Adrian Young

Adrian Young, founder of one of the leading Moko Jumbie groups in Trinidad and Tobago called Future Jumbies, is an internationally-known stiltdancer and performer. With over 23 years of experience in the performing arts, his focus is teaching young people in Trinidad and Tobago. Adrian incorporates a fusion of dance techniques from different cultures, with traditional ones rooted in Trinidad and Tobago.
In 2007, Adrian Young travelled to Cuba with the Prime Minister, the Honourable Patrick Manning, to celebrate the opening of the Trinidad and Tobago embassy. Later in 2009, Adrian participated in the 5th Summit of the Americas that was held in Port of Spain, Trinidad. That same year he was invited to take part in the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA). In 2012, marked Adrian’s first performance on “The Big Stage” of the Senior Kings and Queens of Carnival 2009 — placing 4thin the finals, with his portrayal of “The Crow” designed by Alan Vaughan.
His accomplishments landed him an overseas job with the Universoul Circus, where he performed in cities across the United States for 3 years.
In early 2016, Adrian Young founded the junior Moko Jumbie group Future Jumbies, in the community of Tarodale Hills. That year, Future Jumbies participated in their first regional Carnival competition in Gasparillo, where they placed 1st in the Traditional Monday Night Mas. With Adrian also placing 1st in the Traditional Individuals competition. In August 2016, he travelled to the United Kingdom (UK), where he taught stiltwalking at the Elimu Carnival Band Moko Jumbie workshop. He also had the opportunity to perform with the band at Notting Hill Carnival in London.
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On his return to Trinidad, in 2016, he was granted the opportunity to teach a Stiltwalking Master Workshop at Funtopia Youth Intiative on the island of St. Maartin.
As bandleader with the senior Moko Jumbie group Touch D Sky, Adrian Young portrayed "Shango" at the Senior Kings and Queens of Carnival 2017. Later that year he travelled back to the United Kingdom where he participated in two major performance-based research and developement projects: “The Isle Is Full of Noises” by Touch D Sky and “My Knowledge Increase, My Memories Reflect” by Gateway Studio Projects in Gateshead, UK.
Returning from the UK, Adrian Young was contacted to have the senior Moko Jumbie group Touch D Sky be featured on The New York Times series titled, “Dance in the Real World”.
In 2018, Adrian Young was the first bandleader of the Moko Jumbie band Moko Somõkõw. That year he portrayed "Sundjata, The Lion King of Mali" where he placed 9thin the finals at the Senior Kings and Queens of Carnival 2018. During that Carnival season Adrian Young was contacted to have the junior group Future Jumbies be featured on CNN’s Great Big Story — which has now been viewed online over 8 million times.
In 2019, bandleader Adrian Young departed from Moko Somõkõw to focus on his group Future Jumbies. He debuted his own costume designs at the Senior Kings and Queens of Carnival 2019, where he portrayed "Ekundayo The Eagle".
Trinidad and Tobago Carnival 2020 was exciting for Adrian Young, as he created the crowd`s favourite puppeteer costume entitled “Daddy Jumbie/Papa Jumbie” which placed 5th at the Senior Kings and Queens of Carnival 2020 in the Queens Park Savannah.
Since 2021, he has collaborated several times with US-based dj Adam Cooper aka Foreigner for his live stream event, Carnival Tabanca. In addition he was awarded a
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special honour by the Ministory of Community Development, Culture and the Arts, for his outstanding contribution to culture.