MORIAH SHINES BRIGHT AT OLE TIME WEDDING

  by Onica Dick (The Poetess Neki)


The Tobago Heritage Festival was first held in 1987. It is generally held annually over a two-week period and basically highlights Tobago's cultural traditions. We see various stage productions, sample local tasty food, hear traditional songs in different villages across the island. The theme for this year's Tobago Heritage Festival is Time Longer Than Twine.


Pic 1. ALL SMILES-This year's groom Lyndon Lashley with bride Tamia Palmer and Chief Bride Nikiesha Augustine Phillips 
Photo Credit: Bianca 


Pic 2. The beautiful bride greets guests at the 'Cake and Wine' at the Moriah Community Centre 

Pic 3. Deryck Brathwaite aka Brother B -Host of Tobago Channel 5- Morning Show was a participant in this year's Ole Time Wedding.


I grew up in Highlands Road in the village of Moriah. I attended the Moriah Government Primary School from 1985 to 1992. However, as a child I never got to experience much of the Ole Time Wedding even though I lived in the village. I was not allowed to attend, and my mother had no interest in it. In 1993, at the start of my teen years, I was sent to live in another part of Tobago. However, it is only when I became an adult, I started experiencing the Ole Time Wedding because I made up my mind to go to the activities. I have not gone every year but for the last three years, I have visited. Every year I visit I am able to see many of my Primary school and classmates, family and others I know quite well who also participate in the production.

Video 1 - Street procession vibes of the Moriah Ole Time Wedding


The Moriah Ole Time Wedding, considered as one of the main events on the Tobago Heritage Festival calendar tends to attract quite a lot of spectators including villagers, other Tobagonians, our fellow citizens from Trinidad, regional and international visitors.


Pic 4. Another participant in this year's Ole Time Wedding who has been dancing since he was a child. He carries on the tradition.

This year’s edition took place on Saturday (July 19, 2025). The procession went through the streets of Moriah. They stopped for Cake and Wine at the Moriah Community Centre and then they showcased extra dancing skills at Broad Road Junction. The procession then made its way for the stage production and speeches at the Moriah Recreation Ground.

Vid 2. - Members of the Ole Time Wedding bridal party dance along the streets of Moriah



Vid 3. -The dancing steps are a significant aspect of the Moriah Ole Time Wedding 


Vid 4 - Ole Time Wedding participants showcase their extra dancing skills


Vid 5. Former THA Secretary Kwesi Des Vignes who played Massa and his wife show their full dancing moves 


Vid 6. The last of the street procession as they make their way down to Moriah Recreation Grounds for the stage production

There were some showers of blessings, but this did not hinder the festive atmosphere of it all. I was able to capture some of the moments.
 This year, I did not see the actual stage production because I left the procession to visit one of my friends in the village who kept a small 'lime' or gathering at his home which involved music and food. 

This is another aspect of the Moriah Ole Time Wedding; there are those who operate in similar fashion to harvest time; they cook food and invite persons to their homes. 


Pics 5 & 6. -Traditional food is part of the Tobago Heritage Festival; this shows the meal of provision, pork and bush meat which I enjoyed at one of my friend's homes in Moriah on the occasion of Ole Time Wedding


Congratulations Moriah on another excellent production. See you in 2026.

Comments

  1. GhanAugust 9, 2025 at 11:04 AM

    Good blog post.I want to thank you for interesting and helpful information and I like your point of view. The Fontainebleau is such a legendary spot. We did a bachelorette party there last spring and it turned into a full weekend blur of champagne, cabanas, and late-night madness. Total bucket list hotel.check this out

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Zelous The Superstar

Image
 By Onica Dick aka Neki I am thankful for the opportunity to continue to put out articles on this Blog page. I am thankful to the artistes and other individuals who give of their busy time to sit and have a conversation with me. I recently met with the young, rising talented Tobago artiste Zelous. The article below gives some details about our conversation. The 6th of four boys and three girls, Shakir ‘Zelous’ John is extremely gifted and intelligent.   Zelous is making his mark in the music industry in Tobago and beyond. He spent his formative years in Canaan/Bon Accord and is still a resident of the area. His days growing up were favourable and his best childhood memory is that of visiting England in 2014 and seeing how large the airplanes were compared to Caribbean Airlines. The 21-year-old is a past pupil of the Bon Accord Government Primary School and the Scarborough Secondary School. He remembers Sir Smart as his favourite teacher at primary school and Ms. Thompson Wil...
Read more

Still The Same Kahlil

Image
                                               By Onica Dick aka Neki   It took some time before he was able to sit and have a conversation with me. However, when he was able to, he certainly did not disappoint. Born and bred in L’Anse Fourmi, in the vicinity of the oldest legally protected rainforest in the Western Hemisphere, Calvern ‘Kahlil’ Hernandez, the second of five siblings is a multi-talented creative.   Photo 1. Calvern 'Kahlil' Hernandez  “When I was young, I wanted to be a chef; I like cooking smoked bones. However, as I got older, I realized that my calling was more than cooking. There was an entrepreneurial side in me that was waiting to come alive because I had lots of business venture ideas.” The past pupil of L’Anse Fourmi Primary School, St Patrick Anglican and Signal Hill Comprehensive says that his days of growing up w...
Read more