My Interview with Princess Moreme Shashu Harvey

Last weekend, I had the privilege of spending time with a very special individual, one who has a vital role to play and a positive message to give to the people of Trinidad and Tobago. I speak of none other than Princess Moreme Shashu Harvey – Iya Lage or “Mother of Mothers.” She is the Yoruba Princess of Trinidad and Tobago. The Yoruba are the largest single ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in Nigeria and the largest single ethnic nation in Africa. The Yoruba constitute approximately thirty percent of Nigeria’s total population, and number upwards of 40 million individuals throughout the region of West Africa.

Our conversation took place at her home in Barataria. It is a place steeped in rich history and has been home to a number of amazing people. We were joined by her husband Louis, who is talented, creative, and focused.

The Princess began by outlining her philosophy. It is one that is simple, yet takes cognizance of the need for each of us to embrace the positive aspects of life. According to the Princess, her aim is “to use culture to help youths express the positive side of their nature.”

The Princess admits that our social fabric has deteriorated to the point where an entire generation has been lost. “It is time to listen to the youths.” To them, her message is simple, “Tell them that they are no longer forgotten. We are coming!” The Princess and her husband hope to visit three orphanages in the not too distant future. They hope to bring more than just food and clothes. They hope to bring enlightenment to the children through music and other forms. As followers of the Orisha faith, both preach the virtues of having a sound spiritual foundation. They insist that it will bring success to those who follow this path.

Whilst in Trinidad & Tobago the Princess has been engaged in a number of activities. She is recognized as one of the foremost individuals when it comes to producing an Emancipation Queen Show. In fact, she was the Director/Coordinator/Trainer of the National Emancipation Queen Shows in 1998 and 1999. After an absence of some years, the Princess, upon her return was commissioned by nurses at the Port of Spain General Hospital to design a gown and train a contestant for their Emancipation Queen Show in 2003. That contestant won! In 2004, the Princess designed gowns for and trained two Queens in the same competition and they placed first and second. The record clearly speaks for itself… Clearly, she is a Queen maker.

Louis on the other hand has surely been keeping himself busy. To explain Louis, you have to go back in time a bit, perhaps to the beginning. At the age of 2, Harvey left Trinidad with his parents for England. Whilst there, he got his first exposure to craft on a trip to Wales. That opened up his creative appetite and he has never looked back. 10 years later, he returned to the Caribbean with his parents and after a brief sojourn in Trinidad, they moved to Guyana.

While there, Louis was exposed to the best in their field. He was an apprentice to Master Craftsman Omowale Lumumba and at the age of 18, he won the National Exhibition for Visual Arts in the Leather category. He was also made a member of the President’s Gift Committee by the late Forbes Burnham, President of Guyana.

In 1985, Louis visited Trinidad and assisted his brother in setting up his own business. Of course, being of the same stock, he was the creative type as well. Louis did not stay. He returned to Guyana where he continued to make a name for himself. When he returned to Trinidad in 1990, he met Princess Moreme, and because of the attempted coup, he was unable to return home on schedule. Well, as they say, the rest is history and the attempted coup did have a positive outcome in this case.

They formed what can be considered a union of perfect harmony. They subsequently married and remain happily so to this day. I gave you this history of Louis to lay the foundation for my explanation of his current status. He is an accomplished guitarists, bass player, composer, songwriter, and poet! He played with Rainforest, an up and coming band for some time.

Now, he has been playing with the group Pantar led by Mungal Patasar for the past four years. He has traveled extensively with the band, performing in many countries including Germany, Canada, Barbados, Suriname, French Guiana, and St. Lucia. As they put it in their recent flyer for “Calebasse Café,” a new musical release, “Experience the musical fusion of Caribbean rhythms from jazz to rapso and back.”
Louis is not stopping there. He is well versed in the crafts and could make anything that involves leather, calabash, and a number of other items. He formed his own company – Pyramid Creations and markets his very stylish products exclusively to stores across Trinidad, Tobago and the rest of the Caribbean.

He is about to embark on marketing his new line of footwear with the Pantar logo. They are stylish and can be used for a number of occasions.

The Princess was resolute in her position. Afro Trinidadians, as she puts it “need to concentrate on family life and traditions of their ancestors.”

The Yoruba community here in Trinidad and Tobago is represented by a dynamic, forceful determined individual in the person of Princes Moreme Shashu Harvey. Her work seems poised to have a profound effect on our community and the society is all the better for her intervention. As a deeply spiritual person, the Princess is committed to espousing the virtues of peace, harmony, and goodwill among the brothers and sisters of Trinidad and Tobago. Her work with the youths is set to provide a better day for those who need to be heard. As the Princess said, “tell them that we are coming!”