Member of Parliament for St Mary Central, Dr Morais Guy is taking steps to preserve the cultural dance form of Dinki Mini which he notes has its home in Islington, St Mary.

“In an attempt to preserve this dance form, I have channeled funding for the ‘Spruce Up Pon D Corna’ programme from TPDCO [Tourism Product Development Company] to construct a permanent site for the preservation of this dance form,” said Guy.

He was speaking this week in the House of Representatives as he made his contribution to the State of the Constituency Debate. He said the facility to be built will function as the headquarters for persons who practice the dance and will be turned over to their management committee. It will facilitate an area for practice as well as storage of their equipment.

Guy said the building is almost complete but additional funds are needed to finish the project. He said he will be reaching out to CHASE for assistance to complete what he described as “this iconic project”.

The MP said the ground floor of the building has been constructed as a homework centre and the internal structure is almost ready. He is seeking funding from the Universal Service Fund for ICT equipment.

Dinki Mini has its roots in the Congo region of Africa. Slaves brought to Jamaica from that region were believed to have settled in the St Mary, Portland and St Ann region where the dance form is most popular. It is also popular in the parish of St Andrew.

The dance is usually performed after the death of a person until the ninth night. These ‘nine-night’ sessions as they are called in Jamaica are lively and are held usually to cheer up the bereaved. During the performance the male dancer bends one leg at the knee and makes high leaps on the other foot. Although having its origins in Africa, Dinki Mini is often described as a dance and funerary rite from Jamaica.

Instruments associated with Dinki Mini are shakas, katta sticks, condensed milk tins, grater, the tamboo (cylindrical shaped drum) and the benta. The benta, fret board made of bamboo and a gourd resonator.