By: Marcia Braveboy
April 14, 2023
A Caribbean author and two corporate sponsors have come together to rejuvenate the famous Caribbean ‘crick crack’ stories of Anansi, on the twin island of Trinidad and Tobago.
Anansi is one of the most popular folk tales in the history of Caribbean story telling, where story tellers begin their stories with the words: ‘crick crack’ and the audience responds: ‘break my back’…
New stories abounded over decades for a period of time in the hay day of Anansi story telling. And just when we thought those innovative writings got lost in the jungle of social media and technological video games, up comes T&T’s very passionate local author, Rubadiri Victor, pumping new life blood into the folklore tales of Anansi — with three books that promises a continuation of exciting reading about the adventures and tricks and treats of Anansi.
Already in the hands of hundreds of children are Victor’s two previous Anansi story books: Anansi and the 10 Dragons and Anansi and the Book of Night. There will also be the launch of Victor’s new ANANSI novel — ‘Anansi in the Land of Monsters and Other Stories’.
Victor said: “THE SEASON OF ANANSI is a month-long Folklore Festival to be held in April and early May, featuring a series of folklore – themed events, many surrounding the popular Caribbean Folklore hero and symbol of our Folkloric Heritage — Anansi, the trickster Spider.”
Republic Bank and National Flour Mills (NFM) are the two main sponsors helping to breathe life back into the Spirit of Anansi — that Caribbean folklore character that has helped developed solid foundations for Caribbean children for many years.
Michelle Johnson, who is Republic Bank’s Manager — Business Segment, said, “before the advent of Netflix, Disney or even Tik Tok, an engaging story teller was admired and our folklore characters like Anansi were cherished. Against this background, these stories and characters were born out of real-life experiences and are powerful, meaningful representations of the wisdom of past generations.”
Michelle Johnson, Marketing Manager, Business Segments, at Republic Bank in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
Johnson told Carib Mag Plus’s Marcia Braveboy that she is a lover of arts and culture and was concerned about who will keep exciting stories like Anansi, alive and who will help these folk tales travel far and wide? “You and me”, Johnson said in her presentation at the launch of “The Season of Anansi.”
At last Thursday”s launch (6th April), at the Cinema One IMAX Theatre at Woodbrook in Port of Spain, it was revealed that there will be a Children’s Folklore Fun Day, the launch of a new play, adapted from Victor’s book, Anansi and the Book of Night, for the public’s enjoyment, a School’s Storytelling Tour, “as well as boundary pushing ventures like the first steps towards an Anansi feature film, cartoon series, and audio-books”, Victor said.
Rubadiri Victor is the founder of Wire Bend Folklore Theatre and the Director of Passion Fruit Publishing. He told Carib Mag Plus that “this year’s inaugural Festival is dedicated to Mark Akini Nottingham — a former lead actor with Wire Bend Folklore Theatre who passed away earlier this year.
Rubadiri Victor, Multi-Media Artist working in 8 mediums; Curator, Cultural Activist, Creative Industries Consultant, Director at Passion Fruit Publishing Ltd and Wire Bend Folklore Theatre, and President of the Artists’ Coalition of Trinidad and Tobago.
Republic Bank’s Johnson said beyond the laughter, we learnt valuable lessons about morals and ethics and thinking innovatively in engaging with others from the stories coming out of Anansi. She said the bank is happy to partner with Passion Fruit Publishing and Wire Bend Folklore Theatre, to bring the spirit of one of the most well-known Caribbean folklore characters, Anansi ‘the trickster spider’ to life. “Even for Republic Bank, Anansi is a unique literary connection among all of the 14 territories in which we opetate, throughout the Caribbean and including Ghana. Originating in Ghana, Anansi’s tales have crossed to the Caribbean and similarly reflects the shared cultural ties among us”, Johnson said.
Wire Bend, Story End!