EDITOR, The Tribune.

Junkanoo in Paradise: Having seen the subject musical, I would surmise that the naming convention of this Bahamian production is not quite appropriate. The musical may have been more appropriately called “Drums”. I must say the production was an excellent display of Bahamian talent, both acting, dancing, junkanoo and singing. My observation that the musical should be called Drums and NOT Junkanoo in Paradise is because I can see how drums are deemed associated which each aspect of practices and norms depicted ie Church, Junkanoo and apparently obeah.

What I cannot fathom is how Junkanoo in Paradise is tied to obeah – what is the relevance. I was surprised to be attending a show called “Junkanoo in Paradise” and be assaulted with what is alluded to in the production as “Bahamian culture” – ie, obeah.

As a Christian, I feel this production’s insinuation that obeah is a cultural norm for Bahamians is a fallacy. I hear that a small segment of people in the Bahamas do practice obeah – however obeah is witchcraft and witchcraft is an abomination and should not be aligned with “cultural behavior” of a nation whose constitution speaks to Christian values, and obeah is prohibited in our penal code. If obeah is prohibited in our penal code – why are we “advertising“ to the tourist that obeah is our culture. Shall we say because murders are happening, will we call this a cultural norm? We the Bahamian people must know and be cognizant of the spiritual implication of dabbling and determining certain practices as cultural norms. Be careful O Bahamas and watch other nations that make obeah their cultural norm.

I recommend that the Minister of Tourism and every God-fearing leader in this country review this production – for its duplicitous naming convention as well as for the insinuation that Bahamians for the most part are lawless – this is the inference when you depict a known violation of the penal code as being a “cultural norm”.

SCRATCHING MY HEAD

New Providence

March 7, 2024