Bahamian musical artist and New York resident, Kamilah Gibson
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From Friday, January
23rd through Sunday, January 25th, 2015, Islandz Tours, a
guided walking tours company located in Nassau, The Bahamas will be exhibiting
at The NY Times Travel Show held at the Javits Convention Center in New York
City. Stationed at booth #313, Islandz
will be a ray of sunshine in the wintery city, sharing the promise of authentic
Bahamian experiences a mere 1096 miles away.
With an
emphasis on a genuine Bahamian experience, Islandz Tours plans to bottle the
essence of this fun and comprehensive tour to delight the more than twenty
thousand visitors expected to attend the exposition. The Islandz Tours booth will reflect the exhilaration
of the notorious Rum Row, essentially a floating liquor store embedded in
international waters of the coast of New York during the time of prohibition
and captained by seasoned Bahamian sailors turned bootleggers.
As
an additional enticement, Islandz Tours’ booth will present live performances
on Saturday 24th at 12pm and Sunday 25th at 12pm by Bahamian musical artist and
New York resident, Kamilah Gibson. Kamilah has carved her own musical
direction, using her expansive vocal range along with the piano and guitar as
foundations for a strikingly personal sound. Her songs are a direct reflection
of her eclectic taste in music, melding together lyrics most often derived from
her own life experience and sounds from the folk, neo-soul, and jazz genres
among others.
In
2013, Kamilah competed in the renowned multi-talent Amateur Night competition
at the Apollo Theater. She finished as the top vocalist of the season, placing
third over nearly 400 other competitors. She will be bringing that same fearless
sound to entertain visitors to The Caribbean Stage with a few Bahamian songs
relating to the rum/bootlegging eras including the classic, “(Histe Up the)
John B. Sail” which was most notably covered by The Beach Boys in 1966.
The
artist stated: "It is an honor to have been asked to be a part of this
event. It really is such a privilege to come from a country with such a rich
and colorful cultural heritage. We have a wealth of artistic talent- both
visual and musical- and a rich history that should be experienced by visitors.
…BahaMen, GenoD, and Blind Blake are foundational figures in The Bahamas'
musical timeline. I have a profound respect for the style and culture they have
helped foster. I'm excited to have the opportunity to musically connect with their
works and put my own spin on songs so many Bahamians have lived with and loved
for generations.”
Following
Kamilah’s performance on Sunday, the winner of the Rum Weekend Getaway Giveaway
will be announced. One
lucky contestant will walk away from the New York Times Travel Show with an
all-expense paid vacation to the Bahamas.
Not only will the winner be treated to a stay at the internationally
renowned Atlantis, Paradise Island, they will also be invited to attend the
exciting Festival RumBahamas Weekend event and, of course, participate in one
of Islandz’ exceptional Rum-Runner’s Passage Tours. It is surely an event not be missed.
