Hi all Where is the Bahamian music???
We (the family) went out last night to celebrate my daughter’s birthday and an Aunts Birthday. We went to a popular restaurant that has a local atmosphere. It’s very popular for tourist and locals and is attached to a hotel.
Every thing was ok nothing was wow. Or should I say 1 thing was wow but not in a good way. The Band that was playing could do a Johnny Denver song to a calypso beat or Jamaican raga but could not do Oh Knotty Johnny, Shame and scandal, Pineapple wine, Gin and Coconut water, or Island in he sun. One of the people in our group said the band should go back to America.

Hi all Where is the Bahamian music?

That is the question the Musician's Union is asking! Maybe we have just lost our taste for it. Or maybe it is lost in the storm of music from the U.S..

Due to the relative unpopularity of Bahamian t'ings, especially with the younger generations, I would think that the root of the problem can be found in realizing that much of our music remains largely unappreciated. As for the band in question not being able (or not willing) to play Bahamian tunes, they probably have little incentive to. Their audience, primarily American tourists, would be more familiar with the lyrics of John Denver's songs or the internationally-popular reggae artists like Bob Marley.

About 2 years ago I noticed a trend with my website’s audio stream (http://www.dabahamianting.com) that the audience demographic shifted drastically when I changed it over to an all-Bahamian format. When I used to DJ reggae and hip hop over the Internet, I had virtually no problem getting locals to tune in. Now many of my listeners tend to be Bahamian students abroad who had to leave these islands to regain their appreciation for their own t’ings, older Bahamians who now live in other countries, or foreigners who are thrilled to hear what the Bahamas has to offer musically.

We can talk all we want about the lack of Bahamian music, but the reality is that we have many talented people out there who are not getting the credit they deserve or much rather not getting the opportunity to show what they are capable of. Just over the past year I have learned a little bit more about the way in which the Bahamian music industry works and almost immediately became swamped with the amount of opportunities that were presented to me. I’m still trying to catch up!

Right now I’m working with a few people in the industry who are trying to address the very issue that you brought up of local Bahamian entertainment. Two factors that presented challenges were: 1. the money to back the events, and 2. the local support, which I’m glad to say is getting stronger due to stations like Island 102.9FM. At one Bahamian event that I attended last month, I could count the amount of people who came out to support - half of them were musicians.

To thrive locally, there has to be an environment that supports local talent. It’s getting better, but we’re still not there yet.

I will say this If I go to Thailand I don't want to hear Bahamian music I want to hear Thai music. I want to experience their country and culture. I am sure many of the tourists that come here feel the same way.
Where can I get CDs of Bahamian music?

I will say this If I go to Thailand I don't want to hear Bahamian music I want to hear Thai music. I want to experience their country and culture. I am sure many of the tourists that come here feel the same way.
Where can I get CDs of Bahamian music?

Buck's record gallery on Wulff Road is a good place to start. Quite a few albums in my collection have come from there.