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JUNKANOO
- Nickole Skye
- Dec 20, 2021
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 28, 2022
🔔🔔 'And dey call it
JUNKANOOO!' 🔔🔔
The biggest and mostly decorated spectacle in The Bahamas! Once you hear the sounds of those goat skin drums, the clanks and rings of the cow bells all else beginning, you cannot help but get into the grove. The excitement swells in us Bahamians, the rhythm naturally vibrates our bones! The most favourable time of the year, celebrated well over 200yrs!
You would have many stories about the origin of Junkanoo. But to keep things nice and simple it started here, in The Bahamas. And even though many other countries have similar, such as the carnivals in other Caribbean islands or South American ones. Our is old, original and just not quite the same. Different blood pumping through its heart!
Our ancestors of the Bahamas started this phenomenal tradition of music, artistic show and dance.
Yes Yes, but Nickole what is it!?
Junkanoo is a parade of which up to 1000 people are creating costumes sky high and colourful as a peacock, to get ready for their strut down Bay Street of Nassau come Christmas time.
As stated early it you will hear of the origins tweaked and differ from country and person. The most popular believe that a West African warrior chief whose English given name was John Canoe or January Conny, 'fell into slavery but outwitted the English and became a local hero in Jamaica'. However, let us take a closer look into this. As I've seen few say because of this statement, he was an 'African American' and that he outwitted in English in the Caribbean. Which is not true.
Ole Sir Johnny boy was a hero yes, but within the communities of those slaves of the early 1700s'. He was factually an incredibly clever chief of the Ahanta people who fought with numerous European traders not to mention establishing his own stronghold in his district of Ghana. I believe that the slaves from these areas, who have since been disbursed throughout the Caribbean, Bahamas and Jamaica being the main. That they of course brought with them to the west, the tales of the warrior chief who held his own and his people against the destructive Europeans. He was also one of the main African traders by the way to these Europeans. So obviously he knew a thing or two around these foreigners.
These slaves, stuck in the unfortunate situation of being pulled from their homes, their lives to get onboard a ship only to be dumped in the Caribbean to work. Of course one can conclude they thought of 'John Canoe' whilst being captured and in their new environment. A legend, role-model almost as they reflect on his control and power, hoping and wishing to perhaps achieve the same victories.
Thus, Junkanoo was born!!
In the Bahamas and in Jamaica. And again, I'm sure as one asks or does research there can be numerous telling of this story. But in the Bahamas, the truth, the history is as clear as day.
Our Junkanoo is a celebration of the slave owners giving the slaves 3 days of holiday around Christmas time. This gave the West Africans the opportunity to celebrate however they wanted, eat, dance, however. And so they took full advantage of this time and crafted elaborate costumes of anything they could have found to replicate the traditions of them home tribes in Africa.
And in conclusion, that is what is was/is all about, a celebration of history, music, dance, spirituality and freedom.
Take a look at this link for a quicker overview and a look into some stunning costumes:
I thank you all for taking the time to read this if you have made it this far :p
It is an real and true honour for me to share with you this history as it beyond rich. I am posting many links in hopes that you take a listen because the words are honestly not enough. I'm not sure if it is just because I'm Bahamian but I tear up a bit every single time is see a performance. Even whilst younger. The passion, the work you can visibly see, the rhythm of it all just takes over you. Growing up with it and it stuck inside your bones is something you cannot shake off.
Lil' side piece:
You know when you hear jingle bells and you automatically think Christmas? That is a Christmas song, you know Christmas is happening when you hear it or you just know period what the song is all about. It is an American song, however the entire world knows of it and again, it means Christmas to everyone.
There is a song like that in The Bahamas that means Christmas to us and I never noticed how foreign it might sound to others. How not-Christmas it can sound to someone who haven't heard it growing up every Christmas time.
How many Christmas words did I fit in this part? I am down now but give it a listen! I hope it gives you the same Christmasy vibes as the folks down in Baha.
Here you can hear the song you've just listened to ^ but played by the traditional bands (only the first 35secs):
Here you can check out a short beautiful film on Junkanoo and Covid:
More details about Junkanoo:
Plus a few more links for the curious :
https://sonichits.com/video/Geno_D./Junkanoo_On_Bay_Street_-_Geno_D
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20210818-the-bahamas-queen-of-junkanoo
https://www.bahamas.com/events/junkanoo
More about JohnyCanoes stronghold in Ghana: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princes_Town,_Ghana#Fort_Fredericksburg
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