The grave of Jane Lovell, one of the last former enslaved people of Tobago, is marked with a bronze carving of the Sankofa: a mythical bird of West Africa. It’s one of several festival highlights drawing on traditions created by Tobagonians during the colonial era — performed not for the benefit of tourists but as a way for new generations to learn about their past: both their precolonial West African heritage and the resilience and ingenuity of enslaved people. I watch the dancers, mesmerised by the twisting feet, the pulse of drums, the shine of the beans and the vanilla notes of cacao that swell to fill the shimmering air.
Author: @NatGeoTravel
Published at: 2026-03-20 00:00:00
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