Mayo Ya, the celebration of life, fertility and hope for the coming harvest on the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua

The population of the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua reflects the multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-lingual origins of its peoples. From the 16th century onwards waves of migration of Africans, (escaped slaves from the Caribbean), the British, the Dutch, the Germans, the Spanish and North Americans led to repression and marginalisation of indigenous population.

However, all these groups contributed to the fusion that has became the Caribbean May Pole celebrations. Is it of Celtic, ancient Egyptian or Germanic origin? ‘The only thing that we can say for certain, ‘ according to social historian Donovan Brautigam, ‘is that May Pole has a universal origin.’

The flora, the weather, and the multiple customs of the Caribbean Coast merged creating a whole new take on an age-old celebration. The original Maypole of the Caribbean carries rhythms based on instruments such as a coconut grater, donkey jawbone, tortoiseshell, washing tub, hand drums, maracas, guitar, banjo, accordion and violin.

The traditional genre of Maypole music is calypso and soca, popular in the English-speaking islands of the Caribbean. Some are traditional songs from Nicaragua such as ‘Sing Simon Sing My Love’, ‘Lost His Key’, ‘Launch Turn Over’, and ‘Come Down Breda Willy’. Others are songs of English origin such as ‘London Bridge is falling down’ and ‘Doing the Lambeth walk’.

‘Judith Drowded’ the song about spreading fake news

There are many people who speak and announce without checking the facts. The thing is that they announced that Judith had drowned and it turns out she was alive in her bed at home. In the song the soloist is questioning the legitimacy of the fake news against a chorus convinced that it’s true.

CHORUS: Somebadi se Judith drownded SOLOIST: Judith no drownded Judith da bed CHORUS: Somebadi se Judith drownded SOLOIST: Ho se Judith drowded? CHORUS: Somebadi se Judith drownded SOLOIST: Where were you when Judith drownded CHORUS: Somebadi se Judith drownded..

Mayo Ya belongs to everyone

Until 1979 Palo de Mayo was mainly celebrated by black Creole communities in Bluefields, Pearl Lagoon, Corn Island and Bragman’s Bluff in Bilwi. But as part of the government’s Caribbean Coast autonomy process after the triumph of the Sandinista Revolution in 1979, the celebrations took the name Mayo Ya (the goddess of rain) a celebration for all ethnic groups of the Caribbean. Many of the songs are testimonies and denunciations of injustices that communities of the Caribbean have suffered throughout history.

Mayo Ya is an intercultural celebration of fertility, life, the coming rains bringing together all the peoples of the Caribbean: Miskito, Garifuna, Creole, Rama, Mestizo and Afro- descendant peoples in events that incorporate music, dance, food, art, and craft.

Carlos Rigby, an Afro-Caribbean poet from the black Creole community of Pearl Lagoon.

Carlos, who died in 2017, wrote in Creole, standard English and Spanish but his poems and writings are also intertwined with invented words and tongue twisters reflecting the sounds and concepts of the Caribbean oral story telling tradition.

This is an excerpt from his poem ‘If I were May’

..in the middle of the May Pole wheel

with my rain dance

and my solitude

a dance for the first rains of spring

and in the end

it is through the new green

that the voice of the people is heard yelling from high atop the May Pole: May, oh May, most faithful month.

An opportunity to enjoy Mayo Ya yourself!

From 21 May – 2 June Casa Benjamin Linder are organising a cultural tour to the Autonomous Region of the Caribbean Coast to coincide with Mayo Ya celebrations.

The tour will take spend two weekends in Bluefields, culminating in the Mayo Ya celebrations which include marching bands, dancing in the streets, parades and a poetry festival. During the week, participants will visit Orinoco and the Garifuna community and will also take a trip to the Pearl Keys with white sand beaches in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean.  The cost is $1600 per person all inclusive (excludes airfare). Further information: casabenlinder@gmail.com