“You cannot
discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”
These words are so appropriate when I think about where we are in our cultural
innovation and evolution. Junkanoo and rake n’ scrape are the premier sounds of
The Bahamas. If these two foundations of cultural expressions are to not only
survive but take its place on the global stage then massive changes must take
place.
Nicolette
Bethel published a report for the College of The Bahamas title: Pricing the
Dream – The Economics of Junkanoo. In that report she stated that the direct
and indirect cost of putting on the two Junkanoo parades was $18,535,000 at
that time. A lot of people seem to think that culture suppose to be for free.
However, the first page of any Economics text book states that there is no free
lunch. In the end, someone always have to pay. Without a profit motive, nothing
can sustain itself long-term.
Carnival is
a money making venture and Junkanoo is not. The danger is that what you feed
grows and what you neglect eventually dies. Some people also believe that
culture suppose to remain static or stay the same over time. That is exactly what
has happened to rake n’ scrape. It is still the same since Ed Moxey gave it
that name almost fifty years ago. As a result of that, the sound has not gone
through commercial innovation the way reggae has even though both emerged
around the same time. If you listen to
Bob Marley through the ages you will notice the change in sound. It started as
Ska then moved on to Rocksteady and then Reggae. It has now evolved into a new
concept called Dancehall which is heard all around the world. You often hear people talk about Goombay but
few can tell you what it is. It was the sound that Freddy Munnings Sr and
others gave to the music of the night club era. They wanted a different name
from Calypso that the rest in the Caribbean were doing. When the night clubs
died so did Goombay. We fail to acknowledge it but that is the reality. The
Ministry of Tourism has used the name Goombay on various festivals but that is
just in name only. The two remaining important elements of our musical culture,
Junkanoo and rake n’ scrape has not gone through much commercial innovation.
After the
first Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival, many ask why not put nine million dollars into
Junkanoo. The problem with that is no one has ever produced a business plan to
show how to make Junkanoo profitable. One thing we have learnt is that
Bahamians want to have fun and also participate. I think it is time for a major
overhaul of Junkanoo in order to take it to the next level. Here are my
suggestions:
1. Each Junkanoo group must incorporate and treat the group
as a business entity with proper policies, procedures and corporate governance.
2. Have a weeklong Junkanoo Festival from
December 25 –
January 1.
2. Have different contest on various days at the Cultural
Village on Western Esplanade with the same format that was used for Junkanoo
Carnival. This could consist of drums, horns, dance etc.
3. Have large concerts on various nights. Byron Lee & the
Dragonaires use to perform here every Christmas for a whole week.
4. Have one big parade from the Eastern Parade grounds in the
east to Western Esplanade in the west.
5. Have judging and viewing of big customs under a big tent
on Western Esplanade. Many of the big customs are so tall that they touch the
electrical wires and so wide that they touch people on the sideline.
6. Each group can have a separate section for fan
participation at the end of the official group performance. Fans and tourist can
purchase t-shirts, small customs and musical tools from each group.
7. Allow a Junkanoo Group Co-Operative to control all
revenues from the bleachers and vendors at the parade and everything that
happens in the Cultural Village.
We must also
get away from the mentality of begging for sponsorship every year and focus on
commercial activities supported by the fan base. It will give a new meaning to
being a Valley, Saxon etc. Each Junkanoo group can have year round parties,
events, performances and merchandise. They would then be able to employ many
members of their group full time. This would be the beginning of the new
Junkanoo industry that would separate Junkanoo from Carnival. Both can coexist but
has to be separate and different from each other. Also not to confuse the
visitor a better name for our Carnival is Bahamas Beach Carnival. This has
great marketing appeal for tourism and highlights the uniqueness that this is
the only Carnival that is held on a beach.
I understand
that Trinidad is interested in starting their version of Junkanoo. They know of
the economic impact of Carnival and are looking to duplicate that with another
festival. It would be a shame for them to take what we have and commercialize
it while we are forever stuck on who got rob by the judges at the end of each
parade.
Rudolph Dean