The History of Junkanoo Part One
My Way All The Way
by
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Junkanoo is the heart and soul of our cultural spirit. Indeed it is the passion and pride of The Bahamas. It is most certainly my pride and passion, because it has been an integral part of my life for half a century.
I have come up through the ranks of Junkanoo, from a little boy of five years, being first introduced to the great and encompassing ritual by my parents, My mother was the most creative of the two, and for as long as I can remember she was creating costumes for me. This began with the annual Halloween parties that were held at St. Matthews Sunday School Room.
Her creations were always articulate and imaginative over those years and she must have created all the characters found in the nursery-rhyme books, I was always the top prize winner at these masquerade parities.
Junkanoo on the other hand, during that time was different than it has become today. The celebration had a freer spirit, it was more spontaneous and less restricted, without the trappings of a spectator sport or fashion show. Indeed the frenzy started from Halloween at the end of October, when everybody in the eastern district, Kemp Road, St. James Road, Lyon Road and Fowler Street, would break out into a spontaneous rush out and move through the streets every night following the Halloween parties engulfing the settlements and neighbourhoods with the sweet pulsating sounds of the Junkanoo music.
The combination of the cowbell, goat skin drums and whistles along with the conch shell horn, was the original makeup of the Junkanoo sound. The only brass we knew at that time was the legendary "Josh" and his horn. People of all ages were sucked into the frenzy of the moment as the groups passed through. They left everything, their houses and duties, leaving their doors wide open. There was no need for worry or concern about theft or robbery, for the only renowned bad man in the country was "Joe Monks" as he was locked away in the prison at the East Street Barracks.
The island of New Providence was then a small community and the natives that lived in the various districts and settlements were able to survive, they had respect and cared for each other. At any rate the music was usually so sweet and wonderful, that children, young girls, women, men, boys, even grandmothers dropped everything and danced in the streets to the music.
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About the Book
This book encapsules the essence and total experience of the unique and captivating Bahamian cultural celebration called “Jon Coni, John Conue, Junkanoo “.
It puts the reader into the skin and spirit of the author and gives him/her a first hand experience , a birds eye view, if you will of all the thrills, rushes and the mysterious spiritual link up with mother Africa and the message of the bloodline and curious identity of its spirits .
The author Anthony B. ( Tony ) Carroll, has 55 years of active Individual Junkanoo participation to his credit and is a trail blazing Junkanoo artist who is responsible for introducing all of the concepts, techniques and innovative ideas during the last fifty years of this truly Bahamian cultural expression.
He is the King of the Individual Junkanoo line, and he bares his Junkanoo soul for the reader .
He is direct and candid, as he takes you into his secret chambers ( Worlds ) of Imagination, creativity, Inspirations, techniques, constructions and desires to entertain and thrill his loyal Junkanoo fans .
He explores and explains the effects, both spiritual and physical, that the spirit of preparation for Junkanoo has on the country(
At the conclusion of his/her odyssey through “ The history of Junkanoo , My Way,
All the Way “ part one and “ The history of Junkanoo , The Individual Junkanoo participants & performers 1940 - 2005 “ part two and “ The history of Junkanoo Groups, the first 25 years 1954 - 1980 “ part three , the reader is enlightened, entertained and has had a total Anthony B. ( Tony ) Carroll Junkanoo experience .
About the Author
Anthony B. (Tony) Carroll, was born in
He is the winner of numerous bodybuilding titles, including Mr.
He appeared in "Salome" at the New York Metropolitan Opera House, co-starred with Eartha Kitt in the Broadway production of "Timbuktu" 1978 - 1980, "Richard the III" at the Hollywood Globe Theatre, "Moby Dick", "No place to be Somebody", "Dark of the Moon", "Over the Wall", "The Adventured of Conan the Barbarian", "Five on the Black Hand Side", "Othello", "Das Kline Mahogany", "We'd Rather Switch", and "Y. M. C. A.".
Co-starred on the T. V. shows, "Buck Rodgers in the Twenty First Century", "The New F. B. I.", "
Co-starred in the movies, "Hercules in New York", with Arnold Schwartznegger, "Brand X", "The Projectionist", "Coloured Man", "Shamus", "The Next Man", "Buy and Cell", and "Masters of the Universe", with Dolf Lungren and Frank Langella.