Junkanoo Street Parade Bahamas

by Montez Kerr

Title

Junkanoo Street Parade Bahamas

Artist

Montez Kerr

Medium

Photograph - Fine Art Print

Description

Junkanoo is a national festival of the Bahamas. Junkanoo is an African celebration of freedom, colors, and sound. It is the most entertaining street carnival of West African origin. It is the most anticipated occasion of the year when the downtown Nassau is abuzz with excitement. In 1834, before the Abolition of Slavery under British Rule, it was an expression of temporary freedom. But now, it is a unique and renowned cultural extravaganza involving music, dance and international social critique.’Junkanoo’ is not just a festival but a feeling. It is the “soul of Bahamian Culture.” Junkanoo is a grand celebration of identity, freedom, pride, and history of Bahamas. The rhythmic sound of cowbells and distinctive beats of the goatskin drum, creative costume-making, and hoping on dancing beats make this festival the unique one. The scenic splendor is an artistic depiction of fantasy and reality.

Place:
The largest and liveliest of the sensational parade takes place in Bay Street in Nassau. Also, you can feel the exhilarating carnival atmosphere on Grand Bahama Island, Bimini, Eleuthera & Harbour Island, The Exumas, and The Abacos.

Month/Date:

The two traditional days are December 26th (Boxing Day) and January 1st (New Year’s Day).
Due to its popularity, Junkanoo Summer also takes place in June and July in Arawak Cay, Nassau. There are demonstrations and live entertainment by Bahamian artists every weekend during the month.
Junkanoo History

The Bahamas Junkanoo tradition has different stories. The true origin of Junkanoo is controversial. Many believe that it originated from a legendary African Prince, John Canoe. He demanded the right to celebrate with his people even after being brought to the West Indies in slavery. It evolved from the slavery days during the 16th and 17th centuries. The slaves were only allowed to have 3 days off (December 25, December 26, January 1). This time was the only free time the slaves had, so they used this time for celebration. United Loyalists who migrated to The Bahamas in the 1780s brought their African slaves with them. John had beat the English. So, he was a hero to the slaves. Furthermore, they idolized him and kept up the worship.

They celebrated by African singing and dancing in colorful costumes and masks, traveling from house to house, often on stilts. After liberation, Bahamas continued the tradition. Today, Junkanoo has evolved from its simple street parade to an organized formal parade with sophisticated, intricate costumes, themed music and incentive prizes. In the 1920s, the Bahamas Development Board commercialized Junkanoo as a parade on Bay Street in Nassau. They started offering rewards. With time, it developed into one of the main tourist attractions of the Bahamas. Bahamas Junkanoo showcases and appreciates Bahamian tradition and history.

Junkanoo Celebrations

The preparations start from June-July. The exuberant Junkanoo dance troupes will have been busy rehearsing their dazzling routines. The musicians and costume makers will have perfected the hypnotic rhythms and mesmerizing designs day and night. The spectacular rush-out takes place through the streets of downtown Nassau in the early hours of the morning (generally from 2 am to 10 am). Junkanoo bands rush on Bay Street beholding the cornucopia of color and sound. Furthermore, the early morning darkness adds to the captivating atmosphere. Every year, Bahamians outfit themselves in handmade rhinestone and feathery costumes and dance overnight and into the morning with a magnificent mixture of traditional African and European brass instruments, like goatskin drums and cowbells.
Parade

The Junkanoo parade competition is between six major groups: Colours, Music Makers, One Family, Roots, Saxons, and Valley Boys. Each group has thousands of members who compete against each other. The dancers are accompanied by powerful rhythms beaten on a cacophony of goatskin drums, shaking cowbells, bugles, horns, shrieking whistles and conch shells. Today, brass instruments create the melody of the music. The rhythmic sounds create a sweet musical beat that will move you; while colored costumes capture your eye and bring a much visual thrill. At the end of the procession, the judges award cash prizes for the best music, elaborate costumes, and best choreography. Also, they award the ‘Best Junkanoo Group’ title.

Music Instruments

Traditional music instruments are drums, cowbells, horns, whistles, and brass. The drums are made of wooden or metallic oil barrels with the skin of goat or sheep stretched over one end of the barrel. Cowskin covers bass drums. The brass instruments such as black horns and whistles are also the part of the music. Welders make the cowbells. The flat slider clapper cowbells are played in pairs and are shaken or struck together. The Junkanoo rhythm is very infectious.
Dance

Junkanoo dance choreography became more professionalized since the 1980s. Now, the groups hire professional dance companies for the choreography.

Costumes

Initially, the slaves made their costumes from any available material such as shrubs, banana leaves, stones, bottles, and paper. The 1930s saw the introduction of sponge costumes. Later in the 1950s, the dresses were made from cloth and fringed tissue paper. Years later (in the 1960s), flowers and water were used to make the paste to fasten tissue paper and fringed crepe paper for pants and shirts. Today, according to the theme, the costumes are made by using aluminum rods, cardboard, aluminum rods, tie wire, and contact cement. Then, there is the fixing of the hundreds of colorful fringed crepe paper layers on the costume with glue. This is a costly and time-consuming process.

Uploaded

October 17th, 2020

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