The Grand Bahama Performing Arts Society committee.

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

CANADIAN music icon Alan Doyle will perform in concert tomorrow in Freeport, Grand Bahama, with his band, The Beautiful Gypsies.

Many Canadians are travelling from Vancouver and Nova Scotia, as well as from Ottawa and Toronto on extra flights from Sunwing, for a night of folk-pop music at the Regency Theatre at 8pm.

All proceeds from ticket sales will benefit students of the Grand Bahama Performing Arts Society (GBPAS), which provides scholarships for studies at performing arts at colleges abroad.

“The ticket price of $35 is a fraction of the price people pay for an Alan Doyle concert; this world-class entertainment coming to Grand Bahama is a heck of a deal,” said Penny Ettinger, president of the GBPAS.

Mr. Doyle is a musical icon in Canada, where he is nominated for a Juno Award, the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy Award. He is also an actor, performing alongside Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett in a Robin Hood film remake.

He has performed for many years as bandleader of Great Big Sea for 20 years. Mr. Doyle now performs with his new band, The Beautiful Gypsies. He has performed with Sting, and just completed a tour with Bare Naked Ladies.

Ms. Ettinger said that Memories and Sunwing have partnered with the GBPAS and are bringing many Canadians down for the event, and encouraging its guests and visitors to attend the concert.

She thanked Braden and Renee Paddic, who are benefactors of the GBPAS and who have been instrumental in bringing Mr. Doyle, and other performers such as the Fortunate Ones last year from Newfoundland, Canada, who are also nominated for a Juno Award.

Gloria McGlone, a founding member of GBPAS, said the group has been in operation for about eight years and have provided more than $85,000 for the community in the form of scholarships for summer camps and putting kids in performing arts colleges.

The GBPAS receives no assistance from government and little corporate sponsorship, and gets Canadian schools to come to recruit Bahamians. She said that there are eight Bahamian students at Holland College in Prince Edward Island, where three will be graduating this year.

“Performing arts is so important and we find that it gives kids a chance to really find a sense of self esteem from getting on stage to promote themselves, acting, dancing. We are hoping we can get a good Bahamian turnout for this event,” said Ms. McGlone.

Colleen Lewis, another GBPAS member, said there are many talented Bahamian students.

“We are hoping to be a great help for the scholarship programme for students,” she said. “We have a wealth of talent here… and it is important they get a college education and come back to the island and perform for our tourists. We want to continue to do work to get deserving scholarships for students.”

Tickets are available at the Seventeen Shop, Memories Grand Bahama Beach Resort and Casino, and at Mackey Media on Retail Street.

Charlie Puth

Grammy nominee, singer/songwriter Charlie Puth will command the Atlantis LIVE stage this weekend.

Atlantis resort will host the hottest new acts in music to paradise in its first ever spring break series this month with Charlie Puth and American pop-rock band DNCE.

Puth will perform on March 19. He is best known for his debut single "Marvin Gaye" featuring Meghan Trainor," "One Call Away," and "See You Again," a collaboration with Wiz Khalifa from the film "Furious 7" which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 weeks.

The singer/songwriter's work has received multiple nominations, including Teen Choice Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, American Music Awards, and Golden Globe Awards and Grammy Awards.

Following Puth's appearance, DNCE will take center stage on March 26. Fronted by the multi-talented Joe Jonas, with Jack Lawless, Cole Whittle and JinJoo, the band's breakout hit, "Cake By The Ocean," is now a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart, and recently broke into the top 10 at Top 40 radio. The song is also currently on Shazam's Top 100 U.S. Chart and Top 20 on Spotify's U.S, Top 50 Chart. To date, overall streams exceed 70 million, while video views are over 17 million and counting. The track vaulted to number one on Spotify's Global Viral and U.S. Viral 50 charts and reached number six on the iTunes Top Pop Songs Chart and number 11 on the Overall Top Songs Chart. It also received a placement in the newest Sprint commercial.

Since the single's September 2015 release, the group has made a slew of national television appearances including "The Tonight Show" with Jimmy Fallon, "Good Morning America" and The Ellen DeGeneres Show alongside U.S. President Barack Obama. The band's debut EP (extended play), SWAAY (Republic Records), which entered the Top 10 on the iTunes Pop Chart upon its release, is available at all digital retailers now.

Both spring break concerts will take place in Atlantis' Imperial Ballroom beginning at 9 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase starting at $80.00+VAT.

The Atlantis LIVE event series is known for hosting some of the most popular names in entertainment, with previous performers like Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars and Katy Perry.

Police Inspector Theodore Campbell, Band Director and Coordinator, thanks His Excellency Dr. Eugene Newry, Bahamas Ambassador to the United States, on behalf of Commissioner of Police Elliston Greenslade for welcoming the Urban Renewal Band to the Bahamas Embassy.

The Bahamas Urban Renewal Marching Band will be among the groups participating in the 45th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown Washington, D.C., on Sunday, March 13, 2016.

Members of the band arrived in Washington on Monday, March 7, accompanied by Police Inspector Theodore Campbell, Band Director and Coordinator, and police assistants Sergeant Oscar Dames, Corporal Rudolph Pratt, Corporal Demetrius Rolle, Corporal Perise Simon, Corporal Sharon Davis, WPC Areba Ambrose and PC Anthony Capron as well as several parents.

The group visited the Bahamas Embassy, 2220 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., on Thursday, March 10, and were welcomed by His Excellency Dr. Eugene Newry, Bahamas Ambassador to the United States, and Deputy Chief of Mission Chet Neymour during brief addresses in the Embassy’s courtyard.

Members of the Bahamas Urban Renewal Band listen attentively as His Excellency Dr. Eugene Newry, Bahamas Ambassador to the United States, welcomes them to the Bahamas Embassy.

Ranging in ages from seven to 18, the 80 members of the band each introduced themselves and stated what instruments they play and the schools they attend, before Inspector Campbell thanked the Ambassador on behalf of Police Commissioner Elliston Greenslade.

The St. Patrick’s Parade is scheduled to begin at 12:00 Noon, and will proceed down Constitution Avenue from 7th to 17th Streets, N.W. Over 100 marching bands, military units, dance schools, floats and a variety of other groups are scheduled to participate.

The Urban Renewal Band is scheduled to return to The Bahamas on Tuesday, March 15.

By Oswald Brown

Lashaunna Williams of St. George’s High School shows off her dance move in the Modern Dance (Solo) category during the first day of the Dance Component of the E. Clement Bethel National Arts Festival 2016 at Our Lucaya in Freeport, Grand Bahama, Tuesday, March 8, 2016.  The Festival will continue on the island until March 11.

Moesha Foster of Bahamas Dance Theatre does a shoulder stand during her dance performance “My Island in the Sun” in the Bahamian Folk Dance (Solo). Long-time Dance Adjudicator Lawrence Carroll is again performing the role during the E. Clement Bethel National Arts Festival 2016.

Kalei McIntosh of Freeport Bible Academy performs a Classical Ballet Piece.

The dancers of Freeport Bible Academy show off their moves in the Jazz Dance (Group) category.

Ethan Hepburn, Corey Higgs and Chelsea Higgs show off their flexibility in the Jazz Dance (Group) category on Tuesday.

Beacon School students perform a Bahamian Folk (Group) piece during the Festival.

Students of Walter Parker Primary, Grade 5, put on a church prayer scene in the Skits for Grades 4-6 in the Drama component of the Festival.

Two co-workers eavesdrop as a supervisor fires an employee in the skit featuring Walter Parker Primary Grade 4.

Anvil Mott of St. George’s High School shows off his skills in the Instrumental Solo (Brass) for 16-18 Years in the Music Component of the Festival.

Joshua Russell of Jack Hayward Junior High School plays the Steel Pan in the Instrumental Solo – Open Class. BIS Photos/Llonella Gilbert

Source: Bahamas Information Services