The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

THE Valley Boys Junkanoo group held a press conference yesterday to announce the group’s themes for the upcoming Boxing Day and New Year’s Day Junkanoo celebrations, which will highlight the group’s 60th anniversary.

Brian Adderley, chairman of the group, revealed the Valley Boys will celebrate a Diamond anniversary under the theme: “Glitz & Glamour – Celebrating our Diamond Jubilee in Grand Style” on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Speaking about the group’s Boxing Day festivities, he stated: “We thought it would only be fitting for us to put on a grand display to commemorate this milestone. A celebration is a time to show off, so we’re going to be showing off on Boxing Day, and as the theme says we’re going to be celebrating in grand style.”

Mr Adderley said of plans to celebrate the milestone: “We paid a courtesy call to the governor general, we had several church services and thanksgiving services, we had a basketball tournament (and) we had a fun-run walk… so what we’re doing on Bay Street is we’re going to be re-enacting some of these celebrations that we had for the year,” he explained.

He added that through the “synchronisation” of their music, costumes and choreography, the Valley Boys will celebrate like the rich and famous, and will be sporting the “finest clothes” while consuming the “finest foods and beverages.”

Members of the group will arrive at the parade in “fancy cars”, and costumes displaying “precious gems and bling” in recognition of their Diamond Jubilee, will also be on full display for all to see.

The group’s presentation for this theme will end with an extravaganza that will take place at Baha Mar.

Elaborating on the grand event he stated: “We’re going to be entertained by the best of the best that the world has to offer in entertainment. We’re going to be doing a real live Valley Boys reality show.”

As for the Valley Boys’ New Year’s Day celebration, Mr Adderley said they plan to “pay homage” to God for the mercy and grace He has given them.

“We are mindful of the fact that we could not produce Junkanoo for over 60 years without blessings from God. God has given us the talents to produce wonderful costumes, beautiful dance and melodious music,” he said.

The Valley Boys will also pay tribute to some of the group’s members, both past and present, who have contributed to their success over the years.

“It is their shoulders that we stand on, and one of the features of the New Year’s Day parade will be a lead costume that depicts Winston ‘Gus’ Cooper, who’s our founding leader that passed away,” he stated.

Mr Adderley explained that the group was founded in 1958 “on the wall” of St George’s Anglican Church, which quickly became the place where community members gathered for church and sporting activities.

He noted that Gus Cooper and his friends formed the Valley Boys there and asserted that the group is an organisation that “puts God first” and is “dedicated to the pursuit of excellence.”

In commemoration of its anniversary, the group will also release a documentary and a book capturing the Valley Boys’ journey with “sights and sounds”, with a preview of the video to be released just before the Boxing Day Parade.

Stating the group looks forward to the upcoming parades, Mr Adderley added: “We’re going to bring a performance that you’ve never seen before. When we turn on that current on Bay Street, when we bring that electricity, BPL will be able to tap into some of that and power The Bahamas for the rest of Christmas.”

He also said he was grateful for the support of the group’s sponsors, members and fans and emphasised that the Valley Boys are “fired-up and ready to go to Bay!”