Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival was officially launched last Friday, with the Bahamas National Festival Commission (BNFC) committing to its mandate to hold the annual festival amid controversy surrounding its spending over the last two years.
BNFC CEO and Managing Commissioner Roscoe Dames said Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival has been scaled down this year in order to meet the budget requirements set by government.
Minister of State for Finance Michael Halkitis
revealed recently that the price tag for Carnival will be $5 million, scaled back from the $7 million initial projection last year, and the $9 million projection the year before. Each year the BNFC went over budget by about $2 million.
For 2017 "Da Cultural Village" will be the focal point for all of the entertainment during carnival, according to Dames. Whereas the past two years included a mega-stage for the Music Masters finals on Clifford Park, Dames said the festivities will all happen within Da Cultural Village.
"This year we've consolidated all of our efforts into the cultural village on the waterfront," said Dames. "We will not be using Clifford Park. As part of our streamlining exercise in cost efficiency we needed to find ways to reduce costs but provide a quality product."
The Music Masters semifinals will still take place in Grand Bahama on April 28 and 29 and the finals on May 4 to 6.
Dames said the theme for this year's Junkanoo Carnival is "Hot like fire". Last Friday the BNFC revealed this year's Music Masters semifinalists. The music competition got off to a slow start this year, but the commission was able to come up with 15 artists who will perform 19 songs in Grand Bahama.
"We have a lot of new, emerging artists in the song competition this year," said Dames.
He said each artist was allowed to work with their own producers this year, as opposed to all of the artists working with one producer.
"We will have another exciting lineup of artists like in previous years," Dames said. "We are in full gear."
Enigma was the latest band to launch its costumes for the festival's Road Fever event, with a huge party in Rawson Square on Saturday. Several bands have already launched their costumes and other launch parties are on the calendar.

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