THE BAHAMAS: MUSIC AND DANCE

Music in the Bahamas has a strong African and Caribbean influence on it. But it’s also influenced by various folk music traditions and the hip/hop scene from the US as well.

The most commonly associated musical genre associated with the Bahamas is Junkanoo. It’s a street parade, in similar fashion to that of Carnival or Mardi Gras. The people dress in wildly elaborate and colorful costumes. Much of the music is similar to a marching band style, consisting mostly of brass instruments (as a French horn/mellophone player, this makes it the ideal marching band) and percussion. It’s thought that this type of festival started during the 1700s and 1800s by slaves that were granted time around Christmas to spend with their families. Junkanoo continued even after they were granted their freedom, except now it has been expanded to contain themes and prizes, etc.

With every junkanoo, the foundation of the music is based on goombay drums (a drum with a goatskin head that’s held between the legs and played with either hands or sticks; goombay, incidentally, also means rhythm in Bantu), cow bells, and mouth whistles. Some tend to think that the brass section actually accompanies the rhythm section, not the other way around as many people listen to music would perceive. (Some percussionist probably thought that up.)

Rake-and-scrape is a type of music that is popular in the Bahamas, especially on Cat Island where they hold a rake-and-scrape festival every Labor Day. Related to the ripsaw music of nearby Turks and Caicos islands, rake-and-scrape consists of using a saw is scraped by some object, a knife blade being most common. The sounds produced mimic other percussion instruments that are found more commonly in Latin or Indian music. It takes a little bit for them to get started, but just bear with it. 

Folk music from freed African Americans that emigrated to the Bahamas is also popular. One of the steadfast “fathers” of folk music is Joseph Spence. He’s been called the Thelonious Monk of the folk guitar. His polyphonic playing style and blend of gospel music, folk music, and even blues reaches across all demographics. I love his music from the first that I heard it. Definitely on my must-buy list. There are several albums and compilations on iTunes, mostly for around $10.

And of course, probably the most famous group in recent years is The Baha Men, giving us the song I love to hate: “Who Let the Dogs Out?” (only because it’s catchy, and in my daughter’s opinion of the music video: “That. Was. Awesome!”).  I even, in my effort to be fair and listen to it from a musicologist’s point of view, did in fact listen to most of the album, and, yes, there are other catchy songs that feed my earworm as well. (There are things you do as a parent that you never thought you'd do before having kids. Singing about poop is one. Posting this song is another. This is for my kids.)

Two dances that are popular with rake-and-scrape music are the Bahamian Quadrille and the Heel and Toe Polka. The quadrille and polka are actually both European dances, and the Bahamians created their African version of it. It's comprised of two lines, both males and females, where they come together, then separate. The key focal point of the quadrille is that the male dancer will stomp his foot on the ground at the same time as a syncopated slap from the goombay. During the junkanoo parades, you’ll often find more upbeat dancing, such as the jump-in-dance.

There aren’t many videos on YouTube about these dances specifically in the Bahamas, except junkanoo (the next time anyone in the Bahamas sees the other dances performed, please videotape it and put it on YouTube, for the sake of all humanity), although these dances are popular in variations throughout the Caribbean.

Up next: the food!

Resources:

Wikipedia: “Ripsaw Music” “Junkanoo” “Joseph Spence”

Junkanoo: http://www.bahamasgateway.com/junkanoo.htm

Rake and Scrape: http://www.bahamasentertainers.com/Paper/rkeNscr.html

Music and dance: http://www.bahamas.co.uk/about-the-bahamas/bahamas-culture/art-music-dance

Bahamian Quadrille: The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: The United States and Canada. 

THE BAHAMAS: HOLIDAYS AND CELEBRATIONS

Public holidays are few, but there are many other local celebrations that fill the year.

New Year’s Day.  January 1. On New Year’s Eve, many people will relax on the beach with friends and family.  Towards evening is when everyone gathers together and massive parties start. Nightclubs, pubs, bars, and hotels become packed with people drinking and music and dancing fills the streets. During this time is the famous Junkanoo festival. The festival, most widely thought to be named after John Canoe, an African tribal leader who demanded that they be allowed to celebrate with his people, even as slaves. There are several other theories as to the etymology of the name. The festival itself and the costumes are a celebration of being set free. (We’ll come back to junkanoo in more detail when we get to music and dance.) There’s also a famous regatta that takes place on Montago Bay.

Good Friday.  Varies. The vast majority of Bahamians belong to some denomination of Christianity, so many churches will hold services in the evening for Good Friday. Many people will eat fish for their main meal during the day.

Easter.  Varies. Many churches will gather for sunrise services on the beach or other outside venue. People wear their best clothes, and like the British or many older African Americans, elaborate hats are the must-have for the older women of the congregation. Various kinds of seafood and a plethora of other dishes and desserts are commonly eaten during this time.

Easter Monday.  Varies. Traditionally, Easter Monday marks the beginning of the Beach Picnic season. The fact that there’s a Beach Picnic season already scores points in my book.

Whit Monday. Varies. This day marks the beginning of Pentecost, follows 50 days after Easter.

Labor Day.  May 4. While most people enjoy the beaches and have picnics, there are a series of parades featuring local businesses and labor organizations, some junkanoo bands will come out, and the parade ends with a gathering to listen to speeches from some of the key government and labor organization members.

Independence Day. July 10.  We just passed their Independence Day less than a week ago. This day marks The Bahamas’ independence from Great Britain in 1973. There are a lot of parades and a general party feel on all of the islands. There will also be junkanoo parades during this time as well.

Emancipation Day. August 2.  This is a day that celebrates the emancipation of the slaves. For The Bahamas, emancipation came about three decades earlier than the United States: Great Britain emancipated its slaves in The Bahamas in 1834. Most of the former slaves stayed and many eventually became successful landowners. 

Discovery Day/Columbus Day. October 11. This commemorates when Christopher Columbus landed on The Bahamas. The natives called it Guanahani, but it’s still contested as to which island it is exactly.

Christmas Day. December 25. Bahamians celebrate Christmas in much of the same way that many of Christian nations celebrate it, with Christmas dinners, spending time with family and Christmas parties and such. One tradition that is unique to the Bahamas is that there are junkanoo parades that people will flock to.

Boxing Day. December 27. Boxing Day is celebrated in different ways in different countries. The Bahamas will generally have junkanoo parades for Boxing Day as well. This music and dance festival/parade generally will last from Christmas to New Years, with Boxing Day in the middle.

Up next: Art and Literature

Resources:

Wikipedia: “Public Holidays” “Junkanoo” “Discovery Day”

New Years: http://www.cocospure.com/2012/03/28/sky-juice-from-the-bahamas-tipsybartender/

Good Friday: http://www.nassau.world-guides.com/nassau_events.html

Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labor Day: http://www.bahamasb2b.com/community/calendar.html

Easter: http://www.whatsonbahamas.com/features.php?cmd=view&id=540&pre=y

Independence Day: http://www.chiff.com/home_life/holiday/bahama-indep.htm

Independence Day: http://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/Bahamas-celebration-of-Independence-Day-2291091.php

Emancipation Day: http://www.chiff.com/home_life/holiday/bahama-indep.htm

Emancipation Day: http://aglobalworld.com/holidays-around-the-world/bahamas-emancipation-day/

Christmas: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_the_people_in_the_Bahamas_celebrate_Christmas

Boxing Day: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1868711,00.html

THE BAHAMAS: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

Sun, blue-green sea, island breezes. Almost perfect (minus the occasional hurricane or tropical storm). The Bahamas are a Caribbean island nation that is southeast of the state of Florida in the United States and northeast of the island of Cuba.

It’s only one of two countries [in English] that start with the word “The.” (The Gambia, being the other one.) It’s somewhat vague as to the origin of the word “Bahama.” Some think it may be from the Spanish baja mar, meaning “low tide or short sea.” Others think it may be from a Lucayan word (the original peoples) ba-ha-ma, meaning “large upper middle land.”

The Bahamas are where it’s widely thought that Christopher Columbus first landed in the Western Hemisphere. Even though he named the island where he landed San Salvador (that the natives already called it Guanahani), it’s not clear which island it is exactly.

The Bahamas were once colonized by the British, which is why their official language is English, even though a Haitian Creole is spoken among the Haitians who live there. The British used the area as stop in the slave trade (which many stayed after being freed), and many freed African Americans also settled in The Bahamas after their emancipation. 

Today, The Bahamas make most of their wealth through two things: tourism and international banking. Between the two, The Bahamas is one of the richest countries in the Northern Hemisphere (behind the United States and Canada). There isn’t much land space available for farming and only small amount of manufacturing, so the majority of jobs available are in the tourism field or banking industry. That being said, they still have an unemployment rate of around 14%.

The capital, Nassau, was once burned to the ground by the Spanish but later rebuilt and named after William III from the House of Orange-Nassau (in the Netherlands). Not only was it a center for its rudimentary government, but it was also used as a refuge for pirates, including the infamous Blackbeard.  With a population of around 249,000, Nassau is a little larger than St. Petersburg, Florida.  It’s famous for its year-end festival called Junkanoo, a wild costume-ridden, music-and-dance-filled celebration that rivals Carnival or Mardi Gras.

My suggestion is to sit back with some rum or coconut water (or both), let the breezes flow through your hair (which in my case is a box fan blowing the humidity around), and relax as we go through Bahamian culture together.

Up next: Holidays and Celebrations

Resources:

Wikipedia: “The Bahamas” “Christopher Columbus” “Nassau, Bahamas” “List of United States Cities by Populations”

CIA World Factbook: The Bahamas