NASSAU, Bahamas, February 6, 2019 — The more than 500,000 persons who will be in New Orleans for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival from Apr 26 – May 5, 2019 will get an opportunity to see a performance of Junkanoo, The Bahamas’ number one cultural expression.
The Hon. Dionisio D’Aguilar, Minister of Tourism and Aviation, has announced that an invitation has been received to participate in the 50th anniversary of the world’s largest music festival.
“The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism is capitalizing on a singular opportunity to showcase on a world stage, before an audience of some 500,000 festival-goers, the richness of Bahamian culture,” Minister D’Aguilar said. “We will be taking to Louisiana a dynamic cultural contingent that will rock the city of New Orleans.”
The Minister noted that The Bahamas’ presentation “at the New Orleans Music Festival will consist of a 35-member Junkanoo group and a 10-member Revue band.”
Describing it as an opportunity to encourage more visitors to The Bahamas, Minister D’Aguilar added, “There are many ways to promote our destination, and exporting the culture of our nation is a unique way to expose the world to the Bahamian experience: our music, dance, costumes and the overall joyful manner in which we celebrate life. In May, we will give the 500,00 festival-goers in New Orleans an unforgettable taste of The Bahamas, with the explicit invitation to come to our shores to experience more of what our islands have to offer.”
According to the Festival’s official website, “The Festival celebrates the indigenous music and culture of New Orleans and Louisiana, so the music encompasses every style associated with the city and the state: blues, R&B, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, Afro-Caribbean, folk, Latin, rock, rap, country, bluegrass, and everything in between. And of course there is lots of jazz, both contemporary and traditional.”
Held annually since 1970, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, often known as Jazz Fest, is an annual celebration of the music and culture of New Orleans and Louisiana. The term “Jazz Fest” also refers to the days surrounding the festival and the many shows at unaffiliated New Orleans nightclubs scheduled during the festival weekends, according to Wikipedia.
“One unique aspect of the Festival is the allocation of large areas for dedication to cultural and historical practices unique to Louisiana,” Wikipedia notes. “These dedications depict many cultures that exist in the state, including both the Cajun culture and the culture of the descendants of native Canary Islanders, the Los Isleños, as well as many others. Some of the areas include the Louisiana Folklife Village, which focuses on state art and culture, the Native American Village, and the Grandstand. Many of the folk demonstrators have been recognized by the National Endowment of the Arts for their work.”
Exactly when the Junkanoo group from The Bahamas will be featured was not announced by the Ministry of Tourism, but presumably it will be during one of the parades that are held throughout the duration of the event, including parades by the Mardi Gras Indians, marching bands, brass bands, and social aid and pleasure clubs.
