From Mugen to Mansa: What CARIFESTA is Teaching me

So... it's 4am and true confession time: Up until a few months ago, I had never heard of Mansa Musa. Not in school (and trust me, I went long and often), not in my grown-up reading, not even in random trivia arguments on WhatsApp. Nothing and when I fi nally learned about him, I felt like a real, real mugen. Here was this 14th-century West African emperor richer than anyone alive today who used his wealth not for ego, but for elevation.

He built cities, schools, mosques, trade networks, and knowledge hubs. He made a pilgrimage to Mecca so impactful it literally shifted global economies. And somehow... I had never heard his name that I could easily recall. But that's the beautiful, humbling part of working on CARIFESTA XV, I'm constantly learning. About history, identity, people and of course myself. Whether it's learning to read a room, cultural nuance, or just how many WhatsApp groups one person can survive, this journey is stretching me. It's teaching me and it's preparing me. Now picture this: Mansa Musa: The Rise of an African King coming to the Barbadian stage not just as a visiting production we politely applaud but as a shared creation.

A co-production with a mixed cast of African and Barbadian performers, standing together, breathing life into a story that belongs to all of us. That, my friends, is the very heart of what CARIFESTA is about. And this kind of magic wouldn't be happening without the creative powerhouse behind the theatre programme, Rashida Brereton. A massive, Lil Rick-style big hail to Rashida, who has been building a dynamic, thoughtful, and daring theatre experience for this festival. Not just one or two shows, but a full programme that uplifts regional voices, experiments with form, and creates space for us to be seen. Rashida is making sure theatre lives and breathes at CARIFESTA. And this particular story, this Mansa Musa story is hitting me hard because in the midst of the late nights, long meetings, ending emails that I and we need to hear this: I am and we are brilliant before the boats, before the chains, before the silence.

These are the stories we need to tell together. With just days to go before the parade of nations at the Opening Ceremony, I'm getting daily goosebumps, I'm deeply humbled. Humbled to be witnessing this kind of creative collaboration between Africa and the Caribbean. So yes, I started this journey a little mugen. But now? I'm walking with more knowledge, more pride, and a full heart. Because what we're doing here, it's bigger than theatre. It's a reminder that greatness is in our DNA. Mansa Musa: The Rise of an African King is coming to Barbados. The story is global and the cast is powerful. Check out our website at www.carifesta.net to save the dates.

#frommugentomansa #carifestaxv #voicenotesfromthevillage

Written by Kim Butcher

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