![\"tourism-junkanoo-rushout\"](\"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/tourism-junkanoo-rushout.jpg\")
Firstly, I would like to thank the Prime Minister for hearing the cries of the few in the cultural community who spoke up, along with the Bahamian public.\u00a0 Thank you for adding a name that is synonymous with one of our major Bahamian cultural expressions.<\/p>\n
Although I felt like you did not go far enough.\u00a0 In my opinion, the festival could have been named Rake-N-Scrape, Jumbey, or Goombay, but it doesn’t matter.\u00a0 What matters is that there was a change and that you listened to us.\u00a0 It also shows that the \u2018voice of the people\u2019 is the voice that matters.<\/p>\n
I feel proud to have been in the dissent column.\u00a0 The column that stood up for our culture and not just someone’s selfish ambitions.\u00a0 It feels great to know that there was a compromise made.\u00a0 When others said nothing would change, it changed, “Take Dat Haters!!”\u00a0 Again, thank you, Mr, Prime Minister.<\/p>\n
I also sat down with the Minister Of Youth, Sports, and Culture, a few weeks ago and had a very insightful meeting with him and his Permanent Secretary.\u00a0 We ironed out most of my objections.\u00a0 I found most of his present and future plans groundbreaking.\u00a0 I would like to commend him for being open and available to meet with me.<\/p>\n
The Music<\/p>\n
Going forward, my only objection to the Carnival\/Festival, at this point, is the type of music that will now represent the Bahamas and the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival.\u00a0 From what I have heard, and know, the top 25 songs selected were mostly authentic Trinidadian sounding soca songs.\u00a0 Using Trinidadian slang, Trinidadian cultural verbiage and phrases that they use at their Carnival in Trinidad.<\/p>\n
Where is the Bahamian in that?\u00a0 With 170 plus songs to choose from that Bahamian recording artists wrote and produced, you mean only Trinidadian sounding songs made the cut?\u00a0 It seems to me that there was some kind of hanky panky going on there, influencing of the judges to choose Trinidadian soca material.\u00a0 Why choose soca songs?\u00a0 Did these judges have something against Bahamian music?<\/p>\n
Mr. Prime Minister, it seems like you are the only one hearing us out here, please have your people address this confusion.\u00a0 I have no horse in this race, I just want to see that the Bahamian people’s interest is put first.\u00a0 If one or two of these soca songs are to win this song competition and is exported to the world, this sound or genre of music will represent us, represent the word, \u2018Junkanoo\u2019.\u00a0 A soca sound representing Junkanoo?\u00a0 Another country\u2019s music representing Junkanoo?\u00a0 Sir, that doesn’t make any sense.<\/p>\n
Come on Festival Committee members, we will be promoted as a soca destination.\u00a0 I thought our main objective was to push Bahamian Culture.\u00a0 Our taxpayer dollars will be used to promote music that is not ours, exposing and biggin’ up someone else’s culture at our expense.\u00a0 I hope you all understand what this means.\u00a0 Unless this is what someone truly wants?\u00a0 If not, then we must correct this, the music needs to suit the name, the culture, Junkanoo.<\/p>\n
Why was the criteria of this competition not outlined that these songs must be in the musical vein of Rake-N-Scrape, Junkanoo or Goombay? A Bahamian thing!\u00a0 Mr. Prime Minister, this needs to be rectified, it’s weird that this was overlooked.\u00a0 The judges should have thrown out any song with music that was not identified as authentically ours.\u00a0 We as Bahamians know our sound, and especially judges who are supposed to be musicians.\u00a0 Furthermore, in my view the committee should still add some well-known Junkanoo songs that were mega hits, to add excitement and familiarity to this Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival album and concert event.<\/p>\n
If others like myself and other stakeholders in the Bahamian music industry were approached on this Festival\/Carnival plan much earlier this would have been a better and much smoother process.\u00a0 I am also kind of disappointed in some of the well known artists and musicians who did not step up and at least let their voices be heard.\u00a0 “Let me let y’all know”, to make a change taste really sweet\u2026\u00a0 To be vindicated is an awesome feeling, versus, entering a competition with questionable judging.\u00a0 It couldn’t have been about the cash prize\u2026 Could it?\u00a0 We could have all stood together and demanded more.<\/p>\n
“United we stand, divided we fall.”<\/p>\n
Once again, thank you Mr. Prime Minister for hearing us on this matter.<\/p>\n
Kirkland H. Bodie<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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