Mansa Musa: The trail of lost gold – A theatrical odyssey at CARIFESTA XV

By Keira St Rose

Few performances at CARIFESTA XV have blended history, theatre, and cultural pride as seamlessly as Mansa Musa: The Trail of Lost Gold – The Prelude. The maiden event at the National Performance Art Theatre, this African theatrical masterpiece by Ghanaian playwright Chief Moomen transported audiences to 14th-century West Africa, retracing the life and times of the world’s richest man, Mansa Musa, the legendary emperor of Mali.

For many, the name Mansa Musa sparks fascination. Revered as one of the wealthiest rulers in history, his reign is remembered not only for gold and grandeur but also for his influence on trade, culture, and scholarship.

Under his leadership, the Mali Empire flourished, with Timbuktu becoming a centre for learning and art. It is this legacy that Trail of Lost Gold brings to life — and through a Caribbean lens, the production gains even deeper resonance.

Dance featured in the production. (Photos by Jevon Murray)

The prelude, performed by a fully Bajan cast who had been rehearsing for three months, unfolded like a tapestry of sights and sounds.

With a cast and crew of 150 from Ghana and Barbados, the production married African theatrical traditions with Caribbean artistry. The result was a work that felt both rooted in history and vibrantly contemporary.

From the very first scene, audiences were immersed in the grandeur of Mansa Musa’s court. Costumes dazzled in emerald greens, regal purples, brilliant blues, and shimmering gold, all colours symbolic of wealth, power, and spirituality. The precision of the design signalled a careful attention to detail, as if every fabric fold was chosen to remind us of the riches that defined Musa’s Mali.

Moments of theatre stood out with cinematic clarity. In one, a priest insists on whispering an urgent message only in Mansa Musa’s ear, and the emperor grants permission, a subtle act that revealed both intrigue and gravitas. In another, the audience was swept into the bustling hum of a West African marketplace. This scene, carefully staged, bristled with human detail: a missionary preacher praying loudly for donations while his assistant secretly stole from passersby, a police officer casually shopping, women gossiping, vendors calling out their fruits and vegetables for sale. It was a vivid, almost humorous tableau of community life, painting a portrait of society as layered as it was lively. You did not have to focus on the main characters of this play, as even the smallest character played a significant. This show was well conceived.

The choir powerfully chanted throughout the play.

Music and dance carried the production’s heartbeat. Songs were delivered with clarity and emotional weight, drawing applause at every turn. The performers stayed firmly in character, moving the narrative with confidence while the rhythms of African drums and the grace of choreography stitched the scenes together seamlessly.

What made the performance truly remarkable was its cultural resonance. Mansa Musa is not just about a West African emperor’s wealth, it is a reminder of Africa’s influence on the Caribbean, a connection across time and sea.

When the curtain closed, the audience responded with thunderous applause, many visibly moved by the spectacle and symbolism.

This was more than theatre; it was cultural memory come alive, an artistic bridge between Africa and the Caribbean.

The Trail of Lost Gold – The Prelude was not simply a retelling of history but a reimagining of identity. It reminded all present that our stories are richer than gold, and our heritage, like Mansa Musa’s empire, is an inheritance to be celebrated with pride, one which this reporter enjoyed every second, immensely.