Shomari's Cultural Insiders Playlist (Bahamian Music)
September 5/2023 The style of music that this blog highlights is Calypso music, which is characterized by highly rhythmic and harmonic vocals. Although this style did not originate in The Bahamas, rather it hails from the islands of Trinidad and Tobago (another Carribean country), it still plays a vital role in our country's history. From being used to tell relevant stories of old, to bringing joy while listening to our native tongue and reflecting on folk tunes. The first song that I would like to introduce is Burma Road written by the late Bahamian Calypsonian and Rake N' Scrape artist, Ronny Butler. Butler was born in Nassau, Bahamas on August 17, 1937, and died November 19, 2017. His reason for writing this song was to highlight a riot that took place in Nassau during the 1940's. This was officially called "The Burma Road Riot". The cause of this riot was that imported workers were being paid substantially more than the natives (a social ill that is still pr