CELEBRATING CULTURE!: AJA joined dancers on stage during the ‘Bussa Lives concert’ at Rock Hall Freedom Village on Saturday night.
Professor Dr. Pedro Welch, Chairman of Barbados’ Task Force on Reparations,
addressing the Bussa Lives concert.
Barbadians joined hands in honour of their ancestor during AJA’s performance.
‘Embrace your African heritage’
Rhythm poet Adisa ‘AJA’ Andwele is calling on Barbadian youth to embrace their African heritage.
“If you ask our school children about Bussa, they don’t have a clue. Samuel Jackman Prescod, they don’t have a clue… I have witnessed this for myself. There is a serious problem with the education system in Barbados,” he said.
AJA’s comments came during his energetic performance on Saturday night at the Freedom Monument, Rock Hall Freedom Village, St. Thomas.
The highly anticipated ‘Bussa Lives concert’ served as part of AJA’s apology. As a descendant of Robert Downes, one of the founders of Rock Hall, he is publicly apologising for the actions of the enslaved at Mount Wilton Plantation, who acted against the 1816 Bussa Rebellion. They were given money for doing so, and used it to purchase land to create the first free black village in Barbados at Rock Hall.
Accompanied by The ReEmergence Band, AJA expressed, “Right now, we have a generation of young people who don’t know who they are; they don’t know their history. They don’t have any pride in who they are and understand the struggle of those ancestors who paved the way for them.”
Professor Dr. Pedro Welch, Chairman of the Barbados’ Task Force on Reparations, told the gathering that General Bussa and his troops paid the ultimate price – the sacrifice of their lives in an attempt to bring freedom to people of African descent.
“We were not present to understand fully the psychology of oppression. What I can say to you is that we must celebrate those who paid the ultimate price. We must celebrate the General Bussa’s, we must celebrate the Nanny Grigg’s, we must celebrate the various other persons.
“We must stand and let the ancestors know that we honour their presence, we honour their success,” he further expressed.
The concert attracted scores of Barbadians, some for the first time visiting the Freedom Monument designed by Stanton Haynes. They also witnessed the event’s opening with a pouring of libation by Dr. Deryck Murray, Director of the Commission for Pan African Affairs, as well as performances from Riddim Tribe, Dancin’ Africa, the Israel Lovell Foundation, and the Haynesville Drummers. (TL)