When the young men and women of the famed Junkanoo Commandos set out to travel to Ghana, they weren’t sure what to expect.

Their only knowledge of Africa was mainly the ‘dark’ place painted in the Western media and so they were not sure if the more than 8,000-kilometer journey was going to be worth the time and effort. They were not even sure if they would find their roots.

However, they knew that this land held so much of their history and much of it had been kept away from them.

The Junkanoo Festival is the euphoric celebration of Bahamian heritage that brings together the essence of music, dance, and fashion in rhythms that has the world in awe.

And at the forefront of this mesmerizing parade, stand the awe-inspiring Junkanoo Commandos - the guardians of tradition, the purveyors of artistry, and the embodiment of exuberance in the Caribbean Island of the Bahamas.

History Dances with the Present

Junkanoo has deep roots dating back to the 18th century when it was introduced by enslaved Africans in The Bahamas. According to the stories told, Junkanoo was named after an African Slave, John Canoe (Jan Kwaw), or an African Slave Trader who hailed from Africa.  Historical Data has shown that these stories were just that, stories as he was never captured and was never in The Bahamas. Historical data has proven that he was a Great Ahanta (Jan Kwaw) warrior from Ghana and is immortalized as the leader of rebellions against the enslavement of his people.

The slaves were allowed a day during the Christmas season (Boxing Day) to rest and celebrate their heritage. The celebrations were filled with colourful and fancy costumes and music from trumpets, conch shells, cowbells and drums made of goat skin. This is confirmed in an exclusive interview with the founder of the Junkanoo Commandos and recently crowned Queen Mother of Pokesu (the original home of the Jan Kwaw), Asafokyereba Angelique Fredricka McKay.

According to her “The name Junkanoo was fashioned after the great Ahanta warrior, Jan Kwaw. The research has shown us that we are direct descendants of Ahanta as the first three slave ships of captured Africans to The Bahamas came from Cape 3 Point in Ahanta.”

Today, Junkanoo has transformed into an annual holiday spectacle that takes place on Boxing Day (December 26th) and New Year's Day (January 1st), attracting both locals and visitors from around the globe to the streets of Nassau and Freeport in the Bahamas.

A similar spectacle is a regular feature in Takoradi, the capital of the Western Region of Ghana during the Christmas yuletide.

Fancy Costumes - A Mesmerizing Symphony of Colors and Creativity

Step into the heart of the Junkanoo Festival, and you'll find yourself surrounded by a cacophony of vivid hues that seem to have escaped from a painter’s palette. The Junkanoo Commandos, the leading Junkanoo group, are the virtuosos of costume design, crafting magnificent attire that transports onlookers to a world of wonder.

From shimmering headdresses adorned with sequins and feathers to voluminous skirts and extravagant capes, every element of the costume has a story to tell. The materials used range from crepe paper to intricate fabrics, all contributing to the astounding visual symphony that unfolds before the spectators' eyes. The craftsmanship is exceptional, and the designs often draw inspiration from Bahamian mythology, wildlife, and folklore, thereby reflecting the nation's rich tapestry of culture.

Managing Director of the Junkanoo Commandos, Dr Dwight Marshall, throws light on the inspiration for the costuming.

“The way we do the Junkanoo in the Bahamas, we pick themes and we try to depict those themes and present those themes at a parade. There are two parades during the Christmas season and so we were kinda forced to add on to those first costumes that we saw and to execute themes that we present at competitions. Just by doing that, it sort of evolved into what it is today,” he explains.

On her part, Asofokyereba Angelique McKay stresses the spirituality behind the Junkanoo Commandos’ costumes, insisting, “Everything is always special about our costumes because we pour our heart and soul into creating them.”

Mortgage Specialist and one of two female Junkanoo Commandos, Tonya Sampson, describes how it feels to wear the fancy costumes and dance with fellow commandos. She says, “Putting on a completed costume that started as a design in your mind; that you put countless hours of labour into constructing, spent hundreds of dollars on making the designer's vision come to life is like seeing a child you raised from an infant finally graduate college. It’s one of pride and fulfilment. When I am dancing to the rhythm of the drums and cowbells, I feel at peace.”

Rhythmic Music and Energetic Dances

At the core of Junkanoo's allure is its infectious music that reverberates through the air, igniting an immediate response from anyone within earshot. The commanding sounds of goat skin drums, cowbells, whistles, horns, and brass instruments form the backbone of this percussive orchestra.

The rhythms blend traditional African beats with a Caribbean flair, creating a symphony that finds harmony between the past and the present.

The Junkanoo Commandos are not just masters of music and costume; they are also virtuoso dancers, moving with infectious energy and precision. The dancers synchronize their movements with the beats of the drums, executing choreography that is as captivating as it is physically demanding.

With each step, the Junkanoo Commandos breathe life into their costumes, allowing the vibrant colours to come alive in a kaleidoscopic whirlwind of motion.

Sojourners around the World, Purveyors of the Junkanoo Festival

Formed back in 2006 as an amalgamation of multiple Junkanoo Groups in, Nassau, Bahamas, the Junkanoo Commandos have become purveyors of the mesmerizing Junkanoo Festival, and have taken their vibrant performances to numerous global destinations.

From the lively streets of The Capital city of The United States of America Washington DC and the historic lanes of London to the sunny shores of Nice France and the colourful alleys of Edinburgh Scotland, their enchanting costumes and infectious beats have left an indelible mark. As cultural ambassadors, they've delighted audiences in Liverpool England, Torino Italy, Southern States in North America, and more, bridging cultures through the universal language of music and dance.

In the words of the Managing Director, “We have always wanted to take Junkanoo beyond just the borders of the Bahamas because we knew what a gem it was and we wanted the world to see it.  Our mission statement says, ‘to positively change the world through the creative arts of Junkanoo while empowering others.’ We’ve been true to that mission statement since 2006.”

First visit to Africa –A return to Ancestral Roots in Ahanta

The first visit by the Junkanoo Commandos to Ghana in June was historic. The trip was part of the signing ceremony of the sister-city agreement between Nassau, Bahamas and Ahanta, Western Region of Ghana.

With their Africa-themed costumes and accompanied by the local “Ankos” group (Ghanaian version of the Junkanoo Festival), the Commandos strolled the streets of Pokesu, better known as Princess Town, amidst music and dancing. The locals organized a durbar for the Commandos present which was the entire chiefdom of the town, women, men, youth and children alike.

Dr Dwight believes this visit has been long coming. According to him, Ghana had always come up anywhere they performed in the world. And being a strongly spiritual group, they considered the mentioning of Ghana by different people at different places as a sign from the ancestors to trace their roots.

“We always knew that that is where the origins were. We always felt led by our ancestors from the continent (Africa). We always knew we wanted to go back to Africa. But where in Africa? Anybody’s guess. Ghana just kept coming up every time. We really believed it wasn’t a coincidence. This was the calling and it happened exactly when it was supposed to happen.”

Speaking on how it feels to step feet on Pokesu land, Asokyereba McKay says, “The Junkanoo Commandos were excited to perform in Pokesu. We toured Ahanta but for us to be able to perform in the birthplace of Junkanoo was euphoric. To be in Pokesu, the village where Jan Kwaw himself lived and walked, is surreal. We have travelled to Europe, to the United Kingdom, the United States, the Caribbeans, all over the world but to be the first to perform in Africa and Ahanta is just unbelievable for everyone that participated.”

These words resonate with those of the leader of the Sankofa Flamingo in Ahanta, a group that has been working tirelessly to bring sons and daughters of Ahanta in the diaspora back home for development and heritage purposes. In his speech at the signing of the sister-city agreement, he said “Today, the sons of our land have returned home, not in chains and not in assault. But they are in good health and have flown back home to reconnect with the people of Ahanta. We are certain that the people of Bahamas and the People of Ahanta have a strong lineage.”

Tonya was one of those daughters who returned. She visited Pokesu. She met the people of the town. She danced with them in joy and exhilaration. She describes the feeling as emotional.

“My homecoming to Ahanta was very emotional and exhilarating. The anticipation was building as we got nearer to the trip. Seeing the place where Junkanoo was birthed was very emotional and fulfilling. Meeting so many persons who looked like me and had similar mannerisms and dialects as we do in The Bahamas made it feel like home,” she said, beaming with smiles.

This is not the last

As the sun sets over the Bahamian horizon, the legacy of Junkanoo Commandos lives on through their new-found connection to Ahanta.

To establish their presence and sustain the connection, a local commandos group has been formed and initiated into the Junkanoo Commandos Tradition. In Dr Dwight’s own words, “We’ve made some of the people from that region (Princess Town, Pokesu) Junkanoo Commandos now and so they are Pokesu commandos. We just wanted to complete the circle; now we feel like the hole that existed for so long has been filled. And we gonna keep returning. And we gonna bring more people who wanna have the same experience.”

“The Junkanoo Commandos have made Ahanta and Pokesu their home in Africa and this is only the beginning for us. We have made a commitment to Ahanra and Pokesu, to be present. We can't say every year the large contingent will come but our presence will be felt every year, as we are guided by our ancestors ” says the Founder, Asafokyereba McKay

As The Bahamas continues to evolve, the Junkanoo Festival remains a timeless beacon that reminds its people of their roots, connecting the past with the present. The Junkanoo Commandos are the soldiers safeguarding this tradition and spreading it to the world in its purest form, as it originated from Ahanta in Ghana.