Director of culture hints at similar Junkanoo aspects for Family Islanders
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Fourteen Junkanoo groups will showcase performances during a virtual event expected to be aired on Boxing Day, confirmed Acting Director of Culture Dereka Deleveaux-Grant.
The annual Boxing Day and New Year’s Day parades were canceled for a second consecutive year due to the lingering COVID-19 pandemic and the recent threat of the new omicron variant.
In an interview with Eyewitness News, Deleveaux-Grant said the ministry is working in collaboration with the Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence (JCNP) to bring some form of Junkanoo to the Bahamian public this holiday season.
“Last week, we would have done recordings with various Junkanoo groups who registered with JCNP and we would have done recordings in small groupings of their best presentations under the theme ‘The Spirit of Junkanoo,’” she said.
She further advised that 14 Junkanoo groups from both the A and B categories have participated.
Deleveaux-Grant noted that the footage will be edited and aired on social media and on ZNS.
Last year, the JCNP partnered with ZNS and Junkanoo242, a local talk show, to produce a virtual parade.
Every Junkanoo group was asked to submit footage of their best parade over the past decade, which was aired with live commentary, with groups explaining the thought process surrounding their selection and experiences over the years.
We didn’t want to go another year without having Junkanoo.
– Acting Director of Culture Dereka Deleveaux-Grant
In October, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg confirmed the cancelation of the holiday parades and said “at this time, the health of the nation is [of] the utter-most importance”.
As of Monday, the number of COVID-19 cases in the country stood at 23,161, with 535 active.
Deleveaux-Grant underscored the importance of holding the virtual event this year to give the Bahamian people a taste of the cultural celebration.
“The psychosocial aspect of our culture and our people was at the forefront,” she said.
“To bring something Junkanoo to the people was very important. We didn’t want to go another year without having Junkanoo.”
She added that Family Islands that usually have Junkanoo parades between January and June will also have a similar aspect of Junkanoo to look forward to.
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