Bahamas Information Services Updates
Bahamians perform at Beijing Festival
By Eric Rose, BIS
May 4, 2007 - 1:00:10 PM

BEIJING, China – A Bahamian cultural contingent is currently in Beijing, the People’s Republic of China, taking part in the 7th Meet In Beijing Arts Festival.
 
The Festival is a month-long event that showcases Chinese and international culture at various venues throughout the city.

The Bahamas is taking part in its Outdoors Performances series and the Chaoyang International Pop Festival, from April 30 to May 7, 2007.

Other performers also taking part in the Festival hail from countries such as Japan, Brazil, Rwanda and the United States.
 
“We would really like for the people of Beijing to really see who we are as a people, our culture, and how unique and different we are from any other group that might perform at the Festival,” said Special Projects Officer in the Cultural Affairs Division and Group Co-ordinator for the Bahamas Creative Folklore Arts Company Dr. Ann Higgins.
 
“The songs that we bring are very exciting and energetic songs and this is one of things that distinguish us from the others and they (Beijing) love it,” Dr. Higgins said. 
 
Dr. Higgins said that the group was created to showcase Bahamian singing and “folk” dancing at the Beijing Festival.
 

Anwar Thurston improvises a dance

“This is our fourth year at the Festival and every year we bring a different group of young people,” she said.
 
Each time Bahamian representatives are invited to perform in Beijing, she said, they are asked to bring a different aspect of Bahamian culture, such as a Junkanoo group or singers and dancers.
 
“What we do when we go home is find the talent and the young people, audition them and form a group,” she said.

“The organizers would also give us a count of how many people they would like for us to bring, usually between 20-22 persons, and we would work with them and rehearse vigourously with them to get them to ready to represent their country.”
 
Artistic Director of the group Pastor Henry Higgins said that they want to showcase to Beijing the indigenous music and dances that are traditionally performed in The Bahamas, especially from the “old times.”

A large crowd watching the members of The Bahamas Creative Folklore Arts Company performance in Chaoyang Park, Beijing

 “We hope that coming here we would be able to showcase some of our culture here and that would help to draw some of the people here to visit The Bahamas,” he said.
 
Mr. Higgins said it was “a blessing” to have a group of Bahamians – the youngest being 14 – who can sing and dance.
 
“Usually we bring singers or dancers, separate and apart, during different years; but this time we have a combination of both and I am just thankful that we have a chance to showcase their talent in other parts of the world,” he said.  “I am sure that the Chinese will accept them well and they will be appreciated for what they are doing.”
 
Mr. Higgins said that agencies of the Bahamas Government, especially the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Office of the Prime Minister, and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Bahamas assisted greatly with the group being in Beijing.
 
Dr. Higgins said that The Bahamas signed a cultural exchange agreement with China, about four years ago.

So, every year, the Government sees it fit to make sure that the agreement is in good standing by having the cultural exchanges come and go.
 
“In The Bahamas, we just had a Chinese Acrobatic Troupe and now we are here in Beijing, and we look forward to even more groups coming to The Bahamas and other groups coming to China through our governments’ cultural exchange programmes,”  she said.
 
The group members also shared in the sentiment of the importance of cultural sharing.
 
Makheba Rolle, a four-time “veteran” to the Festival, said that she likes that people here want to see Bahamian cultural expression.
 
“At home, with a few exceptions, you don’t really get people to come and certain kinds of Bahamian performances; but when we are here in China, the people just flock the stage area when we perform.
 
“When we start to dance, the people, if they are at another stage watching somebody else and they hear that we are on our stage, all come to watch us,” she said.
 
Mrs. Rolle said that, because of the number of outdoor performances they will be doing, at a minimum of over 30 minutes each, without intermissions, the newer Bahamian performers will have to learn to “keep up the energy.”
 
She also offered a word of advice to other young Bahamians who might be thinking about entering the cultural field. 
 
“A lot of people just drop our culture and pick up somebody else’s culture; but once you start performing and you see people that like what you’re doing, then you would be more excited,” she said. 
 
“I feel that it is a privilege just to be able to share what my culture is with others from other countries,” said group member Alice Cox.  “It is an honour to be here.”
 
“I am looking forward to representing The Bahamas and doing the best that I can do,” added first-timer Anwar Thurston, whose parents made the trip to Beijing with their son.
 
Pastor Higgins said that group members worked “real hard” preparing for the Festival. 
  
“When they are finished here, they will go onto bigger and better things,” he said.

Members of The Bahamas Creative Folklore Arts Company pose with Chinese and Bahamian performs in Chaoyang Park, Beijing, The People’s Republic of China

Photos all by Eric Rose  SEE ALSO - More Pictures from May 7th

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