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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
A dancer for the Valley Boys shows performs for the crowd. (Photo by Derek Smith)
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Nassau, Bahamas - Director of Events at the Ministry of Tourism Charity Armbrister has dubbed the first weekend of the Summer Junkanoo Festival, a “great success” as hundreds turned out to support the festival.
The event is taking place every Friday and Saturday during the month of July between 7:00 p.m. and midnight.
Every Friday night B Junkanoo groups perform and Saturday it is the A groups turn.
One of the lead dancers from Colours Junkanoo Group wowed the crowd with his acrobatic moves. (Photo by Derek Smith)
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The weekend of July 4 and 5 featured dance choreography with dancers in full costumes and backed by the backline.
On Friday, dancers from Colours, Conquerors for Christ, Red Land Soldiers, the Body of Christ and the Original Congos pleased the crowd.
On Saturday, it was the turn of Roots, the Valley Boys, Prodigal Sons, Music Makers, One Family and the Saxon Superstars to have the people on Bay Street watching in awe as the dancers performed.
The ladies of Colours display national pride by wearing the colours of the Bahamian flag. (Photo by Derek Smith)
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The director said despite the first night having a few hiccups, officials were able to tweak a few things and as a result there was much improvement on Saturday.
“The crowd is just overwhelming. Like I said before, and I will say again, it is like Christmas in July. The A groups really came out in full force and did not hold back anything. The music was just super and I cannot imagine what they are going to do next week for the music competition.
“I think as the weeks go on, it will get better and better because we will be looking to see how we can improve it each and every week. We are getting ideas and suggestions from persons who are attending and some of them have made some really great suggestions that we will obviously take into consideration. So we are looking forward to a great month for Junkanoo Summer Festival.”
Roots got the crowd in the mood by leading off the night. (Photo by Derek Smith)
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Angelique McKay, Cultural Events Coordinator in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, who was a part of the planning for the Festival explained that the dancers were accompanied by the backline so that spectators at the Summer Junkanoo Festival could actually feel the heightened level of performance and competition experienced during Junkanoo on Boxing Day or New Year’s Day.
“They are also fully costumed so that anybody walking on Bay Street so we can get that true Junkanoo feel, and not a watered down version that people often say are represented at different Junkanoo performances in the hotels.
Colours Junkanoo Group performs moves that please the crowd during the Summer Junkanoo Festival and showed their flexibility. (Photo by Derek Smith)
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Mixed in with the overwhelming number of local residents who were attracted to the Festival were visitors to The Bahamas. The majority of them came from North America but a few even came from Brazil, leaving their country to visit at a time when there is tons of hype and excitement over the 2014 FIFA World Cup in their own nation.
Doug Carpenter and his wife Rose who hail from Toronto, Canada and talked about what they felt after seeing some of the groups perform. Doug said, “It is great and it looks as if they work hard. We like that they get the children involved and we also feel safe.”
The Saxons Superstars dancers show off their moves. (Photo by Derek Smith)
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Another couple, from a city close to Philadelphia, Al and Bonnie Miller were visiting The Bahamas with their daughter Christine and they thought that the dance routines were just spectacular.
The Millers like many of the visitors were informed of the Festival by taxi or their bus drivers. Ministry officials are urging those in the transportation industry and those working in the hotels to spread the word that the Summer Junkanoo Festival will take place every weekend in July so that the visitors can come out and enjoy not only Junkanoo but native dishes as well.
Vendors are serving the normal Bahamian dishes like crab ‘n dough, bake crab, crab soup, peas soup and conch salad. However, there are also some new tasty dishes being introduced such as conch rolls, shrimp balls, conch balls and fish balls. There are also sweet treats, daiquiris, smoothies and much more. There are also vendors selling Junkanoo paraphernalia that are creative and unique.
Dancers from The Body of Christ show of their choreographed dance moves. (Photo by Derek Smith)
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Next weekend, July 11 and 12, the focus will be on the music of Junkanoo from the brass section all the way to last base drummer in the line. So again residents and visitors are invited to come out and experience the culture of the Bahamian people. No one will leave disappointed.
The festival is being sponsored by Cable Bahamas, Atlantis, the Royal Bank of Canada, John Bull and Abaco Markets.
© Copyright 2014 by thebahamasweekly.com
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