What is Junkanoo? Junkanoo is a form of Bahamian cultural expression, which has been if derived from their ancestry. This parade is held twice a year, December 26th and January 1st. Junkanoo is a celebration of African heritage through costuming, music and dance it is very similar to masquerading.
             The Bahamas Development Board commercialized Junkanoo during the nineteen twenties, as the festival was being held on Bay Street for the first time. Prizes were offered and as a result Junkanoo became more competitive. There are four main groups, "Saxons," "Valley Boys," "Roots" and "One Family". These groups are judged based on their costume music, and dance. The earlier Junkanoo costumes were made out of anything the slaves could find such as, stones, bottles, paper and leaves. Masks were normally made from these materials. Over the years the customs has became even more extravagant, filled with vibrant colors and eye catching decorations. The Junkanoo music has pretty much stayed the same over the years; instruments used are drums, cowbells, brass instruments, horns and scrap metals. The Junkanoo rhythm is very infectious and it is one of the greatest parts of the Junkanoo experience. The Junkanoo dance was once a free-spirited and freestyle were Junkanooers did whatever they wanted to do. Over the years this has changed, Junkanoo has since been choreographed As the Junkanoo music and dance is distinctly African in nature, most modern day Junkanoo dance choreographers try to make their routines as ethnic as possible.
             Junkanoo is now becoming more and more of a media spectacle than a festival of cultural enlightenment and expression, competition has became so over publicized. The commercialization of Junkanoo is taking away from the power and spirit that Junkanoo once possessed. Junkanoo is one of the most profitable and celebrated art forms in the Bahamas. As a result J
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