Founder of Creole Heartbeat Leroy “Wadix” Charles has announced that the death of Cultural Icon Desmond Delmance Marcel Moses also known as “Ras Mo” is a severe blow to the cultural fraternity in Dominica. Charles, who was speaking during a live interview on State-Owned Radio DBS this morning said the news was confirmed to him earlier by Sister Laurel.
“It is a severe blow for the cultural fraternity,” he said. “It is with real sadness that the cultural fraternity was struck this morning.”
He continued, “As a matter of fact, I was awakened by Sister Laurel who actually gave me the information and then called me to confirm that our friend, brother, a cultural elder and cultural icon, cultural stalwart, and Africanist poet, author, musician, drummer by extension, Ras Mo has gone…”
According to Charles, the late cultural icon also worked with the cultural division.
“Ras Mo was a real pillar, a real warrior, a real icon for culture in Dominica and the fraternity and Dominica has really lost a good one this morning and the cultural fraternity is really saddened by his death,” Charles stated. “This is a big one, a real hard one for us…”
Charles revealed that Ras Mo was scheduled to be in Dominica very soon.
“He was invited by the Nyabinghi family to actually host a major drumming program for African Day celebrations,” Charles revealed. “He was actually finalizing his return to the Naturel Isle.”
He described the late Ras Mo as someone who has done tremendous work for Dominica.
Furthermore, Charles stated that in 2021 and 2022, Ras Mo released a new version of artistic drumming poetry paying tribute to Dominica, ‘Waitikubuli Dominica’, and several other songs including’ Pawol’, ‘Mama Carnival’, ‘Fire Coming Down’, among others.
Ras Mo began hand drumming at the age of five and excelled at rhythms from the Eastern and French Creole Caribbean- (calypso, pike, kumina, nyabinghi, quadrille, lapo kabwit, bélé, yenvalo, gwoka etc).
He added folk styles and stories from other islands and Africa to his performance and teaching repertoires over the years.
Ras Mo was a poet, composer, singer, storyteller, teacher, and facilitator who used performing arts for violence prevention, gender and race equality, community building, and social justice.
He designed and led community and school programs in the United States, Canada, England, and the Caribbean and was a certified Remo HealthRhythms facilitator. He has published three books of poetry and two albums of music.
Dominica News Online (DNO) extends condolences to the family and friends of the late Cultural Icon, Ras Mo.
—
Oh, noooo. Was he sick? A cultural, giant and genuis was he. So sad, so sad. Condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. He’s returned to the ancestors.