The Gombey is an iconic symbol of Bermuda, a unique performance art full of colorful and intricate masquerade, dance, and drumming. This folk tradition reflects the island's blend of African, Caribbean cultures. The traditions have been passed down orally from one generation to the next within families and the Captains of each troupe determine the direction of the troupe and style that is taught.
Many adornments of the costumes as worn today rely on modern materials or items, such as the Asian peacock feathers, that would have been hard or impossible to come by before the Twentieth Century, but there is little record of the original costume worn, so how it has changed since the Nineteenth Century can only be guessed at.
