The hype following the hoopla of Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival has come fast and furious, with the government feverishly attempting to spin the three-day extravaganza as an unmitigated success. There are claims of vindication in the afterglow of what amounted to perhaps a $9 million or more party which failed to meet several previously stated strategic goals, many of which have been brushed aside by the government, with no explanation as to the carnival's failure to meet these goals, a number of which were part of the raison d'etre or the most important purposes or reasons for the carnival. As the carnival hoopla recedes, it's back to reality in terms of the opportunity and other costs of the bacchanal.
Many had a delightful time at the concerts. There were some wonderful acts. The staging of concert performances was generally professionally done. But these are quite limited measures of success. We were told that the event would bring in a considerable amount of foreign exchange. On this front the carnival proved a disaster.
The economics of the carnival did not measure up, with many businesses at Arawak Cay and along the parade route losing money. Many vendors at the cultural village failed to make money, with some not even making back their deposits, though they were promised thousands of tourists from local hotels and cruise ships. There are reports that the government subsidized costume sales by purchasing costumes for many partygoers.
There is slippery talk about the "economic impact" of the carnival. This language is a broad generalization that tells us very little. There was hype that the carnival might make more money than expected.
Don't listen to the words. Look at the numbers. How much was spent by the government and how much was made? Who made money and who lost money? The carnival had a positive economic impact for some and a negative impact for others.
Moreover, the carnival has not produced sustainable long-term jobs that might have been produced from expending the $9 million or more in a different type of festival and cultural experience. Could such money be better spent in creating a permanent festival space and cultural village promoting Bahamian arts and culture year-round, with venues for performers and artisans? The many thousands who attended carnival spent their money at the concerts and related events, which meant that other local businesses made less money last weekend, all of which is why bringing in money from tourists was so essential
As reported in The Tribune in January, Paul Major, the Bahamas Festival Commission's chairman, said "Participation by thousands of cruise ship passengers was key, and the government needed to deliver on promises to both market Junkanoo Carnival to them and gain the lines' co-operation."
The Tribune reported: "'We want them to be much bigger than they are now,' Mr. Major said, emphasizing the need to get the passengers off their ships. 'We haven't got the backing yet. The prime minister and Obie [Wilchcombe] promised me they'd work on that, and we're going to want to get them off.'"
Some talk of the concerts as being a good dry run for the future. A more successful dry run would have been to do serious marketing for the event in order to get a sense of the international market for such an event. Instead, next year we are going to have to spend likely much more than $9 million.
One commentator noted: "You are going to have to spend another nine million next year to promote and host this event in order to reach the tourist market that you originally intended to attract. This year's event did not have enough international impact to attract foreigners next year without major investment in additional advertising."
The government spent an untold amount, the accounting of which we might never get, with huge profits going to select interests, all paid for by taxpayers, even as the government is scrapping for money to pay its bills. Yet this is being spun as "vindication" in a carnival of public relations and spin.
One commentator noted that the FNM needs to be concerned given the "success" of the carnival. Which is precisely the point. While the carnival failed on a number of fronts it was a political success for the PLP. It is no coincidence that the carnival began on the third anniversary of the PLP's election to office.
Curiously the PLP did little to nothing to observe this anniversary. It didn't have to. Instead, in a brilliant set piece of political craftiness, it threw a heavily subsidized three-day party of concerts, food and drink, road marches and other events, a successful public relations exercise paid for by the Public Treasury.
It was the proverbial bread and circuses at its best, like a political drug inducing euphoria in those who partied and danced away the weekend. For those who couldn't attend, the show was brought to them live by ZNS, at taxpayers' expense.
One veteran tourism observer noted of the carnival that the carnival operation was a success, but unfortunately the patient died. The carnival was a deliriously good time for many, though many stated goals were not even remotely accomplished. And this is being spun as "success" and "vindication".
The inexpensive ticket prices ensured the attendance of scores of residents in both Grand Bahama and New Providence, the two major population centers, making the carnival accessible at a reasonable price, though not commercially viable. Even the VIP tickets were relatively inexpensive.
The propaganda surrounding the carnival included the curious statistic that 30,000 of Grand Bahama's approximately 55,000 residents attended carnival on that island, which would mean that the majority of the population participated in the event, a highly unlikely scenario.
Yet on New Providence, with a population of approximately 250,000, only approximately 15,000 people attended the concerts, half of which attended the events in Grand Bahama, even though New Providence has considerably more people. By this comparison, why did fewer people attend the carnival in New Providence than attended in Grand Bahama?
But this is par for the course. The entire affair has been mired in spin, with its goals receding in a changeable feast of explanations. The newest mantra is that it is something that can be built on, that it was a good first try.
The problem is: Why in this first attempt we didn't make a serious effort to achieve basic underlying goals, delivering instead mostly a three-day very expensive party for Bahamians, utilizing scarce funds desperately needed for basic services. Our dry run made no serious effort to market the event to tourists.
This may be a miserably hot summer. BEC is going to rent generators to the tune of $8 million to keep New Providence powered. If electricity is off for substantial periods costing businesses millions and plunging the island into darkness amidst sweltering heat, there will be questions as to why the millions expended for carnival were not used to rent additional generators.
The carnival euphoria can easily dissipate into anger. Even as the government was touting the supposedly brilliant success of the extravaganza, this journal ran this headline in yesterday's newspaper: "Brace for more load shedding".
The economic failures of the carnival are one matter. The other is the confusion over its cultural context and content. The appearance of foreign artists at the concerts was welcomed by many. The idea of a native cultural market and the appearance of Bahamian artists were also welcome.
But the road marches were an exercise in cultural pollution, with the importation of some of the worst excesses of the carnival experience of other cultures. The road marches were poorly organized. And much of what was on display was vulgar.
In the lead-up to the carnival weekend, a video went viral of a young girl being coached to dance in an inappropriate manner. During the road marches there were simulated sex acts, all watched by young people and children. Even many who are in no way prudish were shocked by the level of vulgarity and lewd conduct.
Though the name Junkanoo was appended to the carnival event, the Junkanoo content was limited, with Trinidad and Tobago-style carnival given more prominence. The development of a Bahamian cultural festival experience for residents and tourists may be a good idea. But there should be a more compelling vision of what it should look like, and how sustainable jobs and institutions might be developed around such a concept.
There may be elements of the carnival experience that can be utilized to develop a more successful event in terms of broader economic and cultural goals. The carnival as presently constituted will require a significant overhaul on multiple levels.
Despite the good time had by many Bahamians at the parties in New Providence and Grand Bahama, the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival failed on many fronts. Instead of euphoria and hysteria, we should soberly assess the failure to meet key objectives, to utilize and expend government funds more wisely, and to cultivate a more authentic Bahamian experience and festival.
o frontporchguardian@gmail.com, www.bahamapundit.com.
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