Bahamian culture is a hybrid of

African African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...

European European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...

, 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.Tyl ...

s. Bahamian culture is dancing

Music

Junkanoo Junkanoo is a street parade with music, dance, and costumes with origin in many islands across the English speaking Caribbean every Boxing Day (26 December) and New Year's Day (1 January). These cultural parades are predominantly showcased in t ...

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. Wh ...

(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 people, 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 Fo ...

. Slaves were given a special holiday at

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

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 or bongo drums) as well as rich brass bands and shaking

cow bell A cowbell (or cow bell) is a bell worn around the neck of free-roaming livestock so herders can keep track of an animal via the sound of the bell when the animal is grazing out of view in hilly landscapes or vast plains. Although they are t ...

s. 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 Se ...

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 The Baha Men are a Bahamian junkanoo band formed in New Providence, Bahamas in 1977. They are best known for their Grammy Award-winning hit song "Who Let the Dogs Out". History Early years The Baha Men formed in 1977 as High Voltage, initia ...

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 north ...

, 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 primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

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. But ...

, the late "King"

Eric Gibson "King" Eric Gibson was a Bahamian musician and entrepreneur. He was also the semiofficial Ambassador of Bahamian Goodwill. Gibson was born on the small island of Acklins to a musical family, although he didn't pursue music until his adulthood. ...

, K.B, Macklyn, and the Brilanders.

Language

English is the official language of the Bahamas. A vast majority of the population speaks

Bahamian Dialect Bahamianese, also described as the Bahamian dialect, is spoken by both Black and white Bahamians, although in slightly different forms. Bahamian dialect also tends to be more prevalent in certain areas of the Bahamas. Islands that were settl ...

, 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 Congo or The Congo may refer to either of two countries that border the Congo River in central Africa: * Democratic Republic of the Congo, the larger country to the southeast, capital Kinshasa, formerly known as Zaire, sometimes referred to a ...

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 Admiral of the Fleet James Gambier, 1st Baron Gambier, (13 October 1756 – 19 April 1833) was a Royal Navy officer. After seeing action at the capture of Charleston during the American Revolutionary War, he saw action again, as captain of the ...

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 Catholic Church, Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become m ...

heritage, derived from the

Eleutheran Adventurers The Eleutheran Adventurers were a group of English Puritans and religious Independents who left Bermuda to settle on the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas in the late 1640s. The small group of Puritan settlers, led by a man named William Sayl ...

.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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