2015 Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival Highlights
Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival 2015 Highlights
Julianspromos traveled to Nassau in May 2015 to document a historic first for The Bahamas: the inaugural Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival.
On Saturday, May 9, 2015, masqueraders took to the streets for Road Fever, the Carnival’s signature road parade, bringing together elaborate costumes, Bahamian culture, Soca and thousands of participants and spectators.
Original Julianspromos coverage was shot and edited by Julian Hackett, who joined E-Nation, a collaboration between Enigma and Eden Carnival, to capture the experience from inside the first Road Fever celebration. Music on the road included Private Ryan and other DJs.
On the Road With E-Nation
For the inaugural Carnival, Julianspromos went on the road with E-Nation as masqueraders brought a colorful mix of feathers, costumes, movement and Caribbean music through the streets of Nassau.
The coverage provided Julianspromos viewers with a firsthand look at a new Carnival tradition being established in The Bahamas, documenting the experience from within the mas rather than only from the sidelines.
The First Road Fever
Road Fever began at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium and traveled through Nassau before reaching the Western Esplanade and Da Cultural Village, the central entertainment hub for Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival.
The approximately 5.6-mile parade route brought Carnival bands through the capital accompanied by a mixture of Bahamian and Soca music, as spectators lined the streets to experience the first edition of the event.
The inaugural Road Fever featured dozens of locally operated groups and Carnival bands, establishing a new road experience alongside The Bahamas’ internationally recognized Junkanoo traditions.
A New Bahamian Festival
Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival was introduced as a multi-day celebration combining distinctly Bahamian traditions with elements of Caribbean Carnival.
The Nassau weekend included JunkaMania, the Music Masters song competition and concert, Midnight Rush, Road Fever and activities inside Da Cultural Village.
Major performers connected to the inaugural weekend included Machel Montano, Baha Men, Bunji Garlin, Skinny Fabulous, Olatunji and a range of Bahamian performers, placing local music alongside artists from the wider Caribbean.
Road Fever became the culminating street celebration, giving masqueraders the opportunity to “jump in da line” and participate directly in the new festival.
Original Julianspromos Coverage
The Bahamas trip formed part of Julianspromos’ growing international multimedia presence during 2015, when the company was documenting Carnival culture in destinations throughout the Caribbean and its diaspora.
By covering the first Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival, Julianspromos preserved footage from the beginning of an important chapter in the country’s modern festival history.
The Nassau coverage would also become part of Julianspromos’ wider 2015 Multimedia Carnival Tour, which documented Carnival experiences across multiple international destinations.
From the Julianspromos Archives
Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival 2015 Highlights is preserved as part of the Julianspromos Archives, documenting years of original Soca, Carnival and Caribbean entertainment coverage.
Explore more original Carnival footage, artist performances, interviews and cultural moments from throughout the history of Julianspromos.
