FORT LAUDERDALE – A Liberty City, Miami, based Social Worker and his wife, will travel to Grand Bahama with South Florida’s Hot 105 FM’s Radio Personality, “James T” this weekend (April 17th) to enjoy the festivities, excitement and celebrations of the first ever Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival.
Lionel Lightbourne, is the winner of a coveted trip that was sponsored by The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, the Grand Lucayan Resort, Freeport, Grand Bahama and the Belearia Ferry Express. An excited Mr. Lightbourne shared, “For months my wife and I have been talking about needing a break. ” Speaking on behalf of his wife, schoolteacher, Tonya Watkins, he added, “This trip is the answer to our prayers and is going to be exactly what we need to rejuvenate.”
The Hot 105 FM Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival promotion was organized by Don Wiggins of Eagle Reign Media, with Mr. Linville Johnson, The Bahamas Tourist Office, Florida’s Director for the African American Market. The promotion, on Hot 105 FM featured Radio announcements and the contest for listeners to “Come Along” with the radio Personality for his live broadcast. The broadcast will take place from Freeport, Grand Bahama back to South Florida to an audience of an estimated 2 million, stretching from W. Palm Beach in the North to the Keys in the South.
The Live Broadcast from Grand Bahama will focus on the myriad of events of what has been described as the “biggest non-stop cultural kickoff party the island has ever seen.” There will also be interviews, and prizes and Mr. Linville Johnson, representing The Island’s Of The Bahamas, will host the Broadcast.
The Grand Bahama event this weekend will be the official kick-off to the Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival season and one of its main events will be The Music Masters concert. The concert will be a stage for top contemporary artists of The Bahamas to perform in competition. Twenty-five songs by nineteen artists and musicians have been identified through the first ever Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival Song Competition and will be performed April 17th and 18th 2015. The top ten songs from these semi-finals will then be performed in Nassau May 8th 2015.
The festivities in Grand Bahama will also feature a Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival Beach Party, which will take place on Taino Beach in Freeport, featuring music, cuisine, dance and culture.
A highlight of the weekend will be the Midnight Rush, early morning after-party for the Music Masters Concert. No costumes or organized lines will be needed, as it will be a massive street rush for spectators on the streets to participate in Junkanoo without the confines of competition. The Rushout will take place Saturday April 18th at 12:00 a.m. through 6:00 a.m.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Grand Bahama event is a prelude to the Carnival events that will take place in Nassau, May 7-9th and will feature four main events over its weekend presentation: Music Masters, Junka Mania, Midnight Rush and Road Fever. Organizers of The Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival 2015 have promised that its series of events in Grand Bahama and Nassau will display a collage of Bahamian culture. Also, that the festive celebrations will present the opportunity for Bahamians and guests from around the world to be immersed in all things Bahamian. “The carnival events will showcase Junkanoo, Rake -n- Scrape, arts and crafts, Bahamian cuisine, visual art, music, dance and much more.”
Additional information http://www.bahamas.com/BahamasCarnival2015 or www.bahamasjunkanoocarnival.com,
