The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

FEARS were raised yesterday in the Junkanoo community of large-scale defections from the Valley Boys group and the impact on the parade’s turnout after the group’s resignation from the Junkanoo Corporation New Providence (JCNP). 

The JCNP revealed on Monday that the Valley Boys had resigned. However, Saxons Superstars member Anthony Etienne is not taking their departure seriously until June 1 - when the group would be due to show up for registration day.

He added that there is a chance members could join other groups. “Bahamians love Junkanoo and if they don’t come you’ll find plenty members they’ll come to the Saxons, plenty will go to Roots, plenty will go to One Family, they’ll be all over the place… or if the Saxons big enough we could form a Saxons-Valley,” he explained.

Mr Etienne said the Valley Boys group is aware of the process and the possibility of the results changing and recalled when the Saxons were dethroned in the past after the results were made official. 

He said: “I could remember three times we won, celebrated for almost 30 days, and when they put all the tallying up the scores would change again three times. Valley Boys took two from us where we won and they change the scores after 30 days and the Valley Boys became the victor. Then it happened to us with One Family.”

“Saxons don’t cry, you know what I mean, but still even though we didn’t cry the Valley Boys still came out there... and call us cry babies. Saxons don’t cry, we just dust ourselves off and just keep coming. We’re not gone say we gone resign.”

However, Valley chairman Brian Adderley told The Tribune that the majority of his members supported the move as the group had been frustrated by the parade management over the years.

“It’s them that are frustrated and disappointed and every year we promise them that there should be change and things should be improved, but they’re not improving and so it is what it is in that respect,” Mr. Adderley said.

“But I’m confident that the majority of the members would support what we’re doing because a lot of them have reached out to us to say that we need to make a change and the only way you can make a change is change. You can’t keep talking about it.”

He added that the parades had prevented the groups from exploring other opportunities.

“In addition to working with a new entity or like-minded people in Junkanoo or other Junkanoo groups, we’re looking to put together a new model for Junkanoo competitions or we’re also looking at exploring other business models for Junkanoo where members can benefit more and the sponsors of Junkanoo can get more exposure.”

Although he sees the Junkanoo giant exit as “a laughing matter”, One Family member Ricardo Pierre speculated about the impact of the Valley’s departures.

“You know, it’s our culture and you as an organisation whose one of the forefathers of Junkanoo actually putting that on the table saying that you’re going to resign.

“So, what’s going to happen to the Valley Boy them (fans). Will they be coming out on Bay Street? Is this the downfall of Junkanoo itself, you know, or can Junkanoo go on without the Valley Boys? 

“The crowd will still be there because you know people love Junkanoo and all the years that people been protesting and that’s the first time actually someone actually say they gonna withdraw from Junkanoo and that’s a shocker. I wonder where we’re gonna go from there.” 

Mr Pierre, on the other hand, was optimistic that the gap could bring new opportunities for some Division B groups like Music Makers and The Immortals. 

The Valley Boys were the unofficial Boxing Day parade winners while the Saxons came in second place. Monday’s official results crowned the Saxons in first place with 85.01 points and Valley Boys in second with 81.44 points after a three-point penalty.