Junior Junkanoo stadium move likely to be permanent

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE annual Junior Junkanoo parade will likely be permanently moved to the Thomas A Robinson stadium after a successful weekend event, Eddie Dames, Assistant Director of Culture and Chairman of the Junior Junkanoo committee, said yesterday.

Hailing the event as a tremendous success, he responded to public complaints about the movement of the event from Bay Street to the new stadium.

He said: “Like every other idea, people have to buy into it. You’ll always have public outcry when you are doing something for the first time.”

“Junior Junkanoo originally took place at the old Thomas A Robinson stadium in 1983 and when the program became fully birthed it was held in front of the stadium so it’s like the event is returning home.”

He said the stadium provided a “secure environment” that was “easier to control.”

He said: “You can expect to see bigger things happening next year.”

Junior Junkanoo results:

Pre-School Overall winner

ONE ON ONE PRESCHOOL 1185LOVING ANGELS PRESCHOOL 1104NAOMI BLATCH PRESCHOOL 1035IT’S A SMALL WORLD PRESCHOOL 1028PECULIAR KIDS PRESCHOOL 10162 BY 2 PRESCHOOL 988KIDS ABC PRESCHOOL 869• Primary School Overall winner

ST THOMAS MOORE PRIMARY SCHOOL 1301URIAH MCPHEE PRIMARY SCHOOL 1130ALBURY SAYLES PRIMARY SCHOOL 1113SEE SAW PRIMARY ACADEMY 1068CENTRAL ABACO PRIMARY SCHOOL 1044PALMDALE PRIMARY SCHOOL 1026GERALD CASH PRIMARY SCHOOL 1022CLEVELAND ENEAS PRIMARY SCHOOL 970ONE ON ONE PRIMARY SCHOOL 809• Junior High School Overall Winner

LYFORD CAY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL 1124T A THOMPSON JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 853• Senior High School Overall Winner

CR WALKER SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 1327SPANISH WELLS ALL AGE SCHOOL 1275SOUTH ANDROS DISTRICT OF SCHOOL 1213HARBOUR ISLAND ALL AGE SCHOOL 1170ST JOHNS COLLEGE 1141ANATOL RODGERS SECONDARY SCHOOL 1090NORTH ANDROS HIGH SCHOOL 1010CV BETHEL SECONDARY HIGH SCHOOL 970

Comments

positiveinput says...

Junkanoo is not a sit down event. Junkanoo is an event that people when they feel the music, stand to their feet and dance. Imagine when people do 'buy into it' the destruction it would cost to, at that time, the furniture to a fairly new stadium. Everything Bahamian is being sold, and that's the bottom line of this change of venue. "A secure environment" that was easy to control. Yes it would be, however he failed to mention at what price. I'm sure the stadium's doors weren't wide open with no cover charge to enter. Just from the picture above you could see the turn out was mild. The feeling of the goat skin drums pounding against your chest as they pass a few feet from the spectators and the horns sweetly piercing your eardrums is the true expectation of junkanoo 'music'. The ambience of the street lights against the multi-colored costumes brings each piece to life, not ???watt stadium light bulbs. The same way something new persons must buy into it is the same way something new people may NOT buy into it.

I remember about fourteen years ago at that same venue was what people called the tracks, where person would dress up and come out in large numbers just to gather amongst themselves and now-and-then have "car challenges". Presently, isn't there a "secure environment" that is easier to control. However, has the people buy into it????

Again Junkanoo is not a sit down event and with this venue change will soon be like Goombay. Just a memory for the older citizens.

Posted 18 December 2013, 7:02 a.m. Suggest removal

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