[xml][/xml]
The Bahamas Weekly Facebook The Bahamas Weekly Twitter
News : International Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM


Bahamas Independence Celebrated in Grand Style in D.C.
By Oswald Brown
Jul 11, 2016 - 3:05:15 PM

Email this article
 Mobile friendly page
Independence-DC.jpg
Top left: Paulette Zonicle, Bahamas Consul General to Washington, D.C., speaks at reception at the Hyatt in Bethesda, Maryland, on Friday evening, July 8th; Top Right: H.E. Dr. Eugene Newry, Bahamas Ambassador to the U.S., speaks at a picnic at the U.S.Coast Guard Base in Alexandria, Virginia. At right is Ms. Paulette Zonicle, Bahamas Consul General to Washington, D.C., and second from left is Ms. Cleola Hamilton, MP for South Beach and Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Bottom left: Enjoying Shaback at Bahamian High Tea on July 10th; and Bottom Right: Ambassador Newry welcomes guests to the Independence Reception on July 8th.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The 43rd anniversary of The Bahamas’ attainment of independence from Great Britain was celebrated in the Washington, D.C. area in grand style over the weekend with a series of events highlighted by a Bahamian High Tea and Concert at the Hyatt in Bethesda on Independence Day, Sunday, July 10, that featured a sensational performance by the Bahamian gospel ensemble Shaback.

Bahamians in the diaspora were joined by a well-represented cross-section of diplomats and members of the Washington, D.C.-area business community as His Excellency Dr. Eugene Newry, Bahamas Ambassador to the United States, and Ms. Paulette Zonicle, Bahamas Consul General to Washington, D.C., welcomed guests to a reception held in the ballroom of the Hyatt on Friday night, the first of four events.

Representing the Government of The Bahamas at the celebrations was Ms. Cleola Hamilton, MP for South Beach and Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who also delivered welcoming remarks.

The evening included an art exhibition featuring the works of Mr. Patrick Delaney, a Bahamian who lives in Maryland; a delectable buffet of mainly Bahamian food; entertainment by Dillion McKenzie (D-MAC) and a performance by Shaback, capped by a Junkanoo rush-out by the Junkanoo Gawds group.

DC-Junkanoo.jpg
Ms. Paulette Zonicle, Bahamas Consul General to Washington, D.C., and Ms. Cleola Hamilton, MP for South Beach and Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, joined in the Junkanoo rush out by Junkanoo Gawds by at the picnic held on the grounds of the U.S. Coast Guard Base in Alexandria, Virginia.

On Saturday afternoon scores of Bahamians and friends of The Bahamas continued the country’s independence celebrations at a picnic organized by the Bahamian American Association in the D.C. area and held on the grounds of the U.S. Coast Guard Base in Alexandria, Virginia, where Junkanoo Gawds again performed.

On Sunday morning the annual commemorative church service was held at the Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church in Northeast Washington, D.C.

Unquestionably, however, the highlight of the weekend celebrations was the High Tea and Concert, featuring a menu of Bahamian teas and confections.

Before the entertainment got underway, Mrs. Beth Stewart, proprietor of Beth’s Kitchen in Nassau, gave a brief talk on the various bush teas she produces, including stories about the purported benefits of Strongback, a bush tea which she claimed was used my parents in her native Exuma “to strengthen the backs of young boys who continued to wet their beds after a certain age.”

Mrs. Stewart had a collection of her various professionally packaged bush teas for sale at the event, as did Mrs. Bolera Glinton, whose BGG Creative Essentials business produces hand-made designer handbags.

Shaback-in-DC.jpg
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Shaback, the renowned Bahamian gospel ensemble, performed several gospel songs at the start of Bahamian High Tea and Concert at the Hyatt in Bethesda on Sunday, July 10, 2016, one of the events held over the weekend celebrating the 43rd anniversary of The Bahamas’ attainment of independence from Great Britain. They came back on stage later to close out the concert with a medley of traditional Bahamian songs that ended with a dance fest involving virtually every member of the audience before the concert came to a close with everyone singing The Bahamas National Anthem.

In addition to the amazing performances by Shaback, who first performed several gospel songs and came back on stage later to close out the concert with a medley of traditional Bahamian songs, guests at the concert were also treated to exceptional performances by Opera Singer Bridgette Cooper, who has Bahamian roots in Eleuthera, and the gifted and talented Bahamian concert pianist Dion Cunningham, a graduate from the prestigious Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University with a Master of Music in Piano and a doctorate from the University of Maryland.

Shaback provided the music for what turned out to be dance fest with virtually every member of the audience participating before the concert came to a close with everyone singing The Bahamas National Anthem.

DSC_0014.JPG
In addition to an amazing performance by Shaback at the Bahamian High Tea and Concert at the Hyatt in Bethesda on Sunday, July 10, 2016, celebrating the 43rd anniversary of The Bahamas’ attainment of independence from Great Britain, guests were treated to exceptional performances by Opera Singer Bridgette Cooper, who has Bahamian roots in Eleuthera, and the gifted and talented Bahamian concert pianist Dion Cunningham, a graduate of the prestigious Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University with a Master of Music in Piano and a doctorate from the University of Maryland. Mr. Cunningham accompanied Ms. Cooper and also performed solo. They are pictured performing above.



DSC_0041.JPG
Enjoying Shaback at the Bahamian High Tea & Concert -- Pictured from left dancing to the music of Shaback are: Ms. Cleola Hamilton, MP for South Beach and Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Miss Stephanie Rahming, Accounts Officer at the Bahamas Embassy Consular Annex; and Ms. Paulette Zonicle, Bahamas Consul General to Washington, D.C.



Bookmark and Share




© Copyright 2016 by thebahamasweekly.com

Top of Page

Receive our Top Stories



Preview | Powered by CommandBlast

International
Latest Headlines
PM Davis congratulates Miss Teenager Bahamas Flonique Lightbourn
Minister of State Rahming at UN 66th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women
Prince William and The Earthshot Prize Winners and Finalists take centre stage on Day 2 at COP26
Jamaica’s agro-processing sector being enhanced by joint CDB, EU, JBDC project
OAS General Secretariat on the Assassination of the President of Haiti