Bajan character brought to life in new animated

“Ossie Moore was a real man born in Layne’s Gap, Payne’s Bay, St James…”

Those are the opening words to a new, local animated series featuring jokes attributed to the Barbadian legend based on the book Ossie Moore, written by folklorist G Addinton Forde.

The series was created and produced by DAMARQ Communiqué in association with the Division of Culture in the Prime Minister’s Office. DAMARQ, a local production company also created and produced the Route10 series in 2016.

That series was based on The St Philip Book, also written by G Addinton Forde and was in recognition of the island’s 50th anniversary of independence.

It featured the narrator character Scrappy, voiced by Tony Thompson and told stories about the eastern parish including ‘Wha Paddy Shot At,’ which explained the meaning of the popular Bajan saying.

The Ossie Moore series showcases seven jokes found in Forde’s book and are either a strange twist in logic, an inability to appreciate figurative language or just plain corny. His daughter Dale Forde, co- owner of DAMARQ said the aim of the Route10 Project is to popularise indigenous history and heritage in a way that is relatable.

“A lot of young people have never heard of Ossie Moore and a lot of them are not going to go in a book to find him or learn about him, so we created the animations so that his story can reach as many people as possible,” she said.

Thompson, a veteran broadcaster and creative said the series is timely.

“Animation is the way to go. I think it is the perfect space to be in, especially during these times with the COVID-19 pandemic. This animated series really pays great respect to the Bajan art form,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ishiaka McNeil, the voice of Ossie Moore said embracing heritage and culture is definitely important.

“I see the animations as a restoration of our history, especially for generations who probably never heard of Ossie Moore. We get to know more about our culture and we get to laugh as well,” he said.

The Ossie Moore series was animated by Carla Bellot and can be found on the social media platforms for the Route10 Project. The series is also being aired on the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

A companion to the animations is a 54-page Activity Book which includes information about Ossie Moore, his family and the parish of St James where he was born and lived. Children five years and older can colour, answer Maths questions, spell, do word searches and play games.

The book is available at Cloister Bookstores and from DAMARQ. (PR)