Junkanoo 2019/20 ft.
Kay Kay (Roots Choreographed Dancer)
Yorick (Valley Bass Drummer)
Junkanoo is a Bahamian cultural celebration that includes dance, music, spirituality, and a celebration of freedom. In its purest form, it was how the slaves expressed jubilation from the their lives of captivity. "It is a unique embodiment of Bahamian slave spirituality". The story of African slavery in the Bahamas and Caribbean in many ways is no different than that of America. They were ripped from their homeland and brought to a new world of strange sights, sounds, and tastes as well as people who were vastly different from themselves. In order to keep the connection with their homeland, they did what they knew: They celebrated. Through this celebration they resisted their oppression on two of the three days of rest given to them each year: the day after Christmas and New Years Day. Junkanoo has been an important part of the development of Bahamian culture. The early history of Junkanoo is somewhat unclear. The most widely accepted story of the origins is that Junkanoo was named after John Canoe (spelled in various ways in the different accounts), who was often portrayed as a rebellious slave, while at other times as a successful Black merchant in West Africa whose story was carried over to the Bahamas through oral tradition. Junkanoo was originally celebrated in the evenings, after the slave owners had gone to bed. Later, it was celebrated on the days they did not have to work. After slavery was abolished, the festival continued; however, there was a brief period where it was discontinued because the celebration got out of hand, often leading to crime. Later, it was brought back and reclaimed as an important part of Bahamian culture. Today, Junkanoo is spoken of mostly in terms of the celebration: the festival of costumes, music, and dance.
- credit to Nicollete Bethel article
Major A Groups:
One Family, Saxons, Valley, One Family, Roots, Prodigal Sons, Genesis
Show Topics
- How do you become apart of Junkanoo?
- What is it like to prepare for Junkanoo? When does that start?
- What do the die hard junkanooers think about carnival?
- Does junkanoo have the potential to grow? Does it need to? How do you see that happening?
- What should we expect from your own individual groups this year?
