There is a heated dialogue going on between the Bahamas National Festival Commission (BNFC) and carnival skeptics. Since the prime minister's April announcement of the government's intention to provide the carnival with $9 million in support, the event has incited a public debate - often facilitated by publicized letters.
As with all debates, there are a number of advantages to this: the exchange helps to point out weaknesses in the arguments of those opposed and in favor, spectators may gain deeper understandings of the topics in dispute and the dialogue promotes further consideration of issues in contention that might otherwise have been overlooked.
There are several aspects of the carnival that have offended the fervently opposed, among them:
o The alien nature of the carnival - it being an event Bahamians have never laid claim to as our own;
o The 'diluting' effect the carnival may have on traditionally Bahamian events;
o The amount of funding given to the event, in the face of existing national festivals, which receive little government financial assistance.
It's all in the name
Despite heavy protest from outspoken Bahamians, the BNFC has defended its use of the name carnival, which Paul Major, chairman of the BNFC, believes is essential to gain "instant traction", that is, instant international marketing appeal.
The move has drawn criticism from as far as the U.K., with Stephen Spark, from Soca News Magazine voicing his opinion on the use of carnival as a marketing tool. Spark, in a letter published in the e-newsletter, Bahamian Art & Culture, argued that the carnival is "way more important than that (referring to a marketing tool)".
"To reduce such an extraordinarily complex and multi-layered combination of celebration, rebellion, artistry and creativity...to a 'cultural product' that's just a marketing vehicle, a means of boosting GDP, shows a spectacular lack of understanding and imagination," he said.
Major has dismissed Spark's statement as unimportant, saying that he has heard that carnival originated in "a thousand places, if not one".
"And really what's the relevance in the 21st century? The bottom line is, we're trying to put on a cultural event highlighting and showcasing Bahamian talent and art through the vehicle of a carnival," he said.
Meanwhile, artists Dionne Benjamin-Smith and Stan Burnside as well as author Patricia Glinton-Meicholas have questioned the commission's refusal to consider a title merging a traditional festival with its newer counterpart. Benjamin-Smith has suggested calling the event "Junkanoo Carnival" or "Junkanoo Festival".
"That would be a more authentic grounding from which to start and a beginning to a reconciliation between both sides of the discussion," she said.
An issue of import
In the face of concerns that the commission has been liaising with Trinidadian carnival experts to 'import' the Trinidadian carnival to The Bahamas, the BNFC has vehemently denied intentions to copy or bring the Trinidadian carnival to the country. Major distinguished the Bahamas Carnival from the largely disappointing carnivals of Mauritius, Seychelles and Nigeria, saying that those nations 'lifted' the Trinidadian carnival to their countries.
"We went down there (to Trinidad) to see them in December, I think it was, and they wanted to wholesale come here, lift their carnival, bring their groups and we just buy into that. We said 'No, no, no, no. That (is not) what we (came) for."
Major maintains that the trip and ongoing consultations have been for the purpose of enabling the BNFC to understand logistical details. "We don't want to lift carnival. We've got a consultant just to make sure that we understand all the security aspects, other logistical aspects...but we know how to judge a parade. We've done it for 200 years. We know how to build costumes."
Competition or complement?
Burnside has expressed worry about the carnival's impact on the sustainability of Junkanoo, saying the Junkanoo artists' involvement with the carnival could have a negative impact on their ability to produce works for Junkanoo. This falls in line with other concerns over the May 2015 festival 'diluting' traditional cultural celebrations.
"Junkanoo is a year-round endeavor for the serious Junkanoo groups, and I include everybody in 'serious Junkanoo groups'...If they're not in the shacks producing the works, they are thinking about what it is they're going to do in the shacks. So, because it's a year-round activity, if you take these Junkanoo artists and you give them another festival to produce for and create costumes for the thousands of people you say are coming to this new festival, then that takes away from what they would do for the Junkanoo festival, and so after this new festival will they return to Junkanoo to produce the art form knowing that there's nothing in place for them to get a commercial return?"
He is not the only one concerned about the Boxing Day and New Year's Eve festival. Glinton-Meicholas, Burnside and singer Kirkland "KB" Bodie have expressed disappointment at the government's failure to promote Junkanoo at the level it has pledged to advertise Bahamas Carnival abroad.
"I was happy when government declared 2014 the 'Year of Culture'," said Glinton-Meicholas. "...What do we get? Bahamas Carnival - a knock-off of the now hundreds of carnivals worldwide, based on traditions that are not ours. Junkanoo has all the right fundamentals to make it the cornerstone of an authentic festival. While Ministry of Tourism has often taken Junkanoo groups on their promotional junkets and used them for local color, it has never promoted a Junkanoo festival."
The BNFC has countered, saying that the carnival is a vehicle to market Junkanoo. Paul Major has thrown support behind the festival's authenticity, saying "There's no way a Bahamas Carnival could be foreign, by definition...we're going to give them (existing national festivals) new life under this broad umbrella of this cultural initiative, where, like I said, everything from art to Junkanoo to music to cuisine to souvenirs will be showcased and sold".
In contrast to challengers, Major does not believe Junkanoo alone has the marketing appeal to draw international visitors. In his opinion, the event, which he described as a "spectator sport", does not have the economic viability of a carnival.
"If you put $10 trillion into Junkanoo what (will) you have? A bigger group?...It's a spectator sport that - I love it, I go every year - but I'm telling you, (there is) not (any) economic model in there that anybody should be trying to pursue. It's just that simple. But we are going to promote Junkanoo because the craft has value. It will never be exploited in its present form."
This, Burnside believes, is the reason why the hearts of many Junkanoo artists "are broken".
"...Those individuals, their hearts are broken by the fact that it seems that the commission is recommending that a different name has to be used to generate attendees to the festival, that Junkanoo is not good enough and they're (the BNFC) not willing to take the time to market Junkanoo so it will be good enough."
Still, some younger artists, like singer Bodine, believe the event is a chance for The Bahamas to draw attention to its many talents. "...I would say that it is one of the better opportunities, if not the best opportunity, for an aspiring artist or for an established artist to produce and promote music and have it played on an international scale," she said.
The moot's results
Despite the continuing debate, many feel their questions remain answered
"A number of readers and colleagues have shared their disappointment with me regarding the manner in which the commission has responded to the public's questioning of their choices and decisions regarding Bahamas Carnival," said Benjamin-Smith.
Burnside feels "There should be some link with the commission and the Junkanoo community to work with the festival that has been developed naturally out of the spirit and the experience of the Bahamian people..."
Major has promised that the BNFC will "be doing its utmost to try and educate the Bahamian public on what our objectives are and how we feel it will benefit them if not in the first year then in years to come and that's our commitment. That's our mandate and we're trying to fulfill it as best as we can".
Next week the discussion on the Bahamas Carnival continues with an overview of its expected economic impact.

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