Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 21 November 1996 — Page 16
The Muncie Times, November 21,1996, Page 16 Holiday season offers exotic African American painting Junkanoo festivals in Jamaica to hang in the White House
By Linda Cousins Carnival lovers can experience two revelries for the price of one in Nassau, Bahamas, at the end of this year. Junkanoo, the island’s major carnival celebration, takes place on Boxing Day (Dec. 26) and on New Year’s morning (Jan. 1). Bringing in the New Year in the Bahamas while attending Junkanoo is a fantastic experience. I can’t begin to count the number of carnivals I’ve attended. Junkanoo is truly my absolute favorite because of the intensity of the island’s African ancestral culture that is evident there. Once you hear the blending of hundreds of mesmerizing goatskin drums, cowbells, whistles, and the brass hom • section, combined with the sights of the huge, intricately designed costumes and the wonderfully choreographed African dancing through the famed Bay Street area, you’ll see why I say that Junkanoo is a carnival to end all carnivals. However, if you can’t get to the Bahamas for the actual Junkapoo celebrations, reservations have to be made well in advance, there’s a Junkanoo Expo Museum on the waterfront displaying winning costumes of Junkanoo’s past and which also has some Junkanoo tapes available for sale. Nonetheless, there “ain’t nothing like the real thing.” I found Junkanoo to be a supreme cultural treat and one I look forward to repeating. I have experienced a number of cultural delights in the Bahamas, as they have become one of my favorite island getaway spots. However, I must say that I particularly enjoyed the glass bottom Booze & Cmise outing in Nassau for the July independence celebrations. The refreshing 4-hour cruise included snorkeling at the reefs, a sea garden tour, as well as a stopover at a lovely island beach for an hour of swimming, sunning, jet-ski riding, or just simply relaxing and chatting in a scenic spot. The boat ride also included enervating island music throughout the ride, dancing on the upper and lower deck, a limbo contest, meal of island cuisine and unlimited snacks and drinks, including those for which the Bahamas are noted: Bahama Mama, Goombay Smash, and Yellow Bird. Travelers could also tiy their hand in a limbo contest with the professional limbo dancers onboard. The overall atmosphere was festive. The folks, crew and travelers, were friendly. The entire ride was a mental, physical, and spiritual refreshment. I love supporting the fine local businesses in the islands and Captain Barry, an enterprising black entrepreneur, certainly has a marvelous cultural offering here v/hich enhances any vacation stay in Nassau. For those planning to make that cultural trek to Junkanoo, it would be wise to make reservations early, as loads of folks from across the world head to Nassau during this particular highlife time. Another bit of good Bahamian news is that the Astoria Hotel, a beachfront facility in Nassau, is offering a 25 percent discount to cyberspacers this year. This is one of my favorite hotels in Nassau, as it’s not only within walking distance of the Junkanoo festivities but numerous other island cultural, historical, dining, shopping and entertainment spots (including the BahaMen’s Culture Club, owned by the island’s most famed band). The hotel is comfortable, convenient, and reasonably priced, so I always try to book there when I’m headed lovely Nassau-way.
By Jeremy Greene In 1994, a White House visitor noticed that, although the White House contained a great number of precious pieces of art, no paintings by African Americans were displayed. He wrote a letter to President Clinton pointing out this omission. In response, the White House Historical Association has now procured an 1885 painting by Henry Ossawa Tanner, “Sand Dunes at Sunset, Atlantic City,” to augment the White House collection. Tanner is one of the country’s most renowned African American-bom painters. The large painting depicts sand dunes basking in the late day sunlight and will reside in the Green Room, where it will be visible to all who visit the nation’s executive mansion.
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East Central Regional Indiana Food Bank, Inc. Canned Food Drive Bring one canned good and receive $1 off any regular admission to Liquid Vision.
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