of African, Caribbean and British cultures with Indigenous influences. Dancers are usually men and perform in groups of 10 to 30 though in modern times women's groups have emerged. The traditions have been passed down orally from one generation to the next within families. The captains of each troupe determine the troupe's style and direction. Subtle but distinct differences emerged between troupes in beats, dances, costumes, headdresses, by which each troupe can each be recognized. ¹

Historically, the Gombeys were not viewed as a respectable art form by the island's ruling class and were banned by the slave masters. Enslaved people were allowed to dance only once a year and did so in masks in order to protest, without fear of retribution, the injustices done them by their slave masters. In an article from The Royal Gazette newspaper posted on January 10, 1831, a reward is being offered for the return of two slaves by the names of Ajax and Mentor who went off without a cause at Christmas, following that Idolatrous procession the Gumba. It is hoped that this late nuisance, the Gumba and other clamorous puppet shows of the Negroes, will meet the attention of all men of reflection that they be suppressed – as none but the worst or most ignorant Negroes follow such ridiculous shows." Henceforth Gombey tradition is at its liveliest during the Christmas season, customarily performed during Boxing Day, where the troupes would march the whole day around the island with crowds of followers. Additional performances take place on Easter, New Year's Day, Bermuda Day, and in modern times at football and cricket matches and other festivals and celebrations. ¹

The word Gombey is related to the Bahamian Goombay, a similar musical tradition (though lacking costume and dance elements). It also refers to a specific drum of African origin (see List of Caribbean drums). In addition to the Bahamian Goombay tradition, Gombey is similar to some other Afro-Caribbean and other styles and celebrations (such as the Mummers and Morris dance). In Bermuda, Gombeys are seen more as dancers than musicians, with ritualised costumes, accoutrements, and the steps of a war dance that were recognised by Wampanoag dancers, whereas in the West Indies the term applies to a musical tradition not normally accompanied by dance. Cultural continuity would be expected not only with other British or formerly British territories in the Americas, but also with Latin America. Africans and people of African ancestry who formed part of Bermuda's 17th-century founding population came primarily from former Spanish colonies as free but indentured servants in the seventeenth century (until the terms of indenture were raised from seven to ninety-nine years as a discouragement). Most arrived as Spanish-speaking Catholics but later acculturated as English-speaking Protestants. Smaller numbers of slaves, many of African birth, were also captured from the Spanish and other enemies, survived shipwrecks on Bermuda's reef line, or were deliberately imported, and were sold in Bermuda. The Spanish were not heavily involved in the enslavement of Africans for the trans-Atlantic slave trade, instead primarily purchasing enslaved Africans from the Portuguese and Arabs, both of whom enslaved Africans in southern Africa, from Angola to Zanzibar. ¹

This was understood from the written record, and confirmed in 2009 by a genetic survey, which looked exclusively at the Black (or, rather, "mixed race") population of St. David's Island (as the purpose of the study was to seek Native American haplogroups, which could be assumed to be absent from the white population) that consequently showed that the African ancestry of Black Bermudians (other than those resulting from recent immigration from the British West Indian islands) is largely from a band across southern Africa, from Angola to Mozambique, which is similar to what is revealed in Latin America, but distinctly different from the Blacks of the British West Indies and the United States. 68% of the mtDNA (maternal) lineages of the Black islanders were found to be African, with the two most common being L0a and L3e, which are sourced from populations spread from Central-West to South-East Africa. These lineages represent less than 5% of the mtDNA lineages of Blacks in the United States and the English-speaking West Indies. They are, however, common in Brazil and the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America. L3e, by example, is typical of !Kung-speaking populations of the Kalahari, as well as of parts of Mozambique and Nigeria. The modern nation where it represents the highest percentage of the population is actually Brazil, where it represents 21% of mtDNA lineages. 31% of the mtDNA lineages of Blacks in Bermuda are West Eurasian (European), with J1c being the most common. ¹

In addition to the bass, or "Mother" drum, typically home-made the modern Bermudian Gombey is distinguished by the use of the snare drum (generally in pairs), derived from the British use of the instrument. In addition, a kettle drum and a fife are integral parts of Gombey accompaniment; whistles are used by leaders to issue commands. The snare drummers play complicated riffs over the steady pulse of the mother drum, often employing call and response patterns, and striking the rim of the snare, as well as the skin. The result is an exhilarating, intoxicating, rhythmic mix which provides the impulse (or impetus) for both the dancers as well as the followers, with the snare drum patterns driving the body of the movement and the rimshots communicating with the dancer's feet. ¹

Gombey's costumes cover their bodies from head to toe and are decorated with tassels, mirrors, bells, and other small items and symbols. The peacock feather headdresses, the painted masks, and the capes are distinguishing features of Gombey costumes. Many adornments of the costumes as worn today rely on modern materials or items, such as the Asian peacock feathers, that would have been hard or impossible to come by before the 20th century, but there is little record of the original costume worn, so how it has changed since the 19th century can only be guessed at. Susette Harriet Lloyd in 1835 (see below) described them using "plentiful bedaubing of red and yellow paints, scarlet cloth, flowers and ribbons", but made no reference to the design of their clothing or the use of feathers. Although the Gombeys have enjoyed a remarkable shift in social status, going from a marginalized group to now appearing on postage stamps and performing overseas, there are still today old laws in place that prevent Gombeys from performing in the streets of Hamilton without permits. ¹

The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Gombey”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. ¹

Gombey is Bermudian masquerade dance tradition, according to the structured record cited below. This entry was generated automatically from that record and has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition. ²

The source record links this tradition to 1 external register, which can be verified through the citation. ²