The Tribune

BY DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

Platinum Knights pulled off its fourth consecutive victory as the unofficial winners of the New Year’s Day Junkanoo Parade in Grand Bahama.

Under the theme, “A Celebration of Life – All Grand Bahama Needs is Love”, the group captured top standings in the Best Performance, Music, and Overall Group Performance categories, securing a total of 5,629 points.

Their biggest rival, The Superstar Rockers, was second with an overall score of 5,301 points; third was Kingdom Ambassadors with 5,209 points; fourth was Swingers with 5,048 points, and fifth was Kingdom Culture with 4,569 points.

In Division B, GB Asgard, a new group, defeated Showtime, which has been dominating the category for many years. The group took first place with 4,950 points.

Bushwhackers was second, with 3,431 points; Sting was third, with 3,189 points; and Showtime was fourth with 1,930 points.

Malcolm Smith, leader of GB Asgard, said the win was a very humbling experience even though they pulled off the win in their first year of competing against veteran groups.

He said they wanted to pay tribute to the US Coast Guards and the relief organizations the came after the hurricane to assist GB.

“We were in a real state of desperation because the island was hard hit and those organizations came in and offered assistance to us in so many ways that if they were not around we don’t know where we would have been as a people,” he said.

Although Grand Bahama is still in post-Dorian recovery mode, the spirit of junkanoo radiated in downtown Freeport.

Junkanoo groups displayed resilience and vigor in their performance even after having suffered the loss of costumes due to flooding at their shacks four months ago.

In early September, Hurricane Dorian devastated the island and left many disheartened and broken and took 32 lives. With only four months left to prepare, some groups were able to include in their theme, a message of love, rebuilding, and recovery in GB.

For the first time ever, this year’s parade was open to the public, and there was no charge for bleacher seating.

Defending champion Platinum Knights was impacted by the storm, but group leader Thomas Curry said they were determined to have a parade for junkanoo fans in Grand Bahama.

“We would like to give God the glory for everything he has done, said Curry after the unofficial results were announced at the GB Junkanoo Committee headquarters on Thursday evening.

“After the storm everyone was down and saying we are not going to have a parade, but I told the guys we have to do this for GB,” he said.

“We are about promoting the culture (of Junknaoo), and I want to thank all the sponsors of our organization. We had a roof damage and rain coming in all the time at our shack, and a lot of stuff we did in the houses. We wanted to make GB smile and that’s what we did last night,” he said.

Mr Curry said that they wanted to celebrate and honor the lives lost in Dorian. “Grand Bahamians are resilient, and we will rebuild,” he said.

The group’s choreographed dancers were costumed in colors of the Bahamian flags, and the free dancers were adorned in red and pink to symbolize love.

The rival, Superstar Rockers - which lost to the Platinum Knights last year after an appeal was lodged by the group over the penalty points - demonstrated that Grand Bahama is still open to welcome visitors and the prospects of a new cruise terminal.

The lead banner depicted a Carnival cruise ship sailing down Pioneer’s Way, titled Carnival Grand Port, bringing guests back to the island.

Group members were costumed as sailors and crewmen and ship’s captain, while the choreographed dancers depicted sunbathers and waitresses. The free dancers were costumed as beachgoers, snorkelers, divers, souvenirs buyers.

The Swingers gave fans a glimpse into the beauty and wonders of the deep, with a lead costume of King Triton and his Mystical guards fend off Octopus King.

Choreographed dancers were sea goddesses, and the music section depicted a school of seahorses and lionfish parading down the street.

Kingdom Culture’s banner was that of a Royal Caribbean Cruise ship bringing vacationers to Grand Bahama. There were Bahama Mamas dancing, and free dancers representing various countries, and popular vacation destinations.

A new Division A group, Kingdom Ambassadors Spartans, presented as its theme: “Relief after the Storm, Let’s Rebuild and Celebrate.” The banner was of a house depicting before and after the storm - one side destroyed, and the other side fully restored.

The group brought the message to Junkanoo fans of rebuilding and celebrating through thanksgiving for life.

Choreographed dancers were carpenters or Spartans war dancers rebuild the streets of Grand Bahama as paraded down the parade route on Pioneer’s Way.

The Spartans free dancers represented organizations such as NEMA, Red Cross, and Rotary and Royal Caribbean, that came to the aid of Grand Bahamians after the storm.

The group’s brass section was outfitted as mold remediation agents and the backline were painters.

GB Asgard, a new division B group, debut this year with a tribute to the US Armed Forced and NGO’s that came to provide relief to Grand Bahama after the storm.

The group paid homage to the brave men and women of the US Coast Guard and Navy Seals, and to relief organizations such as Mercy Corps, Convoy of Hope, and Jehovah’s Witness Disaster Relief.

According to the group’s synopsis, GB Asgard wanted to pay tribute to those who risked their lives to offer assistance to Bahamians stranded in high waters in the aftermath of the storm and US Coast Guard who lead rescue missions to save lives and deliver relief aid.

Also participating were Bushwhackers, Sting, Showtime, and Kingdom Culture.

This year, groups were not judged on costumes due to losses experienced by many groups in September as a result of the storm.