Rock the City: What's Happening

 

 

Dion Cunningham piano concert

 

 

 Jonny Cake live onstage

 

 

 Yah Doctrine live stream virtual event

 

What's Happening: Dion Cunningham, Jonny Cake, Yah Doctrine + Career Opportunities. Read more>>

The Queen is Back! Sweet Emily Drops New Single

 

The Queen of Rake n Scrape, our very own Sweet Emily, has a special gift for everyone this Valentine’s season. She just announced her brand-new single titled “Can’t Help Falling In Love.”

Sweet Emily shared the big news on her Facebook page, showing off a beautiful new cover (check it out above!) and giving us the heads-up that this track is dropping just in time for the holiday of love. Whether it comes out right before or on Valentine’s Day, it’s definitely going to be the perfect song to set the mood.

A Bahamian Legend

​We all know and love Sweet Emily for her classic hits that get everyone on the dance floor, like:

• ​“Someday”

• ​“Look What Ya Do”

• ​“Its Junkanoo”

​She’s been busy lately, too! You can find her featured in the 2026 Bahama Beat Calendar presented by BAF General. She’s standing alongside other Bahamian greats like Shine, KB, Juliet Believe, and Stileet. It’s amazing to see our legends getting the shine they deserve.

​Spread the Love

​Make sure you keep an eye out for the official release of “Can’t Help Falling In Love.” Once it drops, be sure to share it with your friends, family, and that special someone!

The Region Bells - Send Down Fire

 

 

 

The Region Bells - Send Down Fire

 

Visit my Vintage Gold Bahamian Music 

Culture at the Cay

 

Get ready for Culture at the Cay!

The Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture invites the public to Arawak Cay, Nassau, on Saturday, January 10, 2026, from 12PM to 10PM for a full day of Bahamian music, art, food and family fun.

Enjoy exciting activities including breadmaking and pizza making, live painting by Preston Hanna, the All Bahamian Book Fair, costume and decorating competitions, Bahamian Flix, game time, a national dance showcase, and so much more!

Bring the entire family and come experience the vibrant spirit of our culture by the sea.
 

Don’t miss it!

2025 Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade: December 25th, 2025

 

 

 

 2025 Boxing Day Junkanoo Parade: December 25th, 2025 

 

Related article: Boxing Day: Meaning and Origins

Boxing Day: Meaning and Origins

 

"Boxing Day in The Bahamas" - Bahamas AI Art

 ©A. Derek Catalano

 

Boxing Day: Meaning and Origins

Boxing Day is celebrated on December 26, the day after Christmas, and is a public holiday in many countries—especially those with historical ties to the British Empire, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of the Caribbean. Wikipedia

The name Boxing Day may seem strange at first, but it comes from a centuries-old tradition of giving “boxes” of gifts, money, goods, or charity to those in service roles or in need. In earlier times, aristocratic households gave servants and tradespeople gifts or gratuities—sometimes in decorative boxes—on the day after Christmas. This was both a form of gratitude for their service and an opportunity for workers to visit their own families after working on Christmas Day itself. Encyclopedia Britannica

Another linked tradition stems from the practice in Christian churches of placing alms boxes for donations to the poor; these boxes were opened and distributed on December 26, which is also the feast day of Saint Stephen—Christianity’s first martyr, known for his service to those in need. Wikipedia

Over time the holiday evolved. In some countries it became associated with sporting events (e.g., football and cricket matches in the UK and Australia) and, in many places today, major shopping sales. In others—particularly the Caribbean—it became a day for vibrant cultural celebrations rather than simply a day of rest or commerce. Encyclopedia Britannica

Happy Boxing Day 2025

 

"Happy Boxing Day 2025" - Bahamas AI Art

 ©A. Derek Catalano

Green Turtle Cay New Year's Day Junkanoo Parade

 

Green Turtle Cay

New Year's Day Junkanoo Parade

 

January 1st at 2:00PM

Starts at the Basketball Court

 

Celebrating the Origins of Junkanoo-

FROM WHICH WE CAME 

The Authentically Bahamian Christmas Festival 2025

 

The Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation,

the National Junkanoo Committee,

and the Tourism Development Corporation

proudly present

 

THE AUTHENTICALLY BAHAMIAN

CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL

 

December 18 & 19

9:00AM – 4:30PM

 Pompey Square, Bay. St,

Nassau, Bahamas 

Come and experience Bahamian Christmas treats,

costume-building competitions, skits, handcrafted ornaments,

and the vibrant energy of Junkanoo.

Christmas Party Over-the-hill 2019

 

 

 This is how we do it over-the-hill, Nassau, Bahamas. 😊

Royal Bahamas Police Force Christmas Beat Retreat 2025 - December 14th, 2025

  

 

Royal Bahamas Police Force Christmas Beat Retreat 2025

December 14th, 2025

Christmas Past  & Present

The Damaging Impact of Jamaican Culture on The Bahamas

 "Jamaican Influence" - Bahamas AI Art

 ©A. Derek Catalano

 

 

Yardie Imperialism and the Bahamian Identity Crisis: The Double-Edged Sword of Jamaican Musical Hegemony

Abstract - The cultural relationship between Jamaica and The Bahamas is one of profound intimacy and stark imbalance. For decades, the sonic landscape of The Bahamas has been dominated not by the indigenous rhythms of Rake 'n' Scrape or Goombay, but by the thumping basslines of Jamaican Roots Reggae and Dancehall. While the former provided a shared language of black empowerment and Pan-Africanism, the latter has introduced a set of behavioral norms, linguistic shifts, and social values that arguably threaten the distinct cultural fabric of The Bahamas. This essay examines the mechanisms of this cultural transfer, arguing that the dominance of Jamaican popular culture acts as a form of "soft imperialism" that displaces local identity, fosters imported social pathologies, and relegates authentic Bahamian artistic expression to the margins of its own society.

Foreign Cultural Influence

 

"Stop Twerkin' an' Start Workin'" - Bahamas AI Art

 ©A. Derek Catalano

 

Foreign Cultural Influence

 

Have we noticed that foreign reggae music has infiltrated and become a big part of our Bahamian culture for many years now?

 

There's a Christmas event happening now on the basketball park by me. They started off by playing a half-dozen Bahamian songs then they switched to hardcore dancehall reggae and that's all they've been playin' for the last two hours. How da hell we get like dis an' what could we do 'bout it?

 

Beware of other cultures taking over.

 

Related article: The Damaging Impact of Jamaican Culture on The Bahamas

Related article: Report on Bahamian Culture

Battle of the High School Pop Bands 2025

Battle of the High School Pop Bands

 

Monday, December 15th, 2025 at 5pm

Rawson Square, Bay St.

Nassau, Bahamas

Christmas Beat Retreat 2025

 

Christmas Beat Retreat

 

 Theme:

Christmas Past & Present

 

14th December, 2025 at 4:00PM

Rawson Square, Bay Street

Nassau, Bahamas 

 

 

Sammy, CJ an' da Boys - Junkanoo Jam - ©A. Derek Catalano

 

Joe Billy Park, Fowler St.
Nassau, Bahamas.

 

Junkanoo: Securing Cultural Heritage Through Youth Engagement

The rhythmic pulse of the goatskin drum, the incessant clang of the cowbell, and the kaleidoscope of crepe paper costumes—this is Junkanoo, the quintessential cultural expression of The Bahamas. More than a celebratory street parade held on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, Junkanoo is a vibrant, living repository of Bahamian identity, history, and artistic genius. However, like any cherished tradition, its survival is not guaranteed. The intentional, detailed, and comprehensive transmission of the Junkanoo culture to the upcoming youth is not merely desirable but foundational to the nation's cultural future, ensuring that this ancestral celebration continues to evolve while honoring its profound roots.

Joseph Spence: Bahamian Master Guitarist and Folk Legend

 Joseph Spence - © Guy Droussart

 

 

Joseph Spence: Bahamian Master Guitarist and Folk Legend

Joseph T. Spence (August 3, 1910 – March 18, 1984) was a highly influential Bahamian guitarist and singer, whose unique, virtuosic fingerstyle guitar playing and distinctive vocalizations left an indelible mark on folk and acoustic music globally.

Baha Men: A Global Pop Phenomenon

Baha Men

(image source)

Baha Men: A Global Pop Phenomenon

Baha Men is a Grammy Award-winning Bahamian band best known for their infectious, globally successful 2000 hit, "Who Let the Dogs Out?" However, their story is much more extensive than a single novelty track. For decades Baha Men have been pioneers in modernizing and popularizing Junkanoo, the vibrant, traditional street-parade music of the Bahamas, fusing it with contemporary pop, dance and hip-hop.

The Cultural Awards 2025

 

 

 The Bahamas Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture

presents

The Cultural Awards 2025

 

 Atlantis, Paradise Is. Atlantis Theater

 

Saturday 25, October 2025

 

Cocktail Reception: 6:45pm

Award Show: 8pm

 

Tickets: $100 - Available at:

Bahamas Musicians & Entertainers Union - Horseshoe Drive and Carter St.

The Seventeen Shop - Collins Ave.

Escape Travel - Marathon Rd.(opp. KFC)

 

Dress Code: Formal 

Conga Scrape

 

 Conga Scrape - ©A. Derek Catalano

 

Here's a beat I created 20 years ago. It was originally a MIDI file but I finally got around to converting it to a WAV file which was needed for my video editor. Enjoy.

 

Related music: I Don't Like Rum