Dressed in black with a long cape and a gorgeous oversized hat, performer Kurt Layne’s distinctive macabre suit blends influences from film depictions of the American wild west with West African culture. He creates an imposing figure as he struts along the path bringing to life a traditional Carnival character, the Midnight Bandit.
He recently performed at the Tobago Carnival, where he had the opportunity to share his story about staying safe during the pandemic. His performances aim to educate people to be individual.
“My mother passed away from COVID,” he said. “I would tell anyone, and especially those close to me, to stay on track to keep up with COVID protocols.”
“Pow pow, I shot COVID,” he declared, attracting the attention of a group of children with his ‘Robber Talk’.
Midnight bandit, Kurt Layne, shares information about COVID safety procedures at the Tobago Carnival.
Kurt Layne’s ominous delivery uses his character’s best verbal skills and energetic delivery to deliver a message of hope and optimism to his young listeners.
“Join hands with us; Let’s do our part together and we’ll be off to a great start for sure!”
The twin island republics of Trinidad and Tobago are severely affected by COVID-19 pandemic. More than 4,300 people have died from the disease, and an economy that relies heavily on oil and gas production has been affected by a sharp drop in fuel demand during the global lockdown.
The Caribbean nation reopened to public gatherings in April 2022, and six months later the inaugural Tobago Carnival was held on the smaller of the two, where Kurt Layne and other traditional festival lovers perform.
Dame Lorraine, a glamorous woman with exaggerated sensual curves, is one of the traditional mas (short for carnival) figures found in carnivals in the Caribbean.
Played by Lesley-Ann Ellis, the character performs provocative dance moves in costumes inspired by 18th and early 19th century French colonial planters.
Dame Lorraine is not involved in lengthy social commentary but in this case, Lesley-Ann Ellis included a calypso song in the traditional dance to focus on encouraging people to continue to wash their hands and wear a protective mask.
“This must end should cough in your sleeve; keep your distance, let this virus go.
Both performers work with the Verified Initiative developed by the United Nations with the support of the social impact agency Purpose to fight misinformation about COVID-19 and provide reliable, life-saving information and fact-based advice about the disease.
In Trinidad and Tobago, under the guidance of the United Nations Information Center for the Caribbean – based in the Port of Spain – Purpose worked with local stakeholders such as the Lower Tobago Institute to deliver messages appropriate to the national cultural context.
A cinematographer filmed Verified Initiative Carnival performers in Tobago.
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Word-of-mouth is a perfect fit for learning about COVID-19.
Students at Signal Hill High School in Tobago worked with the Verified Initiative to develop a message that encourages COVID-19 vaccination.
Student, Clorysa Gill explained how the performance, known as the “speech band,” can draw crowds. “When you say, ‘stop, bow, Mr. Fiddler,’ the way you tone your voice and the tone of your voice, it can tell you that people are listening to my speech.
Those pro-vaccination and anti-misinformation messages will resonate at the biggest cultural festival on the twin islands, Trinidad and Tobago Carnival. The event, which brings together 1.5 million residents of the archipelago and attracts thousands of international visitors, will take place for the first time since 2020, on February 20-21.
Liliana Garavito Canon, Director of the United Nations Information Center for the Caribbean, said: “Festivals like the one held in Tobago are the ideal setting to reach as many people as possible with your message. Verified campaign.
She added: “Among the many positive messages, there is one that says health and celebration can coexist. “People just need to act on accurate information to protect themselves and not get COVID-19.”
