thebahamasweekly.com - Bahamian musical artist to perform at New York Times Travel Show, courtesy of Islandz Tours

From:TheBahamasWeekly.com

Arts & Culture
Bahamian musical artist to perform at New York Times Travel Show, courtesy of Islandz Tours
Jan 23, 2015 - 7:49:16 AM

Bahamian musical artist and New York resident, Kamilah Gibson

From Friday, January 23^rd through Sunday, January 25^th, 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.