By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C., Tuesday, October 19, 2021 – Clinton Watson, Press Secretary to Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, posted “happy birthday” wishes to a member of the gospel group SHABACK that brought back some wonderful memories of my four-plus years as Press, Cultural Affairs and Information Manager at the Embassy of The Bahamas before my diplomatic status was revoked shortly after the Free National Movement (FNM) won the May 10, 2017, general election in The Bahamas.
Here’s what Clint wrote: “Singing happy birthday to Simone Bridgewater who celebrates today! Simone has been a singer in Shaback from the beginning 25 years ago and she is still with us! The longest serving member to date. I am grateful for her support, consistency and loyalty! May you always be blessed! Happy birthday!”
Rather than keep some of you guessing as to what is the connection between my diplomatic tenure in D.C. and SHABACK, I first saw several outstanding performances by this magnificent group when they participated in the celebrations of the 43rd anniversary of The Bahamas’ attainment of independence from Great Britain in the Washington, D.C. area in 2016.
I am almost certain that mentioning this connection with Shaback will elicit some venomous comments from a coterie of my regular critics who are contributors to Bahama Voice, a Facebook group that one of its founders, Kandice Dee, invited me to become a member of many years ago when I lived in Freeport, Grand Bahama.
Bahama Voice has some some very intelligent members who introduce topics that generate enlightening discussions, in which I oftentimes I participate , but it also has some gossipmongers who seemingly take delight in making fun of some people’s misfortunes.
The fact that I am currently having some serious financial problems – as a result of the cruel vindictiveness of former Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis, who personally blocked implementation of a proposal I submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in November of 2017 – has made me a favourite target for some “social misfits” and downright evil persons who are contributors to Bahama Voice. I generally ignore their hurtful comments, but occasionally some of them “get on my last nerve” – as the saying goes – and I ignore my self-impose rule to not respond to their malicious criticisms.
I am almost certain that the fact that I mentioned my diplomatic tenure at the Embassy of The Bahamas will prompt more than one response claiming that “I am singing for my supper,” supposedly because voters in The Bahamas had the good sense to elect a Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) — under the leadership of Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis — as the new government of The Bahamas and I am seeking to again be appointed to my former diplomatic position.
To be sure, if I could sing as well as the members of the Shaback Gospel Group, I would indeed be singing as loud as I could, not “for my supper,” but because I think I did an excellent job as Press, Cultural Affairs and Information Manager at the Embassy of The Bahamas in D.C. from 2013 – 2017 and deserve to be given the opportunty to do so again.
When I saw Clint Watson’s congratulatory message to a member of Shaback, I immediately did a search of my files for a photo of their performance in D.C., but I didn’t find one. However, I found a story I wrote on the independent celebrations, in which the performance of Shaback is mentioned, so I decided to share it; hopefully, my detractors in Bahama Voice will agree that that I indeed did do a good job during my diplomatic tenure at the Embassy.
What’s more, I certainly hope that COVID-19 is history by July 10, 2022 and we can return to celebrating the birth of our nation the way we did back in 2016. I surely would like to see one of my favourite Bahamian entertainers, SWEET EMILY, headline an independence celebrations show here in D.C
Here’s the story I wrote back in 2016:
BAHAMAS INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATED IN GRAND STYLE IN D.C.
By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The 43rd anniversary of The Bahamas’ attainment of independence from Great Britain was celebrated in the Washington, D.C. area in grand style over the weekend with a series of events highlighted by a Bahamian High Tea and Concert at the Hyatt in Bethesda on Independence Day, Sunday, July 10, that featured a sensational performance by the Bahamian gospel ensemble Shaback.
Bahamians in the diaspora were joined by a well-represented cross-section of diplomats and members of the Washington, D.C.-area business community as His Excellency Dr. Eugene Newry, Bahamas Ambassador to the United States, and Ms. Paulette Zonicle, Bahamas Consul General to Washington, D.C., welcomed guests to a reception held in the ballroom of the Hyatt on Friday night, the first of four events.
Representing the Government of The Bahamas at the celebrations was Ms. Cleola Hamilton, MP for South Beach and Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who also delivered welcoming remarks.
The evening included an art exhibition featuring the works of Mr. Patrick Delaney, a Bahamian who lives in Maryland; a delectable buffet of mainly Bahamian food; entertainment by Dillion McKenzie (D-MAC) and a performance by Shaback, capped by a Junkanoo rush-out by the Junkanoo Gawds group.
On Saturday afternoon scores of Bahamians and friends of The Bahamas continued the country’s independence celebrations at a picnic organized by the Bahamian American Association in the D.C. area and held on the grounds of the U.S. Coast Guard Base in Alexandria, Virginia, where Junkanoo Gawds again performed.
On Sunday morning the annual commemorative church service was held at the Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church in Northeast Washington, D.C.
Unquestionably, however, the highlight of the weekend celebrations was the High Tea and Concert, featuring a menu of Bahamian teas and confections.
Before the entertainment got underway, Mrs. Beth Stewart, proprietor of Beth’s Kitchen in Nassau, gave a brief talk on the various bush teas she produces, including stories about the purported benefits of Strongback, a bush tea which she claimed was used my parents in her native Exuma “to strengthen the backs of young boys who continued to wet their beds after a certain age.”
Mrs. Stewart had a collection of her various professionally packaged bush teas for sale at the event, as did Mrs. Bolera Glinton, whose BGG Creative Essentials business produces hand-made designer handbags.
In addition to the amazing performances by Shaback, who first performed several gospel songs and came back on stage later to close out the concert with a medley of traditional Bahamian songs, guests at the concert were also treated to exceptional performances by Opera Singer Bridgette Cooper, who has Bahamian roots in Eleuthera, and the gifted and talented Bahamian concert pianist Dion Cunningham, a graduate from the prestigious Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University with a Master of Music in Piano and a doctorate from the University of Maryland.
Shaback provided the music for what turned out to be dance fest with virtually every member of the audience participating before the concert came to a close with everyone singing The Bahamas National Anthem.
