NASSAU, Bahamas — The second annual Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival presented by BTC was an extraordinary success, said Bahamas National Festival Commission (BNFC) Chairman Paul Major.
“We invested heavily this year to ensure there was a perfect dose of music, culture and vibes. That investment paid off in a big way. Inside Da Cultural Village during the day we had Rake n’ Scrape music, interactive cultural demonstrations and the first ever Junkanoo Carnival Regatta. We also supported the Art Pavilion, which was downtown at Hillside House. Every night we had Bahamian and international entertainers electrify the thousands of patrons that turned out. And on Saturday, the Road Fever Parade and aftermath concert provided a fantastic end to the three day event” said Major yesterday.
“I think last night (Saturday) was the most extraordinary. We probably had 20,000 (at the concert) last night. People arrived out there at 1 a.m. trying to buy tickets.”
Major was referring to the closing concert of the festival which featured Bunji Garlin, Willis and the Illest Band, Puzzle and Taurus Riley, to name a few.
Junkanoo Carnival started Thursday, May 5 with the opening of the Road to Carnival, a path from Festival Place to Da Village on the Western Esplanade lined with creatively designed directional signs by Beadle Work. The Road to Carnival was a tremendous hit with visitors. Throughout the festival, tourists took the path and wound up at Da Village to take part in the pineapple eating festival, to watch the regatta and participate in the hourly Junkanoo rush outs, among other things.
There was also uniquely Bahamian food available throughout the three-day event.
The nightly concerts were also spectacular with a major highlight of Friday’s Mega Concert being the crowd-pleasing performance of Fanshawn Taylor who won the Music Masters Song Competition with “Dig Up Da Road”. Wyclef Jean’s electrifying performance was another highlight along with D-Mac’s performance of the Junkanoo Carnival theme song.
Wyclef expressed his love for the Bahamas to the thousands of people on Clifford Park; paying homage to The Bahamas by incorporating a Junkanoo performance into his set.
Roscoe Dames, CEO of the BNFC said Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival is having a phenomenal impact. “Everyone put their best foot forward for these events and can be proud of the roles they are playing in boosting the cultural industries. This is unique stuff we are doing here and it is clear that many Bahamians are embracing it.”
“The Bahamas National Festival Commission is blessed to have such an amazing title sponsor in BTC. They provided support for every aspect of the festival and through their BTC TV helped to broadcast the event in 12 Caribbean countries and across the world through their online streaming,” said Dames.
