What is Moko Jumbie?

What is Northern Jumbies?

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What is Moko Jumbie?

Moko Jumbie is a stilt-walking figure central to Caribbean Carnival masquerades, embodying a protective spirit derived from West African traditions transported via the transatlantic slave trade. Performers balance on wooden stilts reaching up to twelve feet high, wearing costumes that conceal the body.

"Moko" referring to a West African deity or healer and "Jumbie" denoting a spirit in Creole folklore. Originating among enslaved Africans in regions like Trinidad and Tobago and the Virgin Islands, the character historically served as a guardian warding off malevolent forces through ritual dance, a role that evolved from sacred rites to festive spectacle while retaining symbolic ties to ancestral resilience.

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A tall traditional Moko Jumbie with a colorful mask, long colorful costumes, holding the Canadian flag standing outdoors with trees and bushes in the background.

What is Northern Jumbies?

Northern Jumbies is a Moko Jumbie arts collective based in Toronto, Canada, dedicated to carrying this Caribbean tradition into new cultural spaces. We offer workshops, performances, and educational programming that celebrate the history and spirit of Moko Jumbie.

Through our work, Northern Jumbies ensures Caribbean culture thrives in the diaspora, while fostering pride, creativity, and connection within Black and Caribbean communities. We create opportunities for people of all ages to engage with this living tradition through community partnerships and hands-on workshops

A group of young women standing near a chain-link fence in an outdoor area, possibly a park or sports court, with trees in the background and a clear sky above.

Culture.
Celebration.
Preservation.

  • We have built a digestible yet true-to-history way to preserve and pass along the Moko Jumbie's story for all ages, groups, and demographics. Northern Jumbies wouldn't exist without the symbolisms and cultural significances that predate us all. We aim to preserve Moko Jumbie in their original roles: our protectors and storytellers.

  • We wish to bring more access and representation for our rich Caribbean traditions to the diasporic communities of Ontario. We want to properly bring a familiarity of the Caribbean heritage to people, as well as giving authenticity to those encountering them for the first time.

  • We offer a safe and inclusive space to unapologetically celebrate culture and find community.

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