The rhythm of drums echoed through Hamilton yesterday as troupes from across the island came together for the Gombey Unity March.

The event drew a huge crowd on Victoria Street as people gathered to watch the spectacle outside the Ex-Artilleryman’s Association.

Harley Place, of Warwick Gombeys, said that he had heard calls from the public for the event to return after a previous unity march was held in 2023.

“This is something people have asked about,” Mr Place said. “We have done it before and they wanted to have it recreated, so we thought now was the perfect time to bring back that unity march and have all the Gombeys we can get out.

“I said that if someone has regalia in their closet for 15 years, put it on and get out tonight.

“It’s a quick two hours out on the road with everyone together, one mass group having fun, and that will lead us into Sunday for a brunch where we will sit down and break bread as one culture.”

Mr Place said that most of the island’s Gombey troupes were represented at the event, including the Gombey Warriors.

He added that the event was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate Bermudian culture and bring together the island’s young people.

“Tonight is about the kids and keeping these kids locked into the culture,” Mr Place said.

“It takes a village. To keep this culture thriving is to keep Bermudian culture at the forefront of who we are.

“With so many things happening in the world, we can forget as a culture who we are, what we do, the significance we hold.”

Mr Place said that for young people, being involved with the Gombeys was about more than dancing as it also encourages discipline and builds a sense of community.

“Gombeys are more than just guys running around the street,” he said. “We have firemen here, we have lawyers, we have doctors now who used to be Gombeys.

“I don’t think we fully appreciate the significance that the culture holds in playing an important role in these people’s lives.”

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