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 prevalent today). British officers were brought to quell the riot which brought about the phrase "don't lick nobody," which is a repetitive point within the song. It is said that the "History was replaced by folklore, Folklore by music, Music became a movement, and a movement changed the future." Thus, leading to the creation of this well-known and loved song. A key thing to know while listening to this song is that the "crows" were the workers, and the British officers were the "bullfrogs".

Another song I would like to use to highlight Calypso's relevance in The Bahamas is "Blind Blake's" version of "Love Alone", a song said to be written by Trinidad's Calypsonian, Caresser. Blake was born in 1915 and died in 1986. During this time, he mainly performed at the Royal Victoria Hotel in Nassau. This is also where the recording presented later on takes place. The song Love Alone was written about the abdication of King Edward VIII after he decided to marry a commoner. From that point on he was known as The Duke of Windsor, and later served as Governor of The Bahamas during World War II. For a long time, this song was banned in The Bahama Isles due to its "satirical" nature, but one day the ban was lifted after King Edward decided to let Blake perform it for him (which he found to be quite enjoyable). The song even managed to raise the ranks to number 1 in The Bahamas at one point.

The third song I would like to introduce is a piece with "a little" *cough* (a much) less deeper meaning. My reason for this was to just ease the mood with a song where you can just sit back and enjoy the talent and creativity that many Bahamian artists are capable of. The name of this next song is "Conch Ain't Got No Bone". I picked this song just to showcase a very popular, yet mainly "untrained" group of artists known as "The Calypsonians." Now, untrained is a sensitive word hence the quotations but what I mean by that is that most of them learned how to play music by ear. This is quite common in The Bahamas as many 1. didn't get the opportunity to learn by sheet music or in a "traditional" way. Or 2. They much prefer the sporadic nature of learning by ear. An example of this is the fact that this song came about when one of the artists went to get a bowl of conch salad and the making of it inspired him. So, without further ado, I present you with "Conch Ain't Got No Bone".

Unfortunately, unlike our last song, this song portrays a much darker event, but one that left quite a mark in our history. A song about the hurricane of 1929, Run Come See Jerusalem. Originally this song was a ballad written by Blind Blake, but I'm going to be referring to Joseph Spence's rendition of it. Joseph Spence was already quite renown for being an expert on the guitar. He played with seemingly ease, and combined with his vocalizations and humming, he swiftly created his own unique style. Now the reason why I picked Joseph Spence's version is to showcase his mixture of both blues and calypso rhythmic techniques. This allows me to make the point that although similar, all calypso music doesn't have to sound the same. Maybe I can go even further and dear say that all Bahamian music doesn't have to sound the same. It all depends on what mood, and "pocket" that the performer is in. Both he and Blind Blake are referring to the same event, but their renditions are different in quite an obvious way. From vocalizations, to both rhythms and words.

As my final song, I have chosen "Day Break" by "King" Eric and His Knights. "King" Eric Gibson as I'm sure you can tell, wasn't actually a king but was just referred to by that title. He was born in Acklins and came from quite the musical family. Surprisingly however, he didn't pursue music until his adult years. Even though he started late he and his band swiftly became a tourist attraction at various hotels and nightclubs. He even went on to eventually start his own nightclub called "The King & Knights Club". Now the reason why I chose this song was because of his deep connection to tourism. Within this song he talks about being in a boat and doing nothing "passing the time away". They are just enjoying the waters of The Bahamas. Doing various things like fishing, diving, and cooking Bahamian dishes. Things that tourists typically come here to experience (as long as they don't come here during hurricane/ storm season). So, I hope you enjoy this genuine Bahamian experience.