Carnival season is in full swing throughout The Caribbean and around the world, and as festivals ignite and masqueraders travel the globe in search of the next fete, preparations for one of the newest Carnival celebrations are underway in The Bahamas - Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival.
Now in its third year, Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival will give festival goers two jammed pack weekends of music, culture and vibes on two islands beginning with the kickoff event on April 28th and 29th in Freeport, Grand Bahama and Junkanoo Carnival celebrations May 4th – 7th in Nassau, New Providence.
The kickoff event is the Music Masters Semifinal Competition which will showcase sixteen Bahamian artists performing nineteen original songs over a two day period in the Da Cultural Village on Taino Beach in Freeport. The top ten finalists will be selected and advance to the finals in Nassau to compete for the top prize of twenty thousand dollars.
Scheduled events in Nassau include Junkamania, Music Masters Finale Concert night one and two, and the highly anticipated Road Fever March, where thousands of masqueraders from twenty-one Carnival Bands are expected to hit the street in full costume to participate in this year’s parade.
A jammed pack lineup of music artists from The Bahamas and Caribbean are scheduled to perform during the celebrations in Freeport and Nassau. Performance lineup includes guest artists Bunji Garland, Fyan Lyons, Ricardo Dru. Kevin DuBois, Machel Montano, Denise Belfon, Patrice Roberts, Farmer Nappy and Beres Hammond, and popular Bahamian artists Ericka ‘Lady E’ Symonette, Rik Carey, Avvy, Stileet, Mdeez and DMAC.
Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival is sponsored by BTC, Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Cash ‘N’ Go and KALIK Beer. For more information visit Bahamas Carnival on Facebook or www.bahamasjunkanoocarnival.com
Photo credit – Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival and The Grand Life.
By Yolanda Hanna