Best-selling rake ‘n scrape artist Kirkland ‘KB’ Bodie today made entertainment history, releasing an album that marries his conscience collage with a call for action, 13 songs packed with purpose and driven by heartache and hope.
Each of the singles was commissioned by Save The Bays over a period of three years and were released as a collector’s album in celebration of the environmental advocacy organisation’s third anniversary celebration.
“Musicians have been writing and singing about love and their achy-breaky hearts since the beginning of time,” said the legendary KB. “And that’s just what I’m doing with these songs, but the heartache I am writing about is what I see happening to The Bahamas. When I see the conch dying off and I call for Conchservation singing we’re a conchy nation, I’m taking a serious subject and making it fun to make sure people listen. Sing it, dance to it, stomp your feet and your fists if you want, but you’re going to get the message without someone lecturing to you and that’s what matters. People listen and they care and if they care, they do something. The stories in my songs are meant to plant a seed for change to protect our environment, our people, our resources.”
News of the record’s release came during a press conference in Freeport, Grand Bahama.
“KB’s music has been an important vessel for carrying the message that we have an obligation to be stewards of this environment and preserve it for our children and their children’s children,” said Save The Bays Chairman Joe Darville. “His music starting with ‘Rise up, Bahamas, Let’s Save the Bays’ to ‘Hold da feet to da fire to Das Nasty and all the others have dominated the music scene over the past few years and made everyone feel a part of this movement demanding transparency, freedom of information and a government that is accountable. At the same time, they’ve struck a chord with our overall environmental stewardship message with songs like Oil Fish and Save our Nassau Grouper.”
With a colourful cover depicting a coral reef teeming with fish in the foreground and heavy equipment threatening to destroy it in the background, the album features a new single released for the first time, Dream for Our Bahamaland. Its chorus, says Darville, is as touching as any country song written by someone who has lost the love of his life but dreams it will return. “I see a place where our children can run free, where our air is clean and our lands are drug free, where there’s no threat of war and love still stands, that’s my dream for our Bahamaland.”
The album will be available at Unexso and Pearlmart in Freeport and at Stuart Cove Dive in Nassau for $10 and can be downloaded from iTunes. Proceeds will go toward the education arm of Save The Bays for its Youth Environment Ambassadors program and other community awareness efforts.
Save The Bays has championed citizens’ rights to information and participation in a consultation process in matters that impact them and their communities. Its first Freedom of Information rally in 2014 drew representatives from across the political, social and civil society spectrum and its Facebook page has more than 20,000 friends.
CD Launch - Best-selling rake ‘n scrape artist Kirkland ‘KB’ Bodie releases Collectors’ Album in honour of the 3rd anniversary of Save The Bays. Pictured l-r: Joe Darville, Save The Bays Chairman, Kirkland ‘KB’ Bodie and Rashema Ingraham Waterkeeper Bahamas Director.
Diane Phillip & Associates
