Calling all Bahamians!   The BAAI Brings New York-based Bahamians Together for a Night of Fun, Fellowship and Charitable Giving

New York, NY — The Bahamian American Association, a nonprofit , 97-year-old icon of Harlem devoted to Bahamian fellowship in America and the betterment of Bahamian American society, is inviting all New York-area-based Bahamians and friends of Bahamians to a “meet and greet” mixer for a night of fun, food, libations, entertainment and fellowship. The event, organized and hosted by Anwar Rolle of Island Boy 4 Ever Entertainment, and formerly the lead singer of the Baha Men (known for their hit single “Who Let the Dogs Out”), will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2009, from 7 p.m. until closing, at the Astoria Manor in Queens, New York. The mixer will benefit the BAAI scholarship fund.

The evening will include a cocktail hour with a delictable assortment of hot and cold
hors d’oeuvres and a formal dinner. Dinner and dancing music will be provided by DJ David, renowned for his appearances at the world famous Atlantis resort and casino’s “Dragons” club in Nassau.

Several prizes will be raffled off, including a two-night stay at Sheraton Grand Bahama Lucaya Resort, a five-star resort on the island of Grand Bahama, sponsored by the Grand Bahama Tourism Board (www.grandbahamavacations.com ), and a seven-night stay at the five-star Sandy Port Resort in Nassau, sponsored by www.SandyPort.com , as well as additional surprises througout the evening.  

Attendees will meet The Bahamas Weekly Team, Dave Mackey and Robbin Whachell on the red carpet and have the opportunity to give a shout out to folks back home in The Bahamas. Photo: Tim Aylen

Walk the red carpet! A red carpet webcast will be recorded during the event. All Bahamians attending are encouraged to record a message to their friends and family back home. The webcast, which is sponsored by The Bahamas Weekly and will be made available on www.thebahamasweekly.com  MySpace, Facebook,  and www.bahamianamericanassociation.org . In addition, both the Bahamian American Association and Anwar Rolle will be awarding scholarships throughout the evening.

“Bahamians who are away from their homeland really value the ability to congregate with their fellow Bahamians,” said Mr. William R. Dames, president of the Bahamian American Association. “At the BAAI, we strive to foster that togetherness on a regular basis and also to come together to do good within the Bahamian American community. The scholarship fund is a major focus of BAAI and we are pleased to be able to award two scholarships at this event.”

To order tickets for the mixer, go to www.bahamianamericanassociation.org. Those unable to attend can also make a donation to BAAI online.

About the Bahamian American Association

The BAAI is an outgrowth of the Nassau Bahamas Association, Inc. BAAI was incorporated on September 23, 2002 to acquire not-for-profit status under 501C3, and to address the present realities of the Bahamian American Community. BAAI’s mission is to unite Bahamians, Bahamian Americans and all persons of good will for the purpose of promoting and sharing their cultural heritage, education and social activities, which furthers the interest of the community, directly and indirectly, in the spirit of the American Way and to create programs of a social, cultural, and educational nature designed to benefit the community, particularly our youth and senior citizens. By working together, we hope to demonstrate the positive values of The Bahamas and America in our community and elsewhere.

About Anwar Rolle

International singer, songwriter, producer and artist, Anwar Rolle is the son of the late Tony Seymour Sr., the first Bahamian ever to achieve a gold record, by selling more than 1 million records, in the 1960s. Singing and performing since the tender age of eight, Anwar was part of the Grammy award winning group, The Baha Men, known for their hit song, “Who Let the Dogs Out”. While with the group, he toured Europe and Japan, and was the voice of the Royal Towers at Atlantis, where the Baha Men performed nightly. He has since gone on to form two companies : VIP Entertainment , based in Nassau, Bahamas, and entertainment and recording company Island Boy 4 Ever Entertainment, Inc., based in New York. Through VIP, Anwar books entertainment for corporate groups coming to the Bahamas from all over the world. On the Island Boy label, he has released two singles featuring multi-platinum rappers, including Talib Kweli on a song titled Natural Woman, and Joe Budden on a song titled Stressin. On August 1, the Island Boy website will be relaunched with new downloads and videos, and will be raffling off a chance to win a weekend stay at the W Hotel in New York. In February, 2010, Anwar will be releasing a full length album titled Bahamian in New York, featuring a new innovative sound known as “Junka-Pop-Rock”.