Cultural Insider Playlist (Bahamian Music)

 

 Hey everyone! Welcome to  my blog, where I plan to cover all of my favorite examples of songs which fall under the genre of Bahamian music known as Rake n Scrape. These songs tend to have quite the joyous and upbeat feel to it, which perfectly encapsulates the vast musical landscape we have here in our Bahamaland.

I'd like to start off with my favorite piece currently, titled "Numba Man" by Bahamian artist Bazie. The instruments of this song radiate a jubilant tune, with the lyrics giving credence to the prevalence of gambling in the Bahamas. Its very common for Bahamians to try their luck and buy some numbers if they can. The song further accentuates how people also tend to rely on gambling at times for a quick break due to economic troubles such as receiving a late paycheck. It's quite easy to undermine the severity of the songs contents simply because of how the boisterous drums, catchy bells, laid back tone and the trademark "scrape" sound all combine to make the song upbeat and happy. 

This next entry is from Bahamian artist Stone McEwan, with the song titled "Hanging Out in Abaco". The lyrics of the song outline a few activities that Stone he tended to engage in growing up, including fishing, sailing and or just absorbing the fine sea breeze. Historically, Abaco is known as the fishing capital of the Bahamas, or the "Yachtsman's Paradise", which Stone captures brilliantly with this track, as it further emphasizes the tropical and warm atmosphere one can expect to experience once they've landed in Abaco. I personally love how the percussions, trumpet, xylophone mesh together to create a rich and uniquely Bahamian sound which is attributed to the Rake n Scrape genre.
                                                

I love the graphic accompanying the song, as I feels its perfectly in line with the serene atmosphere of island life that the song emits.

Moving along, to a more sensual song titled "You Got What it Takes" by Elon Moxey. The lyrics in this song chronicle Moxey's infatuation with his current lover, stating how she is the sunshine of his life, alongside how she "has what it takes" to be the woman he decides to settle down with. Instruments prevalent in this song include the drums, accordion and the scrape from the carpenter's saw work together to create a love song which brims and seethes with the Bahamian spirit. I have a bit of a bias towards love songs as my favorite genre is R&B, so this song really stood out to me with its meaning and sound. A fun fact about this song is that it uses the same instrumental as another song from Moxey titled "Oh My Andros", his most widely known song.

For the next song, we have one that's most likely to be played at a party out of all these entries. "Rake & Scrape Party" by Bahamian music group Spank Band is a song with lyrics describing a local party taking place. The opening vocals being fused with auto tune gives the song a more modern feel, alongside emphasizing the party atmosphere that the song radiates.  The drums, call and response, tambourines and bells are all effectively utilized to present the listener with a strong party feeling. Parties are quite an essential aspect of Bahamian culture, as we have many talented dancers, and people who simply love a party atmosphere to help them unwind from the long week they had or to just have fun!

Moving onto the final stretch, we have the song titled "Call Da Fire Engine" by Bahamian artist Ancient Man. This song has a catchy and fun mood surrounding it, as the subject matter seems light and the lyrics are simplistic and effective. The accordion and tambourines being played in the background help highlight the jolly and laid back tone of the song. The artist Ancient Man, real name Kenyon Mcdonald was actually a Certified Public Accountant before he transitioned into his career as a musician. He also cited the origin of his stage name coming from a dream in which he had, whilst proclaiming himself to be a heavily spiritual individual. I find these facts to be quite intriguing, as they fit well into breaking norms about who Bahamian artists typically are. 

Bibliography

N/A. (2012, N/A N/A). A Tribute to the Bahamian Music Artist Ancient Man. Retrieved from Tumblr: https://ancientman-bahamas.tumblr.com/post/12760494412/vibestress-poster-2011-march-17-roots

Nesta, E. F. (2006, March N/A). Stone McEwan Plays the Island Sound of the Bahamas . Retrieved from Luxury Experience: http://luxuryexperience.com/music_scene/music_artists/stone_mcewan__plays_the_island_sound_of_the_bahamas.html