Bahamian culture is a hybrid of African, European, and other

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...

s. Bahamian culture is dancing

Music

Junkanoo is a large contributor to the music of The Bahamas. It is a type of street carnival which occurs on December 26 (

Boxing Day Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday. It ...

) and

New Year's Day New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Whi ...

(January 1). This traditional celebration was started with an African slave by the name of

John Canoe John Canoe, also known as January Conny, (died circa 1725) was the European name given to an Akan warrior from Axim, Ghana. He was a chief of the Ahanta people in the early 18th century, who established a stronghold in the defunct Fort Frederi ...

. Slaves were given a special holiday at

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

time, when they could leave the work of the plantation behind and celebrate their freedoms. The parades are characterized by spectacular costumes made of crepe paper and powerful rhythms beaten traditionally on goatskin drums (accompanied more recently with

tom-tom drums A tom drum is a cylindrical drum with no snares, named from the Anglo-Indian and Sinhala language. It was added to the drum kit in the early part of the 20th century. Most toms range in size between in diameter, though floor toms can go as la ...

bongo drum Bongos ( es, bongó) are an Afro-Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of small open bottomed hand drums of different sizes. They are struck with both hands, most commonly in an eight-stroke pattern called ''martillo'' (hammer). The ...

s) as well as rich brass bands and shaking cow bells. Bahamian music also incorporates other

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean ...

forms such as calypso, Trinidadian soca and Jamaican

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

. Calypso and Rake 'n' Scrape singers and bands such as Baha Men have gained massive popularity in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...

, the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

and elsewhere. Bahamian music continues to be enjoyed by the Bahamian public, with singers such as the late

Ronnie Butler Ronald Butler Sr., MBE (August 17, 1937 – November 19, 2017) was a famous Bahamian calypso and rake n scrape entertainer and singer. Butler is referred to as "The Godfather of Bahamian Music" and his career spans more than five decades. Bu ...

, the late "King" Eric Gibson, K.B, Macklyn, and the Brilanders.

Language

English is the official language of the Bahamas. A vast majority of the population speaks Bahamian Dialect, which is a dialect of English intermediate between Standard English and Bahamian Creole. There are some minor regional differences from island to island in terms of pronunciation, but generally all are the same.

African influence

In Bahamian dialect, some African words and expressions have been retained, such as: # yinna - you (plural) # nanny -(v.n.)- feces or the act of defecation # cut eye - an expression found in many Caribbean and Atlantic creoles, meaning to glare, literally q or 'cut' your eyes /roll your eye # Jumbay - ghost, related to the Kongo word ''nzumbi'' of similar meaning # Yam - to eat, still in use in some southern and eastern islands, related to the African word ''nyam' # Bey - meaning boy or a young boy or young lady

Literature

The first known published work by a Bahamian is "A narrative of facts, relative to the conduct of Vice-Admiral Gambier, during his late command in North America published in 1782." It was written by James Gambier, 1st Baron Gambier who was born on New Providence Island in The Bahamas in 1756. The first known Black author from the Bahamas was a John Boyd who wrote a book of poetry called "The Vision and Other Poems in Blank Verse," published in 1834. The population of the Bahamas is 95% Christian, of various denominations, primarily Methodist, Baptist, Anglican and Catholic. There are more churches per capita than in any other country. Bahamians' religious enthusiasm and high regard for education are a consequence of their

Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. ...

heritage, derived from the Eleutheran Adventurers.http://www.traveldocs.com/bs/culture.htm Religion is an integral part of Bahamian life.....of their Puritan heritage

Storytelling

Storytelling and folklore played a large role in the traditional entertainment of Bahamian communities, particularly before the advent of modern television. Many of these highly amusing tales also carry wise lessons. Bahamian storytelling has witnessed some revival through the works of

Patricia Glinton-Meicholas Patricia Glinton-Meicholas (born 1950) is a Bahamian writer, cultural critic, historian and educator. Biography She was born on Cat Island, Bahamas, and was educated at the University of the West Indies and the University of Miami. She was employ ...

and other authors. Storytelling is one of the customs influenced by African cultures, e.g. in the stories of Ber Bouki and Ber Rabbi, etc. Bush medicine has been practiced since the times of slavery in the Bahamas. It is still used today to cure many diseases, using local plants.

Arts

Straw weaving

Traditional crafts include straw work on islands, creating beautiful hats and baskets. This skill was useful when Bahamians led subsistence lifestyles, with baskets being used for carrying fruit and fishing traps. Today, straw work and wood carvings are produced and sold to tourists in Nassau's Straw Market.

Canvas art

Beautiful landscapes and the vibrant houses and peoples of the Bahamian archipelago have inspired many artists, both native and foreign. Some notable Bahamian artists include Amos Ferguson (deceased), Eddie Minnis, Brent Malone (deceased), Jackson Burnside (deceased), John Beadle and John Cox.

Coral and stone art

Hand carvings from coral art and natural stone are cultivated from naturally occurring reef break-offs, beach erosions, outcrops, and smooth rocks. Corals and other crustacean shells are used as horns in Junkanoo or as decorations for one personal needs.

Religion

References

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