Big Blog 2

Ah, it’s the day after Christmas—a time when homes once bustling with festive holiday cheer begin to return to a sense of normalcy. The floor is littered with wrapping paper, discarded boxes, and tinsel. December 26 may be dedicated to tasks like returning unwanted gifts, tidying up the remnants of celebration, catching a football game, or assembling toys Santa forgot to put together in his workshop, unless you find yourself in the Bahamas, where December 26 is not just about the boring post-holiday routine. It’s Junkanoo time! Brief History Junkanoo is a street festival celebration that takes place a few times a year in the Bahamas, on Boxing Day (December 26), New Year’s Day, Independence Day, and some summer holidays. However, the most popular celebrations occur on Boxing Day and New Years Day in Nassau. Today, Junkanoo is marked by elaborate handmade floats groups of people or “rushers” who march and dance through the streets in rich costumes to soul-stirring music (Donaldson, 2022). The origin of Junkanoo, specifically the name is unknown, but has been once called John Canoe possibly after a West African Warrior King who aligned with Prussia against the English or a captured and enslaved prince by the same name who persuaded British colonists to give the slaves three days off during the holiday season (Kingsley, 2022). John Canoes were celebrated throughout the British Caribbean and in Coastal regions of the United States, but only Jamaica, Belize, and The Bahamas continue the tradition. Like it’s close cousin, Carnival, Junkanoo is a lively spectacle that blends European tradition with elements brought across the Atlantic from Africa. However, unlike Carnival or Mardi Gras, Junkanoo has not specific religious connection, and the music heard in Nassau is purely a Bohemian tradition and always live. (Modern Junkanoo playing “Victory in Jesus” with brass instruments and traditional percussion and dance.) The Spectacle In Junkanoo celebrations, the groups that participate and perform in the parades are commonly known as Junkanoo families or troupes. Consisting of performers, musicians, dancers, costume designers, and enthusiasts, Junkanoo organizations come together to create elaborate and vibrant displays and routines. Each group may spend months designing and crafting intricate costumes, choreographing dance routines, and perfecting musical arrangements to showcase their skill and cultural pride. These groups often have distinct names, identities, and legacies within the Junkanoo tradition, adding to the rich tapestry of the celebration (Donaldson, 2022). Early costumes were made from scraps of cloth; although some were made from scraps of anything. Sea sponges and banana leaves and bananas were common costume materials. Later costumes consisted of colorful newspaper and crepe paper. Masks, which represents a borrowed element of African culture were also apart of early costumes and are still sometimes today. Face painting originated with early celebrations where individuals would cover their faces in white flour paste (Bethel, 2015). Today costumes are made of cardboard, paper, and cloth, and provide the rich visual display that compliments the music and dance. On Boxing Day, families are awarded cash prizes for their performances and costumes, but on New Year’s day, it’s all about displaying cultural pride (Films Media Group 2015). Music According to Arlene Ferguson Nash, dubbed the Queen of Junkanoo, "At Junkanoo...the music is the core of the festival" (Donaldson, 2022). Percussion is at the core of Junkanoo music which provides the heartbeat of the celebration. The most notable instrument is the handmade Goombay drum. The Goombay drum, also known as the goat-skin drum is a made by stretching goat skin over any open-ended cylinder. In a Junkanoo parade you will see and hear drums made of old trash and wash tubs. Traditional drums were also made of rum casks. The drums provide the pulsating rhythm that embodies the spirit of Junkanoo and the spirit of the African Ancestry present in Bohemian music. both Junkanoo music and African war drums exhibit an emphasis on percussion and rhythmic expression, and the earliest Junkanoo celebrations resembled West African war marches, and the dances often appeared combative (Bethel, 2015). https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxIA9HtaveOzyNZr1DLfp6ORmJg2klERJC?si=wEBGq6bwoTDf-GRR (West African War Chant. Percussion) Other percussion instruments include cowbells, shakers, tambourines, and rake and scrape instruments. Rake and scrape refers to the use of a saw and screwdriver to produce a rhythmic sound that complements the drum (Films Media Group, 2015). Along with the whistle, conch shells, bicycle horns and any other noise makers, Junkanoo’s seemingly mismatched cacophony is blend of sounds that beautifully blend together and captivate even the most stoic viewers. (https://bahamas574.wordpress.com/global-contributions/) If you visit Nassau this season, you will likely experience groups that resemble a western marching band, with brass instruments. While the bugle was introduced early (18th Century) into Junkanoo music, brass instruments came along later as did the modern costumes and women participating. As seen in the video above, performers often play Christmas, Christian, or popular music. Jankunoo music once served as a form of self-expression and resistance against the oppression faced by enslaved people. Over the years, it evolved into a symbol of cultural identity and unity for the people of the Bahamas and continues to be an integral part of Bahamian heritage. Junkanoo music and celebrations serve as reminders of the resilience and strength of a people. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/limestone.edu?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffod-infobase-com.eu1.proxy.openathens.net%2FPortalPlaylists.aspx%3FwID%3D96757%26xtid%3D145731 (This is a good video about Junkanoo.) References Bethel, N. (2015, May 12). Junkanoo - Blogworld. Nicolette Bethel. https://nicobethel.com/nicobethel-blogworld/category/Junkanoo Donaldson, T. (2022). Junkanoo Joy in the Bahamas: Women's Wear Daily. Wwd, , 64. https://www.proquest.com/trade-journals/junkanoo-joy-bahamas/docview/2740558805/se-2 Films Media Group. (2015). Bahamas: Junkanoo celebration. Films On Demand. Retrieved December 2, 2023, from https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=96757&xtid=145731. Kingsley, S. (2022, October 3). The gold coast king who fought the might of Europe’s slave traders. Smithsonian.com. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/gold-coast-king-who-fought-might-europes-slave-traders-180980851/