Dwight Strachan (left) and his co-host (right) with Pam and Antonius following the radio show this morning
Pam Burnside and artist Antonius Roberts were guests on Dwight Strachan's Guardian Radio Show this morning and were joined via skype by Felipe Buitrago, the IDB author of 'The Orange Economy' to discuss the presentations that will be delivered tonight on this fascinating topic.
The event will be held at The Central Bank of The Bahamas from 6.30 - 8.30pm and the public is invited to attend.
Pam Burnside makes her presentation at The Central Bank
Pam Burnside, owner of Doongalik Studios Art Gallery was recently invited to make a presentation in Washington on the growth of the Bahamian Visual Arts at the Creatives of the Caribbean Arts Festival based on the topic: “Fostering Economic and Commercial Viability of the Caribbean Creative Economy”. The Festival was a collaboration of the IDB, Smithsonian Institution, and Caribbean In-Transit Arts Journal and it entailed (i) an art exhibition from June 6th to August 29th; (ii) a concert on June 19th headlined by Ms. Alison Hinds and featuring performances by the Ambassador for St. Kitts and Nevis, as well as the Positive Vibrations Youth Steel Orchestra; and (iii) a panel seminar “Voices of Caribbean Creatives” to draw attention to the economic impact of the creative industries in the Caribbean, and to promote comprehensive development of this sector.
The panel which Burnside participated in consisted of Marielle Barrow, Editor-in-Chief of Caribbean in-Transit, Ewan Simpson, Musical Arranger and Intellectual Property Lawyer, Dr Yanique Hume, Program Coordinator & Lecturer in Cultural Studies at UWI, and Pam (You can watch Pam's presentation here Mrs. Burnside video presentation ). It was moderated by Ignacio De Leon, IDB Private Sector Development Lead Specialist. There was also a presentation from Dr. Keith Nurse on the Creative Economy and Entrepreneurship in the Caribbean followed by another panel consisting of Dr Diana Baird N’Diaye, Cultural Heritage Specialist at the Smithsonian Centre for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Felipe Buitrago, Author of the IDB book The Orange Economy, (you can access his presentation here Mr. Buitrago video presentation ) Richard Campbell Chief, Culture and Tourism at OAS and Mario Umama, Integration and Trade Lead Specialist at the IDB who spoke on “Measuring, Preserving and Growing the Creative and Cultural Sector” from an development institutional standpoint. The seminar concluded with a key presentation by Dr. Vanus James, of the University of Technology, Trinidad and Tobago on “Measuring Economic Impact of the Cultural Industries” with recommendations of how the development stakeholders could support this process.
In order to share the information with the Bahamian community, and as a part of their 40th Anniversary celebrations, the Central Bank of The Bahamas, the institution that can be regarded as one of the foremost incubators for much of the country’s visual arts development and progress, invited the public to attend Burnside’s presentation in the foyer of the Bank’s Gallery on Wednesday, July 23 from 6.30 pm – 8.30 pm.
There was a standing room only audience at the Central Bank presentation. Governor of the Central Bank, Ms Wendy Craigg sits at the front along with IDB Representatives Ms Astrid Winters and Cherran O'Brien to her left (photos courtesy of Keisha Oliver for The Central Bank of The Bahamas)
The evening was an educational and entertaining one as Burnside, who is also a founding member of the Transforming Spaces annual Art Tour as well as the newly formed Creative Nassau organization, examined the important role Creativity can play in the Bahamian context, and how it should be seriously embraced in its broader sense not only as an economic engine that can provide necessary employment opportunities for Bahamians, but also as a vehicle that can positively affect the social fibre of the country. Burnside, an outspoken cultural advocate like her late husband, Jackson Burnside III, also talked about the necessary shift needed to redefine the country’s outdated tourism model of sun, sand and sea into one that focuses on Bahamian Art, Culture and Heritage from the inside out, i.e. developed first from amongst the Bahamian people, then offered outwards to the visitor.
The evening also included a second presentation by Felipe Buitrago Restrepo from the IDB on the recent publication The Orange Economy that was prepared by Felipe and Iván Duque Márquez, and is a totally innovative text which discusses the importance of the Creative Industries in the present global market with particular emphasis on the Caribbean. The Orange Economy can be downloaded at no cost. As described on the publication’s cover:
Pam with IDB presenter on 'The Orange Economy', Felipe Buitrago Restrapo (centre) and Antonius Roberts following the presentations
The Orange Economy is a manual to understand that it is in the imagination of our artists and creatives that we find one of the most effective ways to seize opportunities in an era of disruptive technological change to become a force in the global knowledge economy.
The public is invited to support this event to assist with Mr Rolle's educational fund
On Sunday July 20, 2014, Club Land'or, Paradise Island, will lend itself to the fashion community as the venue for “Resort 2014 Runway Showcase”, a partnership between Forever Harl Taylor Ltd. & House of Raphelita featuring the latest collections in men's / women's wear, and handbags.
Founder and CEO of House of Raphelita, David D. Rolle has joined Forever Harl Taylor Ltd as its new Creative Director where he continues to diversify the brand as intended by the impeccable Harl Taylor. As a visual communicator, Rolle's displays are praised for being both captivating and ingenious. Since his appointment in 2013, he has merged his creative juices to collaborate in producing unforgettable collections to both domestic and international audiences.
The Forever Harl Taylor Ltd. Team is pleased to embrace this endeavor that supports such a multi-talented Bahamian in his quest to enhance his God-given knowledge, understanding and skills. Rolle is optimistic that the partnership with Harl Taylor BAG will continuously strengthen as he educates, exposes and elevates himself to greater heights within both the local and international fashion sphere.
In an effort to compete globally, Rolle recognizes the importance of a higher education, which is the rationale for “Resort 2014", as it is an educational fundraiser which will assist this young Bahamian Artist to fulfill his dream of pursuing a degree in Fashion Design in Milan, Italy in 2015.
Tickets for “Resort 2014 Showcase” are currently on sale at Commonwealth Fabrics, Quality Fabrics and Executive Printers. Patrons of this event can expect an exciting, entertaining, and creative showcase for an most worthy cause. The cocktail reception begins at 6:30 pm and show-time 7:30 pm.
(This post is by kind permission of littlehousebytheferry) Posted on May 14, 2014 by littlehousebytheferry
Of all the Bahamian artisans I met at this year’s Island Roots festival, one of my favourites was Rose McKenzie.
Straw worker, Rose McKenzie, weaves dried strips of palm fronds into plait
Rose told me that, as young girls in Exuma, she and her sister, Neuiza Rolle, learned traditional straw work from their mother. The hats and baskets they produced provided vital funds for their family during difficult economic times.
My grandmother, Lurey Curry Albury, told a similar tale.
Early in the 20th century, Green Turtle Cay’s economy suffered several devastating blows. Its lucrative pineapple industry dried up when Cuba began exporting the fruit, and the U.S. annexed Hawaii, creating its own domestic supply. A burgeoning sponge industry was wiped out when disease killed off the local sponge beds. And in 1932, much of the settlement of New Plymouth was destroyed by a category 5 hurricane.
Devastated and deep in poverty, the residents of Green Turtle Cay cobbled together livings as best they could. For my great-grandfather, Pa Herman, this meant fishing and small-scale farming. My great-grandmother, Ma May, sewed straw hats.
A straw hat, similar to those sewn by Ma May, and a roll of plait on display at the Albert Lowe Museum, Green Turtle Cay, Abaco
Below, my grandmother describes how she harvested palm fronds and processed them to make plait – rolls of woven or braided straw from which hats and other handicrafts are created.
“Mama would sew the straw hats, but I would make the plait. I used to go down to the Long Beach. There used to be coconut trees there. And there were plenty of thatch-top trees over at Black Sound.
We used to get the young palm tops – cut them out of the head of the tree. We would cut those tops open and put them in the rock oven, let them get kind of crisp. If we didn’t have rain, we’d put them in the sea to bleach. Then, we would strip the palm tops with a needle or pin to make the strands to plait.
Sometimes I’d mix white-top palm and coconut leaves together. Other times, I’d plait all coconut leaves, or make lace plait. Uncle Ludd would take the plait that I made and sell it up around the islands. He would bring me the money.
Rolls of plait for sewing hats and bags
We used to send bundles of palm tops to a lady on Guana Cay, and she would send some to another lady on Man-O-War. They would make plait, keep a little for themselves and send the rest back to us.
Miss Leela, a Man-O-War woman, had a store down on Market Street in Nassau, where she sold dress material and different things. She used to sell the hats Mama made, but she didn’t send the money. She would send us material and other things we needed from the shop.
When the mailboat would come, people were always sending plait to Mama, asking, ‘Miss May, can you sew this hat for me?’
I remember when Sister Hughes and her husband came to Green Turtle Cay. Mama sewed Mrs. Hughes a hat. The plait was open and lacy, and I made roses out of crepe paper and put around the edge. Sister Hughes used to go to go to church in it.
I had one, too. I made the edging plait out of navy blue crepe paper and Mama sewed the hat. I made white paper roses, and put them right around the front. Mama put wire under the brim. You wouldn’t know that hat wasn’t bought in a shop!”
For many visitors to the Bahamas, straw bags and hats are little more than cheerful souvenirs. But for Rose, my grandmother and other Bahamians, this traditional handicraft generated much-needed income for their households during times of desperation and want.
Bahamian conch blowers hard at work to obtain the new World Record during the country's 41st Independence celebrations
Captain Tellis Bethel, Deputy Commander Defence Force, receiving a certificate of confirmation from Guinness World Record Judge, Mr. Charlie Weisman, on behalf of the Bahamas Independence Committee with Mr. Chris Justilien (far right), the music director for the event, along with Defence Force marshals and officials. Photos courtesy of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force
The Bahamas will be entered in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most people blowing conch shells simultaneously, a world record feat which was achieved during the 41st Independence Anniversary celebrations at Clifford Park, Nassau, Bahamas on 9th July, 2014. The previous record, held by the United States, for Conch Shell Blowing was 258 persons. The new record is now 295 persons. A total of 300 persons participated in the history making event. The conch shells were also blown as a clarion call for peace to the nations of the world from the shores of The Bahama Islands in keeping with this year's Independence theme: Celebrating Culture: A Commitment to Peace.
Conch shells are an indigenous musical instrument and are used by in the horn blowing line of the Junkanoo parades. Creative Nassau Founder, the late Jackson Burnside III, was a proud conch shell blower for the One Family Junkanoo and Community Organization.
Creative Nassau Founder, the late Jackson Burnside III, blowing his conch shell during a Junkanoo parade on Bay Street, Nassau
The Saxons (TM Photography)
As the cool breeze sweeps the crowd, friendly rivalry accelerates among supporters, and anticipation peaks at the sound of the drums. While the Junkanoo groups rush down Bay Street in downtown Nassau, they entice their supporters with a short call-and-response. Roots Junkanoo Group calls out, “Roots! There it is!” while the Valley Boys Junkanoo Group shouts, “Who are we? The Valley!”
Some see the fancy costumes, hear the melodious music and share in the hype of the crowds but do not grasp the true meaning of Junkanoo. “For me it goes beyond the parade and the competition; that is the gift wrapping,” said Arlene Ferguson, educator and head of EduCulture, an educational and cultural consultancy group. “The real gift is a tradition passed on by our ancestors which reflects the strength and spirit of the people of The Bahamas.”
Whether one is a participant or spectator, Junkanoo is not about age or social status; Junkanoo exemplifies what it means to be Bahamian and celebrates the culture of the Bahamas. This article paints a picture of the ultimate Junkanoo experience. The roots of this cultural festival stem from the continent of Africa. Junkanoo continuously evolves throughout the centuries. When the Bahamas represents at any major international event, Junkanoo often follows.
Most festivals around the world have elements of costuming and music. All of them, including Junkanoo, derive from unique backgrounds and have different reasons why parts of the Caribbean and the United States celebrate them.
During the late 15th century, the voyages of Christopher Columbus connected Europe to the Western Hemisphere. Europeans needed labor for their new colonies, which lead them to Africa. Throughout the early 16th century, “Africans were being ripped from their homeland and transported as slaves across the Atlantic in a triangular trading system that included Europe, Africa and the Americas,” Ferguson said. The Bahamas, a colony of Great Britain, became a part of the diaspora of Africans.
Africans toiling in the Bahamas came from the coastal areas of West Africa and the Congo. The birth of the Junkanoo festival came from rituals and ceremonies brought to the West in spirit and memories of the enslaved Africans. The most popular theory surrounding the name holds John Conny in high esteem. As an African tribal chief, he insisted on celebrating with his people even after being brought to the West Indies as a slave.
Under British law, slaves celebrated for three days off work during the Christmas holiday. “They came over here into a strange land, and they basically brought what they knew,” said Tony Hanna, Valley Boys Junkanoo Group member. They used this time to re-affirm who they were and to celebrate their heritage. In 1801, the first written documentation of Junkanoo in the Bahamas was recorded. Since then, the festival continues to grow through the centuries as a traditional Christmas celebration.
The early 20th century brought challenges to Junkanoo. Junkanoo groups represented different neighborhoods. The two main Junkanoo Groups, Valley Boys and Saxons Superstars, arose out of Centerville and Mason’s Addition, respectively. “Junkanoo came from a time where everyone rushed at the same time,” Hanna said. “One coming up the street, the next coming down the street, and they used to fight. When they passed through each other, they had rocks and bottles trying to burst your drums and hit you; it was violent.” In 1942, after the Burma Road Riots, a short-lived spontaneous outburst by a group of disgruntled laborers about socio-economic and political policies, the Bahamian government banned all street parades.
Valley Boys (TM Photography)
After a petition by the Citizens Masquerade Committee, Junkanno returned to Bay Street on New Year’s Day of 1948. The committee welcomed competition and formally introduced prizes in various categories. “In 1973 the management of the parades was turned over to the Bahamas Government, and the National Junkanoo Committee was formed as a statutory body with responsibility of overseeing the parades,” Ferguson said.
From finely-detailed costumes to sensational sounds, Junkanoo’s evolution continues to rapidly grow and develop. During slavery times, celebrants used leaves, paper and, basically, anything they found in their environment. Through the years, more resources became available like plants, straw, sponges, newspapers, tissue paper and the crepe paper often used today.
Costumes may be as tall as 15-feet. However, Hanna, a member of the brass section of the Valley Boys Junkanoo Group, must be uniformed. “Of course some of us take our own artistic abilities and swap some colors around just to be an individual in a group of many,” he said. “From far, all of us look the same, but when you come real close, you’ll see the difference.”
The amount of time it takes to construct a costume varies. “I could build a costume in a few days, but it depends on the intricacy of the costume itself, because the entire costume is fully cardboard,” Hanna said. “So it’s actually manipulating cardboard to bend in certain ways so you (the audience) might just see one curve, but to us we see about two or three sheets of cardboard.”
Slaves made their drums, namely the goatskin drum, a staple African instrument. They also substituted bells, rattles and shakers for cowbells, due to their availability on the plantations. The traditional horn of Junkanoo was a conch shell. Today, a variety of whistles and other horns, such as trumpets, sousaphones and trombones can be heard playing modern songs during parades. “When you have visitors around, you can tell from their reaction and their involvement that there is something very special about the sound of Junkanoo,” said Charity Armbrister, director of events at the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism.
Roots (Photo: Roots Junkanoo FB page)
Recently, the One Family Junkanoo Group introduced a new instrument, the “Konklu” which makes the sound “Kong ku lu.” It worked for them so other Junkanoo groups like the Valley Boys caught on and now use the instrument, too. “Saxons refuse to do it,” Hanna said. “They’re sticking to the old Junkanoo. But Junkanoo evolves because, at one point, there was no brass section.”
Tourists not only desire sun, sand and sea, but they want to participate in things Bahamian. “They are no longer satisfied in saying, ‘I’ve been to the Bahamas’; they want to say, ‘I experienced the Bahamas,’” said Anthony Stuart, general manager at the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. “Junkanoo allows them to experience the Bahamas through music, art, heritage and community.”
Junkanoo has appeared at Miami’s Dolphins and Heat games; the Beverly Hills Pre-Oscar Party; and, most recently, the 50th anniversary celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, D.C., in 2013. “A few years ago, we had an opportunity to travel to Italy, and we spent two weeks down there at a major festival in Como called, ‘White Knights,’” said Christian Justilien, leader of the Colours Junkanoo group. “The people there really enjoyed Junkanoo. It was a wonderful experience to introduce the music to a different culture and to experience their culture as well.”
Growing opportunities to experience Junkanoo in the Bahamas creates optimism about the future of this festival. Several hotels host weekly Junkanoo events for guests; there are the Junkanoo Summer Festivals that are held in Nassau and the surrounding islands like Abaco, Andros and Eleuthera. Visitors to Nassau often attend the Sunday practice of Junkanoo sessions at Arawak Cay and Eastern Parade. Also, the Ministry of Tourism hosts Junkanoo rush-outs for groups or conferences, such as the recent Small Island Developing States Conference, Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Conference and international Miss Universe pageant.
One Family Photo
The Bahamas will host the “Bahamas Carnival 2015,” Armbrister said. “This will be a cultural explosion. It’s not only going to be Junkanoo, it’s going to be art, crafts, everything Bahamian.” The main Junkanoo parade still takes place during the Christmas holiday. Key attendees at the main Junkanoo parade are Bahamians. “It is estimated that there are about 5 percent spectator visitors,” Stuart said.
Junkanoo comes natural to Bahamians as a way of life. Some Bahamians dedicate most of their year to preparing for parades. “For me, Junkanoo is an outlet,” Hanna said. “Some people will spend however amount of money to go to a psychiatrist, just to tell somebody their problems. But, when I am out there, no matter what type of day I’m having, I have fun.”
Every year, Junkanoo with its fueling energy unites people from all walks of life to march to the beat of one sound: The Bahamas’ motto, “Forward, Upward, Onward Together” constantly revives the spirit and people of Junkanoo.
Katherine Beneby is a Bahamian media and communications specialist, currently working with the Red River Youth For Christ - North Dakota.
© Copyright 2014 by thebahamasweekly.com
Another honour will be awarded to the Creative Nassau founder, Jackson Burnside III on Tuesday, July 8 at 8pm in Pompey Square (which he designed as a member of the Downtown Nassau Partnership) on Bay Street as a part of the 41st Anniversary Independence tributes to "Cultural Warriors" of The Bahamas. The following is the official article from the Bahamas Information Services:
Bahamas government to honour 41 “Culture Warriors”
There are numerous Bahamians who have dedicated their lives to the cultural development and enrichment of The Bahamas. Their significant contributions to the arts, be it the spoken word through storytelling and the oral tradition, the written word through poetry, prose and literature, religion, music, song writing or dance, have both defined and embellished our national character and identity over many generations.
The government of The Bahamas readily acknowledges their invaluable contributions, but concedes that the country has not done enough to fully recognize, honour and pay tribute to our national treasures. Prime Minister Christie has been quite vocal on this issue and has proclaimed 2014 the year of Culture.
During this year’s 41st Independence anniversary celebrations under the theme “Celebrating our Culture: A Commitment to Peace,” the nation will begin the process of formally recognizing those Bahamians who have dedicated their lives to cultural development. It is anticipated that during the months to come, others in the cultural community will be appropriately honoured. “We as a nation have done a pretty good job of properly honouring our athletes and other outstanding Bahamians for their contributions to the national life and development of The Bahamas, but other than Sir Sidney Poitier, we have not done a good job of properly honouring those in the cultural community. We have to change that and while we appreciate that not all cultural icons can be honoured in our first installment, we start this important process in our 41st year of nationhood,” said Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe in a recent interview with the Bahamas Information Services (BIS). The Minister also chairs the Independence Organizing Committee.
Highlighting this year’s focus on culture, the Minister told the media at a press conference on 21st June that “it’s (the 41st Independence celebrations) going to be a very different show I think from previous years. Hopefully something that will be outstanding and is imaginative and creative as you would expect from a country that is celebrating a year of culture.
“This is a national celebration and we are really looking forward to having every Bahamian fully engaged with independence.”
The government has engaged the services of local artist extraordinaire, Jamaal Rolle to produce portraits in the form of lithographs of each of the honourees. The forty-one portraits will be erected in Pompey Square where the awards ceremony will take place on the evening of the 8th July 2014. This awards ceremony will kick off an exhibition celebrating these Culture Warriors as part of the independence celebrations.
The gala banquet scheduled for later this year as part of the 50th Anniversary of the Ministry of Tourism is another such occasion where fifty “Culture Warriors” will be formally recognized by the people of The Bahamas.
______________________________________________________________________
List of 41 Cultural Warriors
41st Independence Celebrations
“Celebrating our Culture: A Commitment to Peace”
1. Alphonso Blind Blake Higgs (d) - ‘Jones! ‘O’ Jones Please Bring My Woman Back Home’
2. Amos Ferguson (d)- ‘Solo Exhibition at the Smithsonian’
3. Antonius Roberts – ‘Slave Memorial at Clifton’
4. BahMen –‘ Who Let the Dogs Out’, FIFA World Cup 2014
5. Becky Chipman (d) ‘Set the world on Fire dance’
6. Beginning of the End – ‘Nassau Gone… Funky Nassau got Soul’
7. Brent Malone (d) ‘Father of Bahamian Modern Art’
8. Buttercup – ‘Limbo King of the Caribbean’
9. Charles Carter –‘The Young Bahamian Show ‘…’ These are Bahamians’
10. Cleophas Adderley Jr – ‘Our Boys’ …Wind under the wings of the National Youth Choir’
11. Count Bernardino – ‘Take Your Meat Out Me Rice’… “Six Young Girls Across My Chest’
12. E. Clement Bethel (d) – ‘Sammie Swain’… ‘ Muse of the National Arts Festival’
13. Eddie Minnis – ‘Hey Mr. MP lemme see your bank book’ …Pot Luck … “Naughty Johnnie”
14. Ezra Hepburn – ‘Ghost Riders in the Sky’… ‘Stop the World I want to Get Off’
15. Freddie Munnings Sr – ‘Conservatory trained voice’… ‘Social Activist’ … ‘Abaco Beware’
16. George Symonette (d) ‘ Little Nassau’
17. Jackson (d) and Stan Burnside … ‘ Band of Brothers :The Defining Canvas of Junkanoo’
18. James Catalyn – ‘Summer Madness’… ‘Laffin At We Self’
19. Jay Mitchell – Princess Towers ‘Junka-Party’… ‘Tribute to Smokey’
20. Jeanne Thompson – ‘Zeke and Sophie’… Miss Lye … ‘Fergusons of Farm Road’ …Satirically Speaking’
21. John Berkley Peanuts Taylor – ‘The Drums are Alive’
22. John Chipman – ‘Dat Goatskin Sweet’
23. Joseph Spence (d) The Unsung -‘Mr. Guitar Folk Music Giant’
24. Kayla Lockhart Edwards (d) - ‘Contract Voices’… ‘Back Up for Perry Como’
25. King Eric (d) -‘Once Is Not Enough’… Elite Recording Studio’
26. Leroy Duke Hanna (d) - ‘Small Hope’… Led Musicians Union’
27. Maureen Duvalier-’ Gin N’ Coconut Water … ‘ Ask Me Why I Run’
28. Pandora Gibson Gomez(d) -‘Dramatist …Educator’
29. Patricia Bazard –‘Prepared the children for Independence 1973 … Educator’
30. Paul Meeres (d) -‘The toast of Five Continents’ … ‘ Dancing Machine’
31. Percy Voila Francis and Winston Gus Cooper (d) – ‘They Coming!’
32. Ronnie Butler –‘The Godfather of Bahamian Entertainment’
33. Shirley Hall Bass (d)- ‘The Lady of the Dance’
34. Meta Davis Cumberbatch (d) ‘ The Mother Teacher of our Emerging Culture’
35. Susan Wallace –‘Children’s Literature in the Eye of the Sun ‘… ‘Who is the Woman in this House?’
36. Edmund Moxey –‘Cultural Political Activist’ Muscle and Guts … Jumbey Village’
37. Theophilius Coakley, T Connections – ‘Doing Alright on Saturday Night’
38. Timothy Gibson(d)- ‘My Country of Thee We Sing’
39. Tony Mackay(d)-‘He Came Down on a Lightning Bolt’ …’We Stronger than Steel’
40. Wendal Stuart (d) – “ I Thank Heaven’
41. Winston Saunders (d) ‘Horse’… I, Nehemiah’
*(d ) denotes “deceased”
The late Jackson Burnside III blowing his conch shell with the One Family Horn Section at the Junkanoo parade on Bay Street, Nassau
The late Jackson Burnside III, Founder of Creative Nassau, will be honoured during the Royal Bahamas Police Band's Independence 'Beat the Retreat' performance in Rawson Square, Nassau on Sunday, July 6 at 5.30pm. Inspector Seldin Adderley of the RBPF stated that Jackson was a friend to all of the military bands, and in this way, they would pay fitting tribute to him for his contribution to the growth of Junkanoo and for his community involvement.
By Bronwyn Torrie on Thursday 3 July 2014
Hailing from the balmy Bahamas, the Junkanoo Commandos are about to descend on Edinburgh for a fortnight of crazy carnival times.
We caught up with the group's larger-than-life founder Angelique McKay before she left her home town to come and teach us a thing or two about shaking our tail feathers
AM: "We are very, very excited to be coming to Edinburgh to be a part of your carnival and to conduct workshops in the weeks leading up to it and to actually be performing on your streets... did I mention that we are very excited to be coming?
"Even though the Junkaoo Commandos have been to England over the years we have never been to Scotland and we are looking forward to spending time up there."
AM: "We like the fact that the city is very embracing of art and culture.
"That is a very big plus to us as artist from the Bahamas, any city that allows us to embrace and express our culture we love.
"We cannot wait to explore Edinburgh."
AM: "During the carnival we will be wearing Bahamian-style Junkanoo costumes, but we are not using all of the traditional materials that we use in the Bahamas because of the bleak weather in Scotland.
"Our main material is crepe paper and we made adjustments to go with fabric, we felt that fabric will give the same look and vibrant colouring, but will be a bit more resilient to your weather conditions.
"The theme of the costumes that we will be wearing this year depict various elements of the ocean."
AM: "I never thought about that until you asked, but the Junkanoos take on a new personality it would seem once they have their costumes on and instruments in hand.
"The excitement surrounding our performances is not unlike any stage performance or anxious energy when going on stage, so the short answer to that question is yes.
"Yes, their personalities are huge once they’re in their costumes."
AM: "I would say the emotional attachment that you have to your costumes makes it a perfect costume, or in our case a perfect Junkanoo costume.
"We bond with our costumes over a period of time and we each work on our own costume so the attachment that we develop transforms it into the perfect costume."
AM: "In our costumes, the main material is cardboard, white water paint, craft glue, wire - coat hangers can also be used to keep the cost down if that is an issue - and regular crepe paper in a variety of bright colours to bring the designs to life."
AM: "Imagine the anxiety in the pit of your stomach just before you drop from the top of a twenty-story rollercoaster ride, mixed with the joy of winning a million pounds cash from the lottery along with being featured on the front page of the hottest magazine in England.
"Mix them all together and that is the feeling we get when we participate in a parade, it is just an overall feeling of euphoria."
AM: "There are forty members. Our membership is made up from the top four major Junkanoo groups in the Bahamas - the Valley Boys, the Saxon Superstars, Roots and One Family."
AM: "One of the things that will be different is that participants of the workshops that the Junkanoo Commandos will be conducting will parade along with us.
"Their costumes will take on the same pattern and style as those of the Junkanoo Commandos ... anything else you will just have to come to the carnival and see for yourself.
Make your own costumes with the Junkanoo Commandos at Summerhall this weekend and practise your moves at a carnival party on Saturday night.
Save you costumes for the main event on July 20 when the Edinburgh Festival Carnival will bring the city centre to life as a parade of 700 carnival performers make their way from the top of the Mound to the west end of Princes Street.
Free costume and community workshops with the Junkanoo Commandos
July 7, 8, 14, 15: Out of the Blue Drill Hall from 6pm to 8pm. Email anna@adjazz.co.uk to sign up.
July 7 and 8: Wester Hailes WHALE Arts Agency. Contact 0131 458 3267.
July 15 and 16: Goodtrees Neighbourhood Centre. Contact 0131 672 2629.
July 17: West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre. Contact 0131 551 3194.
On Tuesday, May 20, Pam Burnside and 'Barabbas' Woodside were guests on the Nassau Guardian's "Inside the Inner City" radio show 96.9, hosted by Valentino 'Scrooge' Brown, the leader of the "Movement for Change' Community Group in Grants and Bain Town, Nassau which is assisted by Ulrich Voges who recently held the first TEDx Talks in Nassau. CN has partnered with this group to assist in community development 'from the inside out'.
Barabbas, Pam and Scrooge after the recent radio show
Dr Leon Higgs was the proud recipient of an official Creative Nassau logo shirt from CN Co-Founder Pam Burnside, as thanks for his assistance in endorsing Creative Nassau's application to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network earlier this year. Dr Higgs is the Secretary General for the Bahamas National Commission for UNESCO. He stated that he will be wearing his shirt at CN's Official Launch later this evening!
Luke Fannin, Editor of the Santa Fe Creative Tourism blog has just posted Part 1 of this story about Creative Nassau after an interview with Co-Founder, Pam Burnside. Watch this space for Part 2 as Creative Nassau's story travels to the world!
To Catch a Stick of Fire: Creative Tourism Journeys to the Bahamas
by Luke Fannin
For more than half a century, nations like the Bahamas have been synonymous with the idea
of the tropical island paradise: white sand beaches, relaxing seaside vacations, palm trees,
cocktails with paper umbrellas... at least in the minds of many Americans and other citizens
of the First World, that is. It’s an image commercial marketers and tourism officials in
Nassau, the Bahamas’ capital city, have heavily promoted since the colonial era, and they
have done so quite successfully--the Bahamas is easily the most prosperous Caribbean nation
thanks in large part to its tourism industry.
But that success has come at great cost, with commercial cruise lines taking over the tourism
market, taking money out of the local economies--as much as 60 cents on the dollar--and
rubbing out the unique cultural elements of popular tourist destinations. “We recently had a
conference in Nassau with six small developing Caribbean island nations,” says Pam
Burnside, owner of Doongalik Studios Art Gallery in Nassau and one of the founders of
Creative Nassau, a flagship creative tourism program in the Caribbean region. “Someone
showed a promotional poster of a palm tree on a sandy beach and asked, ‘Which Caribbean
island do you think this comes from?’ It was actually from somewhere in East Asia. So there’s
this generic mass marketing throughout the region and around the world, not just in the
Bahamas, that has nothing to do with the unique individual islands and nations that comprise
it.”
When Ms. Burnside and her late husband, Jackson Burnside III, founded Doongalik Studios
more than 40 years ago, they did so with a vision of counteracting these external,
homogenizing forces by bringing the dynamic artistic talent of the Bahamian people to the
forefront of their national identity. Their original vision statement is as follows: “By the year
2020, the majority of visitors to The Bahamas will come to experience its Art, Culture and
Heritage rather than its Sun, Sand and Sea.”
For years, the Burnsides worked to affect what change they could, promoting the work of
local artists and artisans with steadfast belief that the overwhelming artistic talent of their
countrymen and women could help to make the Bahamas into an internationally recognized
creative center. Then, in 2008, they attended the UNESCO Creative Cities Network
International Conference on Creative Tourism held in Santa Fe, where they heard the same
message they’d been trying to spread for some four decades. “The message we heard at the
conference resonated so strongly with our Doongalik vision,” Ms. Burnside says. “We realized
how art could help to move tourism forward... so we began meeting with about 20
like-minded people, artists and business owners, and we started talking about how to go about
getting Nassau in the Creative Cities Network.”
The arts heritage in the Bahamas is strong, but commercial tourism marketing has made that
truth seem a well-kept secret. “Being a part of both the business and art communities, I know
that a lot of visitors just don’t have a clue about the level of arts and culture available here,”
says Burnside. “It’s because we’ve never marketed ourselves in that way. So as an artists’
community, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to market ourselves for our art, and the Ministry of
Tourism is finally beginning to understand that this could be another tool for bringing people
into the country.”
Burnside and the Creative Nassau movement believe that two local art forms, straw art and a
unique festival known as junkanoo, are the key elements of their arts culture which will help
to draw the focal point of tourism away from commercial resorts and cruise lines, to the local
culture and people where it belongs. These art forms are the reason they have applied to the
Creative Cities Network as a City of Crafts and Folk Art. And while these arts traditions are
storied and proud, this movement is as much about saving them as it about sharing them
with the world.
........to be continued
