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The music of the Bahamas is associated primarily with junkanoo, a celebration which occurs on Boxing Day ( December 26) and again on New Year's Day ( January 1). Parades and other celebrations mark the ceremony. Groups like The Baha Men, Ronnie Butler and Kirkland Bodie have gained massive popularity in Japan, the United States and elsewhere.

The word is said to be derived from a Ghanaian leader, John Connu , or from the Qujo supreme deity ( Canno ) and ancestral spirits ( jannanin ). The junkanoo was formerly practiced in North Carolina and remnants still exist in Belize, Jamaica and, most commonly, BermudaThis article is about the island of Bermuda. See Bermuda sloop and Bermuda rig for the associated sailing terms''. Bermuda is a self-governing island Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom, situated in the Atlantic Ocean. In the early 20th century, as m. Its capital, though, is the Bahamas and NassauNassau is the capital city of the Bahamas. It is the commercial and cultural centre of the Bahamas, and with a population of 180,000, its largest city. Located on New Providence island, Nassau has an attractive harbour and a busy port. The tropical climat, FreeportFreeport is the name of several localities. United States of America: Freeport, Florida Freeport, Illinois Freeport, Kansas Freeport, Maine Freeport, Michigan Freeport, Minnesota Freeport, New York Freeport, Ohio Freeport, Pennsylvania Freeport, Texas Oth and the Family Islands . Bahamanian music has been declining throughout the 20th century19th century 20th century 21st century more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901- 2000 in the sense of the Gre, partially due to the influence of American cultureThis article very generally discusses the customs and culture of the United States for the "culture" of the United States, see arts and entertainment in the United States. As the United States is an immense country, with many residents and citizens being and the proximity of TV and radio stations in FloridaFlorida is a southern state in the United States. It is known as the Sunshine State. Florida" is a Spanish adjective which means "flowery". It was discovered by Spanish explorers during the Easter season, which is called Pascua Florida in Spanish. Postal (which can be picked up in the Bahamas) as well as the arrival of musical forms like calypsoCalypso is a style of Afro- Caribbean music which originated in the British and French colonial islands of the Caribbean at about the start of the 20th century' it is an especially integral part of Trinidadian music. The roots of the genre lay in the arri, reggaeReggae is an African Caribbean style of music developed on the island of Jamaica and is closely linked to the religion Rastafarianism, though not universally popular among its members. The origins of reggae can be found in traditional African Caribbean mu and soca from Jamaica, Cuba and Trinidad, among other Caribbean islands. Tourism has also had an impact, bringing in Japanese, European and North Americans with their attendant forms of cultural expression. In spite of this, Bahamanian performers like Joseph Spence have become underground stars playing junkanoo, Christian hymns and the ant'em s of the local sponge fisherman, which include "Sloop John B", later made famous by The Beach Boys.

Junkanoo's origins are obscure and much-debated. Researchers like E. Clement Bethel have studied the issue extensively, and likely conclusions include that African slaves were allowed celebrations only around Christmas-time, and chose to celebrate John Connu, a headman from 18th century Africa. Another theory is that the term derives from scrap metal or other objects (junk) used to create the distinctive goombay drum . Similar celebrations once existed cross the Caribbean and in North Carolina, but are now virtually extinct except in the Bahamas and Belize.

With the 1973 independence from the United Kingdom, black professionals of the middle- and upper-classes began to dominate junkanoo celebrations. Costuming and competitions became more complex and commonplace, and soon became a tourist draw.

Aside from being a type of drum, goombay is also a percussion music made famous by Alphonso 'Blind Blake' Higgs , who played to tourists arriving at Nassau International Airport for several years. Rake-and-scrape music is a unique type of instrumental music made by bending a saw and scraping with a small object, most typically a screwdriver; it is used to accompany dances derived from European forms like polka and waltz. Rake-and-scrape's popularity has been declining in recent years, but performers like Lassie Do and the Boys continue to keep the tradition alive. Christian rhyming spiritual s and the ant'em s of sponge fisherman are now mostly dead traditions, decimated by the arrival of pop music, a 1930s sponge blight and other causes.