The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

TRINIDADIAN soca star Machel Montano yesterday urged Bahamians not to adopt an antagonistic stance towards Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival, as he stressed that the fusion of Trinidadian and Bahamian musical elements could possibly “mash up the world” as it did for the Baha Men in the early 2000s.

Mr Montano, during a press conference at the Atlantis Resort, urged Bahamians with conservative views on the controversial festival to not shun the integration of Trinidadian or any other culture into the Bahamas, saying such a “collaboration” has resulted in one of the greatest things that ever “hit the earth” - Baha Men’s hit single “Who Let The Dogs Out”.

Mr Montano also called on the Bahamas government and “corporate society” to support the collaboration of local artists and those from other islands, as he said such a venture should be a “definite, specific event” and not “something for the artists to just do.”

Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival has been a major source of contention ever since its inception, as various detractors have criticised the government for spending so much money on “copying” the cultures of Caribbean islands, chiefly that of Trinidad and Barbados.

Some, like Free National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis, as well as veteran trade unionist John Pinder, have called on the government to increase funding for traditional Junkanoo festivals instead of launching a new commercial cultural product.

Others, like Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller, have said that the government should be spending money “branding what we have” instead of “imitating or transplanting other people’s culture and call it something original.” Mr Miller has also hit out at the ‘carnival’ aspect of the event, which he previously said could further destroy young people who are already “totally out of line morally.”

Yesterday, however, Mr Montano, one of two Trinidadian artists to headline this year’s Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival festivities, encouraged Bahamians to seek to “understand the dynamic” between Junkanoo and carnival, adding that “there’s no wrong” in investing in “culture collaboration”.

He referred to the success the Baha Men enjoyed after performing “Who Let The Dogs Out” in 2000, which was a cover of Trinidadian musician and composer Anslem Douglas’ hit single “Doggie”.

“I know a lot of people may be finding attention of saying we spending too much money or we not spending enough money,” Mr Montano said of Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival. “Maybe there are other things that money needs to be spent on in any country. But I think this effort, there’s no wrong to come out of really investing in culture collaboration, inter-island. And you know, Bahamas has really embraced all these islands. We have people come from Jamaica, we have reggae, we have soca, we have Junkanoo.

“So, fear not about the investment, and fear not about the results. Sometimes you have to unconditionally commit to something without an interest in the result, and that way you know you’re confident in what you’re aiming for.”

He added: “Collaboration is really important. When we come to these places we come to unite. We’re not here to fight but we’re here to unite, and part of it is understanding the island. The best thing I understand about Bahamas is that when Trinidad and the Bahamas came together we produced probably one of the greatest things that ever hit the earth, which was ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’. A Trinidad soca song with a Baha Men version, mash up the world.”

Mr Montano also appealed to the government and the private sector to support the movement towards Bahamian/soca music collaborations, stressing that “you can never be more sure than investing in people” and culture.

“I feel like the time is right now to collaborate again with the artists and get in the studio, and these are things that the government and corporate society should be kind of embracing,” he said. “We shouldn’t really leave this as something for the artists to just do. We shouldn’t have a festival based on us doing that.

“You know we’re going to be here, we’re going to be trying to vacation and see things on the island, we’re trying to do the show and we never really come to really have a music conference, go and meet the actual legends of rake and scrape, sit down and talk, what it is your beat is about, what soca is about.

“So I think collaborating with the artists should be something that we should put on board as a definite, specific event.”

He added: “…We’re really in the stage where we’re here to deal with this with each other first. We’re here to really understand the dynamic between Junkanoo and carnival, and find these relationships. Eventually in about five or six years you will hear the songs starting to change. I’ve already heard Bahamian songs changing already and sounding more like soca and the artists getting to know each other better.”