EDITOR, The Tribune.
Junkanoo in Paradise: Having seen the subject musical, I would surmise that the naming convention of this Bahamian production is not quite appropriate. The musical may have been more appropriately called “Drums”. I must say the production was an excellent display of Bahamian talent, both acting, dancing, junkanoo and singing. My observation that the musical should be called Drums and NOT Junkanoo in Paradise is because I can see how drums are deemed associated which each aspect of practices and norms depicted ie Church, Junkanoo and apparently obeah.
What I cannot fathom is how Junkanoo in Paradise is tied to obeah – what is the relevance. I was surprised to be attending a show called “Junkanoo in Paradise” and be assaulted with what is alluded to in the production as “Bahamian culture” – ie, obeah.
As a Christian, I feel this production’s insinuation that obeah is a cultural norm for Bahamians is a fallacy. I hear that a small segment of people in the Bahamas do practice obeah – however obeah is witchcraft and witchcraft is an abomination and should not be aligned with “cultural behavior” of a nation whose constitution speaks to Christian values, and obeah is prohibited in our penal code. If obeah is prohibited in our penal code – why are we “advertising“ to the tourist that obeah is our culture. Shall we say because murders are happening, will we call this a cultural norm? We the Bahamian people must know and be cognizant of the spiritual implication of dabbling and determining certain practices as cultural norms. Be careful O Bahamas and watch other nations that make obeah their cultural norm.
I recommend that the Minister of Tourism and every God-fearing leader in this country review this production – for its duplicitous naming convention as well as for the insinuation that Bahamians for the most part are lawless – this is the inference when you depict a known violation of the penal code as being a “cultural norm”.
SCRATCHING MY HEAD
New Providence
March 7, 2024
Comments
hrysippus 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Our beloved musician, dearly departed , from Cat Island, Tony McKay. aka Exuma, would have been surprised to learn that Obeah was not a part of Bahamian culture.
moncurcool 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Some people really put their heads in the sand.
First, the constitution does not speak to christian values. It is the PREAMBLE, which holds no constitutional weight, that references christian values.
Second, even though the PREAMBLE says christian values, it does not mean everyone practices that.
Third, how many Bahamians just horoscope, halloween, coco soup, and all other kinds of practices do practice obeah in the Bahamas.
Because one is a christian does not mean everyone else.
carltonr61 1 month, 1 week ago
I too was fearful of the Obeah belief. But, I am a creative writer. The late Calvin Lockhart RIP brought in an agent to advise me on my potential novel HIGH. The Bahamian historical mosaic defines pre Columbus Lucayans, clash of civilizations, about two hundred years go by then African slavery to the America's by Portugal followed by the UK. Colonization and the African diaspora with culture to our Shires. Colonial Rule moved onto local rule then majorityvrule. The drugs 80s added to our history with exploits between The America's, The Bahamas and N America. The agent, Professor Troupe, creative writing specialist, told me point blank. All I had in my fiction contained elements Bahamians copy from USA, cocaine, violence, corruption and millions. To sell to the world market I had to write about something they knew nothing about that would be fresh to a huge audience and that was Obeah. Haiti already developed the Voodoo which they own. Fircartistucs purposes The Bahamas owns Obeah intrigue. Amazon.com. HIGH. BAHAMIAN OBEAH AND BLACK MAGIC. It took me five years of thought to realize I needed to listen to specialists in creative art in order to create curiosities uniquely Bahamian to a foreign watchers and readers.
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