The three photographs below are courtesy of the
Bermuda Government Department of Communication & Information
The origins of Bermuda's Gombey dancers can be traced to a mix of Afro-Caribbean and Native American influences. All of the body and faces of the dancers are covered to avoid identification, as slave-owners frowned upon the practice of their slaves participating as Gombeys.
Nowadays, Gombey troupes spring up on Bermuda's streets to perform and instantly attract an enthusiastic crowd who soon fall in-step and dance to the hypnotic beat of drums and bottle-whistles. The Gombeys are most often encountered on holidays such as Bermuda Day (May 24th), Boxing Day (December 26th) and Easter, but they can also be seen at other times.
