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Last Updated: Jan 27, 2021 - 3:14:12 AM |
The Bahamas National Youth Choir is gearing up to release an official music video paying homage to popular songs like its all-time fan-favorite “Celebrate”, the internationally acclaimed “Funky Nassau” and others.
On January 31st, 2021 via its social media platforms, the choir will officially launch its highly anticipated video, honoring the song “Celebrate” which is referred to as the choir’s National Anthem. Music lovers and fans of the song can expect a thrilling twist in the rendition because Celebrate is fused into a tropical medley of songs called the Island Funk Medley.
The BNYC is releasing the music video ahead of its spring album debut of Island Celebration. A compilation CD of songs produced from 1983 to present.
The music video and album will also feature a tribute to the people of Abaco with the song ‘Funk Soul Down in Abaco’ written by Mr. Patrick Swain and Mr. Garnet Stuart. This arrangement is special to two current members who love and constantly represent their hometown while furthering their education here in the capital.
This new project will highlight the work of the choir’s founder and former director, the late Cleophas Adderley who wrote and composed Celebrate. The work of Ray Munnings and Tyrone Fitzgerald is featured with the musical piece “Funky Nassau”.
The original choreographers Robert Bain, Le’Keisha Bostwick, Carolyn Vogt-Evans, were brought to life visually and have been a staple in the history of the choir and its world-class performances.
In the first few months of 2020, the choir was set to begin celebrating its 30th Annual Concert season however many of the celebratory plans have been postponed due to the ongoing global crisis with COVID-19. This led the BNYC to engage their audiences with a selection of past performances and ‘throwbacks’ of alumni enjoying the stage through various social media platforms.
Recently, persons across the community have been sharing clips of the hit, ‘Celebrate’ on platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram acknowledging the nostalgia and reminiscing on what it felt like to be in the ’90s after watching the 7:00 pm news on ZNS almost every other evening.
The choir believes in celebrating communities, and the idea of honoring the style of black culture through music. During the past years, the choir has won gold medals at the World Choir Games, which triggered the former founding director to expand the entity’s repertoire.
Within the last decade, the choir has presented Motown, the funk and groove of Earth, Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, the Wiz, the Lion King Broadway featuring Junkanoo inspired costumes for its Broadway acts.
The BNYC will add a special tribute to its video, which will highlight the style of a Historical Black Colleges/Universities Marching Band. HBCUs have created dynamic performances through their marching bands; inspired by this the choir added an island flare in homage to HBCUs.
Various marching bands around our community, like the Bahamas All-Star Marching Band, the Urban Renewal Marching Band, and the Aquinas Marching Band, just to name a few, have trained and molded their members to the standard of our international counterparts and have represented The Bahamas in such performances abroad.
Members of the Junkanoo community have attended several HBCUs and shared much of the materials and teachings with their colleagues. This is strongly reflected in junkanoo parades with regards to band brass arrangements and choreographed movements.
There is no doubt that Junkanoo will be a driving force in the music video and album.
The Bahamas National Youth Choir wishes to thank all composers, supporters, and creatives that have influenced this project and hopes that the final product garners support locally, and internationally.
The BNYC has not released a music video of this magnitude since the 90s with the debut of “Celebrate”.
© Copyright 2021 by thebahamasweekly.com
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