Roseau, Dominica: May 29, 2024 – The late Delmance Ras Mo Moses who died in the United States on April 25th, 2024, will be celebrated and remembered by his former colleagues of the Movement for Cultural Awareness (MCA) and the Eastern Caribbean Popular Theatre Organisation (ECPTO) and a host of friends from across the region and North America, this Sunday 2nd June, 2024, from 5:00 p.m.
Dubbed, Virtual Memorial Tribute to Ras Mo, the June 2nd event is expected to be a grand celebration to honor the memory of one of Dominica’s most enduring and highly celebrated writers, performance-poets, drummer, cultural worker, social justice activists and a pioneer in the use of popular cultural forms for national and regional development. The event will feature several of the colleagues with whom Ras Mo interacted and worked with over decades including poets, writers, cultural activists and members of the Rastafari community coming from Jamaica, Antigua, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Dominica as well as from Canada and the United States.
Ras Mo who spent most of his youth and adult life in the service of art and cultural development in Dominica and the region, is best known for his extraordinary talent as a drummer, performance poet, writer, cultural animator with the MCA and ECPTO, as well as a teacher and community builder in later years in the United States. His work as an artist was very well known throughout the Eastern Caribbean as well as in Jamaica. For many years he was one of the leading exponents of the popular theatre movement in the Eastern Caribbean, leading in the use of cultural forms to work with marginalized communities, youth, women, farmers, and other social sectoral groups.
Sunday’s Virtual Memorial by the former members of the MCA follows on a family organized memorial held at Point Mulatre, Delices, Ras Mo’s home community, last Sunday and which was attended by a large group of grieving relatives, friends and former colleagues. The Point Mulatre event highlighted the great spiritual, moral and artistic connection Ras Mo had with his home community, Dominica, the region and with his ancestors. In reminiscing on his tremendous contribution as a moral arbiter and a social and cultural giant, the gathering urged for this and future generations to hold on strongly to the spiritual and cultural significance of his work in building a modern and dynamic society.
As we reflect on the wisdom and artistic genius of Ras Mo, we wish that his work over the many decades especially as a writer, drummer, poet, problem-solver be instilled in the memories of future generations. He showed us that even some of the most complex societal issues and spiritual challenges can be overcome through collective actions, social organizing and the power of the arts and culture. Ras Mo’s legacy lies in his unwavering commitment to social justice, cultural renewal and his strong advocacy for moral leadership.
As the MCA honours Delmance Ras Mo Moses for his contribution to the social, cultural and political advancement of Dominica and the region, let us commit ourselves to building on his legacy. Let us carry forward his vision to ensure that we stay connected to our ancestors, that art and culture be more greatly integrated and connected to our present and future development, that we respect the contributions of individuals irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender of sexual orientation, and that we strive to build a more just and equitable society.
Persons wishing to join the celebrations can do so by logging onto the Live streaming Platform of Dominica News Online (DNO) as well as by joining zoom meeting at: Meeting ID: 817 4578 0207; Passcode: 282062
