Expressing confidence of Bahamian buy-in to Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival, Prime Minister Perry Christie said while the event is a work in progress, it will get better every year and is poised to be a "big event" that will benefit the Bahamians people "mightily".
Speaking to The Nassau Guardian at the Music Masters competition on Friday night, Christie said the song competition was evidence of carnival working.
"I'm seeing thousands of Bahamians who are also enjoying themselves," he said. "I think this is a work in progress. It's going to get better and better each year, like for example the song competition. More and more people are getting involved in it."
Christie said he and festival directors such as Ed Fields are pleased with the development of the event and believe in the next two to three years, Bahamian music will be embraced throughout the Caribbean.
The government has been severely criticized for its overspending on the inaugural event last year. Though it budgeted $9 million, the government spent $12.9 million on carnival in 2015. The government budgeted $7 million for the event this year.
Despite the significant budget cut, several critics have accused the government of wasting money.
But Christie has continued to dismiss the criticisms.
"I feel that the people now believe that this is here for good," Christie said. "It's just going to be a big, big event and Bahamians will benefit mightily from it.
"And you know something, we're enjoying ourselves and so what I've tried to do this year is to focus on being able to effect more savings and being able to, having understood what happened, to be able to try to bring it down to reasonable costs, so to speak."
Bahamian entertainer Kirkland "KB" Bodie said last month that he will not support carnival and predicted the festival will fail because the government is "making the same mistakes it made during the inaugural event".
The line up of artists for the carnival events included renowned Trinidadian soca singer Destra; former Fugees rapper Wyclef Jean; Rake and Scrape singer D-Mac; Bahamian band Visage; Jamaican reggae artist Tarrus Riley and Cuban singer Laritza, among others.
Bahamas National Festival Commission Chairman Paul Major said Destra will be paid $30,000 and Wyclef will receive $70,000.
The Road Fever on Saturday saw hundreds of participants in colorful costumes gyrate from the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium to Arawak Cay well into the evening.
Royston Jones Jr., Guardian Staff Reporter
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