Last week, we commenced our discussion on the upcoming Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival by considering the origin of Junkanoo. This piece concludes the mini-series by considering the points that have been raised hitherto by the populace and various stakeholders.

An idea whose time has come?
The figurative translation of Victor Hugo's original words - "On resiste a l'invasion des armees; on ne resiste pas a l'invasion des idees", is: "One resists the invasion of armies; one does not resist the invasion of ideas". This quote has been paraphrased to read that, "There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come".

The question as to whether Junkanoo Carnival is an idea whose time has come is an interesting one that can only be answered with the passage of time. Will the end justify the means? Steve Jobs, a man that changed the way we look at and use electronics and technology, is quoted as saying that "It's really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them."

The idea here is that people cannot comment on something that they have not seen before or that has not entered into their minds. While carnival is not a new phenomenon, Junkanoo Carnival will be new to us and so it is yet to be seen whether it will be a game-changer for The Bahamas. Nevertheless, we will never know unless we try.

Oversight of the Junkanoo Carnival
The website of the Bahamas National Festival Commission (BNFC) indicates that the BNFC was formed with a mandate to "stimulate economic opportunity for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the creative industry sector, while positively and significantly impacting GDP. Top priorities include: bringing to fruition a new Bahamian-styled Carnival in May of 2015 and stimulating year-round employment in the creative sector". A quick look at the members of the team charged with the responsibility of overseeing this project will show that they are diverse and are experts in their own right.

International artist controversy
It was reported that over 170 new songs were entered into the Junkanoo Carnival Song Competition by Bahamian artists from across the country. These included both established and upcoming musicians that seized the opportunity to put their talents on display. This is not only commendable but also highlights the existence of tremendous talent that lay redundant in our commonwealth. It has been stated that Bahamian artists will be featured during the Junkanoo Carnival.

The news that the government was seeking to engage a popular international artist generated a lot of commentary. The organizers have stated that it is important that an international artist be a part of the events to attract the level of attention and media required for success. There seems to be a denial of knowledge of the facts and in some cases intellectual dishonesty by some Bahamians in this regard. In the first instance, there is no doubt that we must provide more support to our local artists and all things Bahamian. However, the facts suggest that people place more value on foreign international artists than our local artists. As an example, we only need look at the level of attendance at concerts by local artists and compare it to the turnout at concerts held by their foreign counterparts.

The value placed on the services of local artists and the appearance fees they command should not be determined by the government but should be based on how much exposure they have, the perception of the market and their ability to attract people. The objective of the BNFC should be to assist with exposing our local artists to the international community during the upcoming events and in their promotional efforts. This should ultimately enhance the star power of Bahamian artists and create opportunities for them to export their services outside of The Bahamas.

Concerns about costumes
It can be argued that it would be uncharitable to totally dismiss the concerns raised by some in relation to the sample costumes for the Junkanoo Carnival that have been modeled in recent months. This writer supports the notion that we must promote decency, modesty and orderliness in all that we do as a nation with regard for Christian principles. However, the upholding of moral values and respect for one's body is personal.

What is deemed as indecent exposure is often the end result of upbringing and values that form a part of the raising of an individual. We cannot expect the government to legislate morality if we have failed as a society to instill discipline in our children. By the same token, we cannot demonize individuals who choose to exercise their freedom of expression.
Having said that, some of the costumes displayed are no different than the average costume worn by some of our young women that we witness during Junkanoo parades held on Boxing Day and New Year's Day among other occasions.

Nevertheless, the Junkanoo Carnival is intended to be more than the costumes that have received so much attention, but can and should be altered to reflect who we are. It is also about the promotion of Junkanoo, rake-n-scrape, Bahamian cuisine, the talent of our people, our art, our craft, our gorgeous land  and our beautiful spirit.

Junkanoo Carnival is not enough and should only be one of several initiatives aimed at showcasing all things Bahamian and attracting tourists to our shores. It should not be confined to the two main islands of The Bahamas but must incorporate the Family Islands. Additionally, it should evolve into an all year round initiative that is properly promoted with the possibility of linkage to regattas explored. These events should help towards addressing frequent complaints by tourists that lament the lack of attractions and events in The Bahamas.

Economic impact
Our economy is in need of a boost and activities that create opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should be encouraged if we are to successfully tackle the high unemployment rate. The Junkanoo Carnival is expected to expand our tourist product offering and enhance our hospitality industry in the traditionally slow season for tourism in The Bahamas. It has been suggested that the investment of a maximum of $9 million will have a multiplier effect and generate an economic impact of between $20 million or $30 million for the Bahamian economy by promoting entrepreneurship. This is important because SMEs are the engine of any economy and we must do more to promote this vital sector within our country.

Why Junkanoo Carnival should not fail
While the government is spearheading this initiative, the reality is that Junkanoo Carnival is being funded by the Bahamian people, or better put, by Bahamian taxpayers. The idea that a failure of the event will teach the government a lesson is ludicrous to say the least, but it highlights the misunderstanding of some Bahamians as to the source of government revenue which funds public expenditure.

Let's face it: our money will be funding the Junkanoo Carnival and the millions of dollars is our investment, whether we endorse the project or not. We the people are the shareholders and we have appointed a board called the government to govern for a contractual period of five years with an opportunity to decide whether to renew their mandate at the annual general meeting, which in this case is the general elections.

In the final analysis, Junkanoo Carnival is not a PLP, FNM or DNA event. It is a Bahamian event and we need to take politics out of the discussion and focus on providing recommendations so that the final product is something we can all be proud of. In doing so, we should be guided by the words of Victor Hugo; we could "change (y)our opinions, (but) keep to (y)our principles; change (y)our leaves, (but) keep intact (y)our roots".

o Arinthia S. Komolafe is an attorney-at-law. Comments on this article can be directed to a.s.komolafe510@gmail.com.

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