PART 1: THE ORIGIN — AJAX, THE MAN WHO RAN FREE*
Circa 1820s — St. George’s, Bermuda
His name was Ajax.
We don’t know his last name. Enslaved people in early Bermuda were rarely given that dignity. But we know what he did.
Ajax worked on the docks in St. George’s. Long hours. Salt in his skin. Chains in his mind. He saw ships come in from the Caribbean, Africa, and the American South. And on those ships came rhythms, drums, masks, and stories that weren’t supposed to survive the Middle Passage.
At night, behind the warehouses of Barber’s Alley, men would gather. They couldn’t speak freely. They couldn’t own land. But they could drum. They could dance. They could become someone else for a few hours.
That’s where Ajax found the Gombey.
The Gombey wasn’t just dance. It was resistance wrapped in feathers and color. It was African, Indigenous, British military, and Caribbean all stitched into one costume. It was a way to remember who you were when the world told you to forget.
One night in 1829, after a beating for “idleness,” Ajax didn’t go back to the quarters. He ran. Into the cedar woods. Into the hills. And eventually, he ran straight into a Gombey troupe preparing for Boxing Day.
They took him in. Gave him a mask. Taught him the steps. Taught him the drum.
Ajax never went back.
For the rest of his life, he danced. Every Boxing Day, every Cup Match, every time the community needed to remember its strength. The elders said he danced like he was trying to outrun slavery itself. Children would follow him through the streets of St. George’s, wide-eyed, because when Ajax danced, the whole island felt alive.
He died free, but poor, sometime in the 1850s. No headstone. But his name lived on in the alleyways.
In Gombey, we say: _“Once you dance, you can never be owned again.”_
That was Ajax.
His conditions were harsh: slavery, surveillance, and the law that tried to ban drumming and gathering. But Ajax chose culture over captivity. Community over fear. Rhythm over silence.
That choice is why we still dance today.
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*PART 2: THE LEGACY — AJ THE LITTLE GOMBEY*
*2000s — Created by Duval Spencer of House of Dagga
Over 150 years later, Bermudian artist and activist Duval Spencer asked a question:
_“How do we make sure children never forget Ajax?”_
His answer was *AJ the Little Gombey*.
AJ was designed as a cultural youth character and educational symbol. Not just a mascot. A teacher.
Purpose:
1. Teach: Tour local schools and introduce young people to indigenous Gombey drumming, dance, and history.
2. Promote: Share the message of “Unity”
3. Preserve: Keep Bermuda’s Gombey tradition alive for the next generation.
AJ wears the colors. Carries a small drum. Asks big questions. He is 7 years old in the first books, but his spirit is much older — it carries Ajax in it.
After Duval Spencer’s passing, AJ’s core philosophy didn’t stop. It grew. Teachers, parents, and cultural leaders picked it up. AJ became the face of school outreach, Heroes Day activations, and summer cultural camps.
*The Philosophy of AJ:*
Curiosity. Courage. Compassion. Creativity. Community. Stewardship.
There's much history to explore. AJ is your guide learn all there is to know about the Gombey culture, and Bermuda history, as a whole.We hope you enjoy our site and the knowledge that has been compiled for a Bermudiful experience.
Artist and activist Duval Spencer, the creator of AJ, The Little Gombey, has left behind a legacy for the island that will live on and continue his mission. As the creator of AJ, The Little Gombey, he would proud to know that his efforts did not pass with him. He used the popular mascot to teach the Island’s Gombey culture to local children and also toured Bermuda schools sharing about this aspect of the Island’s heritage.
“AJ, the Little Gombey, meant the world to him. He was inspired by his only son Taariq Tucker to create the character.
“Duval had always been an artist, but he started experimenting more after Taariq was born in 1991." [His wife T. Alayna Tucker]
AJ was based on the true story of Jessie Ajax, a 21-year old Bermudian slave who gained his own freedom by following the Gombeys on December 26, 1830 — never returning to his master.
Mr Ajax and his friend, Busta Mentor, hid at Spittal Pond and people would take them food to eat while they were fugitives.
Although ‘Wanted’ posters were put up offering a cash reward in exchange for the men’s whereabouts, they were never given up and eventually gained their freedom from slavery.
Mr Spencer’s son Taariq said he would most miss his father’s love, guidance and presence in his life.
“He always made a point to be in my life and let me know he loved me, so that’s something that stands out in my mind about my dad”
He said it aimed to teach local students they were all linked to Gombeys.
“AJ, the Little Gombey, meant the world to him. He was inspired by his only son Taariq Tucker to create the character.
“Duval had always been an artist, but he started experimenting more after Taariq was born in 1991." [His wife T. Alayna Tucker]
AJ was based on the true story of Jessie Ajax, a 21-year old Bermudian slave who gained his own freedom by following the Gombeys on December 26, 1830 — never returning to his master.
Mr Ajax and his friend, Busta Mentor, hid at Spittal Pond and people would take them food to eat while they were fugitives.
Although ‘Wanted’ posters were put up offering a cash reward in exchange for the men’s whereabouts, they were never given up and eventually gained their freedom from slavery.
Mr Spencer’s son Taariq, (Pictured with AJ), said he would most miss his father’s love, guidance and presence in his life. “He always made a point to be in my life and let me know he loved me, so that’s something that stands out in my mind about my dad”
It is an honor to continue his father’s legacy of the AJ story, and mission."
The Bermuda Gombeys are a unique, vibrant masquerade tradition created by enslaved Africans and Native Americans. Fusing African rhythms, Caribbean folklore, and British military-style drumming, dancers wore full-body costumes and masks to safely preserve their heritage, mock oppressors, and express resistance without fear of retribution.
The Bermuda Gombeys are a unique, vibrant masquerade tradition created by enslaved Africans and Native Americans. Fusing African rhythms, Caribbean folklore, and British military-style drumming, dancers wore full-body costumes and masks to safely preserve their heritage, mock oppressors, and express resistance without fear of retribution.
Enslaved Roots: Developed centuries ago as an artistic outlet for the indignities suffered under slavery.
The Name: "Gombey" is derived from Bantu and West African words meaning rhythm or drum.
Bans and Restrictions: Colonial authorities and slave owners viewed the gatherings as a revolt threat and banned Gombey dancing, notably via the Bermuda Legislature in 1761.
Anonymity: Dancers wore painted masks and heavy capes to hide their identities from authorities during rare holiday permissions, like Boxing Day.
Respected Gombey dancer: a portrait of the late Willis Steede