IN less than one year, the country will welcome another form of cultural expression when the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival makes its d�bute in May 2015.
During an official ceremony launching the event at Pompey Square on Wednesday, Prime Minister Perry Christie expressed his optimism for the event.
“I am very pleased that we will be soon be able to showcase even more of our country’s culture via this new event,” he said. “Not only is this a great opportunity for Junkanooers, artisans and other craftsmen to display their wares and talents, but it also offers us the opportunity to provide additional entertainment for guests who visit our shores.”
The event featured several forms of entertainment, including dance performances by the Junkanoo group Colours, headed by Chris Justilien; a tribute to the “Obeah Man,” fire dancing, musical selection by Visage and promotions by the Ministry of Tourism.
The Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival is a new event on the Bahamas’ social calendar. It will be annual, spanning five weeks and will kick off on Easter Monday.
The period will feature a series of activities, including concerts, cultural shows, balls and street parades, which will depict all aspects of Bahamian culture and heritage. During the period, one week will be set aside and will be known as Carnival Week.
The first Bahamas Carnival Week is scheduled for May 3-9, 2015. During Carnival week, four major events will be staged. A commission, chaired by former banker Paul Major, will oversee the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival.
• For more from the carnival launch, see tomorrow’s Big T.
Comments
jt 9 years, 7 months ago
Wow, murders every other day and now the priority is to up Junkanoo from 2 to 3 times a year?
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 7 months ago
Party all year! What better way to distract the people. I love Junkanoo so I ain't complaining too much, but I want accountability and responsible use of the money. I want to see NIW what they've spent already and how much they intend to spend when and on what up to May 2015. It's what responsible project managers do.
killemwitdakno 9 years, 7 months ago
this isn't junkanoo. junkanoo didn't get no $9 million to go commercial.
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 7 months ago
Yeah I know, it's a bastardization....I was really excited at the opening when the Music Masters rushed around Pompey square and the big truck came out. I "thought" OMG, they're gonna rush behind the truck and there I went rushing behind them to join the parade only to see them disband to be replaced by a DJ with recorded music, how utterly disappointing....
TheMadHatter 9 years, 7 months ago
This is only temporary anyway until the Chinese implement their holiday system on us.
TheMadHatter
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 7 months ago
Did anyone think to ask Mr Justillien what his magnificent short story (don't have a better description) depicted? It was not a tribute to the Obeah Man, it was a short history of the evolution of Junkanoo Music...from slavery to African religious ceremony. (Obeah man) to the early slow paced Junkanoo beat, the introduction of the horns, introduction to church music, inclusion in pop music, rat bat and funky Nassau, "basically" .sheesh. Ask somebody next time (or maybe listen more closely to the narrator, hint hint). It was fantastic!!! As I watched I thought what bird brain would seek to hide the "Junkanoo" from the marketing of this festival? It's craziness. Junkanoo is BEAUTIFUL. Let's get the world to love it too.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID