Valley Boys "City of Gold"

tasteofthebahamas.com

The call early in the morning just before the stat of Junkanoo in the city of Nassau on historic Bay Street is normally, " Who's in da morning!" That is not a question but an all out exclamation that requires only one response. "Da Valley!" The ValleyBoys have been celebrating the Bahamian cultural arts of costume, music and dance for more than 50 years. They have in fact been winning from they began. (Chronology of Junkanoo Winners - Boxing Day ) The Valley Boys can be used as the post card for Junkanoo. Junkanoo comes to us in The Bahamas from the many tribes from countries like Nigeria, Togo, Senegal and Ghana.All of these had common heritage when it came to celebrating "First Fruits".First fruits was celebrated in the Bahamas as a " rush" that left the "over-da-hill area, the area where freed slaves were settled in the city of Nassau, and proceed to the business area of Bay Street. They did so while playing music with cowbells, goat skin drums and whistles. The "rush" as come to a slow march in present day Junkanoo but survives in the "Jumper" Churches as a means to raise funds while participants "rush" around the inside of the church to the sound of "rush" music. The music of Junkanoo has evolved as has the costume and dance. Music is now generated by a full brass ensemble that resembles a marching band backed up by a large drum section flanked by cowbellers.  The sounds that are played reflect the music of the day of any other genres and era. This does not exclude Christian or Gospel music.  Costumes now depict varied themes and are made still primarily with cardboard as the base but can include styrofoam and many other materials as is deemed necessary. The costumes are decorated with crepe paper as the primary medium to provide colour but this is accentuated by as many other colourful trinkets as rhinestones,beads, glitter, feathers and any thing imaginable. Dance now can  be slow or high tempo performed by freedancers while more organized dance is done by sections mainly comprising of girls that have defined routines. Many other island of The Bahamas celebrate this cultural festival in their own right and at their own times some traditionally at New Years Day and Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) while others in nontraditional times of the year. But the cry is still "who's in da morning!" maybe one day it can be responded to by calling your name!