The Grand Bahama Rundown ~ What Happened At Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival?

Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival kicked off tis weekend, in Grand Bahama, with an impressive lineup that included DMac, Rik Carey, Bunji Garlin, Kerwin DuBois, Ultimate Rejects, and Skinny Fabulous, just to name a few, as well as the semi-finalists of this year's Music Masters competition. The once cancelled event blazed on despite a boycott from many residents. The reasons for their displeasure was long and varied, ranging from voicing their political views, claims of not including enough local DJ's, and noting that that $20 price tag was too high for many residents. Many who didn't actively protest the event, noted that they simply didn’t know that the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival was happening or still happening - or they simple forgot. This year, the Grand Life hype squad was also noticeably absent, so there were not as many promo events across the island to excite the masses. Disregarding the challenges faced by the Grand Bahama leg of BJC, the event was still very enjoyable, as far as concerts go. The performers worked the stage hard, and those that did attend were lit, hype, and energetic. From the Bahamian pros to the international acts, there were few performances that fell flat. During night 2, the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival Music Masters competition was whittled down to 8 finalists: Patrice, Lil Joe Cartwright, Batangy, Muzical, Ilsha, Qpid, Sugar and Ebony. Benji and Sketch were noticeably absent during the competition and both were eventually disqualified, but the remaining acts soldiered on with their home-grown original songs.

The finalists lineup was expected, save for one or two surprises. PinkSands242 is a firm supporter of all Bahamian artistry, so we will not critique the performers or their songs, but we will say that some of the contestants were clearly unfamiliar with performing live, while others did an amazing job on that stage and sounded great, but didn't really fit the criteria listed by the judges for their submissions. We will also note that underdog and Grand Bahama native, Lil Joe Cartwright, was a crowd favorite due to his down home charm.

The New Providence leg of BJC will start on May 4. Despite initially delaying the event and then quickly doubling back to the original date, Road Fever groups are reporting that they are all but sold out, and there seems to be a greater level of excitement about the upcoming concerts than there was in Grand Bahama. I

It remains to be seen if the crowds will come out and carry on bad, but we will be there to give you the inside scoop…..