culture

The Bahamas has spent decades trying to get the world to fall in love with its culture. We want visitors to taste our food, hear our music, experience Junkanoo, learn our history and take a little piece of the islands home with them.

We want Bahamian culture to travel.

But what happens when someone from outside the Bahamas helps make that culture popular—and then tries to make money from it?

Scottish social-media creator Heather Wulk, known online as “Wulk242” received backlash.

Wulk built a following by cooking Bahamian dishes and sharing her affection for the country. When she proposed selling a “Hey Cousin!” T-shirt featuring the Bahamian flag, however, some Bahamians objected.

Some questioned why Bahamians won’t support other Bahamians first. Others questioned whether Wulk should commercially use the national flag.

Who gets to benefit when Bahamian culture becomes commercially valuable?

There is already a market for Bahamian-inspired products. Bahamian businesses sell clothing, gifts, food and lifestyle products built around national identity and island culture.

Who gets to capture that value?

A Bahamian entrepreneur selling a flag-inspired shirt is participating in that economy from within the culture. A foreign creator doing the same thing occupies a different position—even if her intentions are entirely sincere.

That does not automatically make the outsider exploitative. Nor does being Bahamian automatically make every use of culture legitimate.

Wulk says she was not trying to take anything from Bahamians. She says the shirt was intended to celebrate a community that had welcomed her, and that she had planned to donate part of the proceeds to charities.

Some Bahamians agree with her.

Former Free National Movement candidate for Englerston Heather McDonald told her that culture is meant to be shared and encouraged her not to be discouraged.

Miguel Taylor argued that the critics represented only a few voices and urged her to continue.

Danielle Bandin similarly argued that Bahamians should not discourage someone who is bringing attention to the country while much larger foreign interests profit from the Bahamas.

If we want outsiders to discover Bahamian culture, should we also expect them never to build anything from that discovery?

Tourism itself depends on people finding economic value in what makes the Bahamas distinctive.

That is a conversation the Bahamas should be prepared to have—not only when a Scottish TikToker sells a T-shirt, but whenever our food, music, stories, traditions and identity become increasingly valuable in the global digital marketplace.

When the world falls in love with Bahamian culture, who gets to benefit?

Popular Bahamian singer Emily Williams also known as ‘Sweet Emily’ is furious and has taken to social media demanding to know why another Bahamian artist was selected to sing her song without her consent.

Williams said the Bahamian soca artist was selected to headline a cultural event but will be singing one of her songs while she remains at home without work.

“How can a soca artist headline a cultural show and is paid to sing my song while I am home unemployed?” Williams asked.

“Fix it,” she demanded.

The Junkanoo Queen known for hits like ‘Bring Back the Good ‘Ole Days,’ ‘Send Him Home’ and ‘Look Wha’ Ya Do,’  said despite her many successes in the Bahamian music industry, she is unemployed while another artist was selected to sing her song.

“Make it make sense. I can’t keep quiet on this,” she said.

Williams said she demands respect because she “deserves it.”

“Someone from the Ministry of Tourism needs to let these artists give them a list of songs before hiring them. If they are being hired to headline cultural shows, they should prove they are qualified by having proper cultural songs of their own.

“We are competing for the same jobs. So if you want to take a job to headline a cultural show, then you shouldn’t have to use another artist’s song who you are in competition with,” she said.

Social media users have pressured her to file a lawsuit, but Williams said she is only willing to forgive this time, but the next time it happens, she will do something about it.

“This post is just a warning this time. But sing my song without my permission on your big stage. I will not let it slide next time,” she warned.

Williams did not name the Bahamian soca artist who was hired to sing her song but only said, “Artists need to respect others. If you want to headline a cultural Bahamian show, carry your hip in the studio and produce Bahamian songs instead of soca…I am tired of the foolishness I see going on in this industry.”

Former Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Iram Lewis criticized the government, demanding an account of a culture trip to Dubai, where nearly 160 delegates, including Prime Minister Philip Davis traveled for the World Expo 2020.

Lewis asked the government to reveal a list of expenditures, how many people were a part of the delegation, and the criteria to determine which artist made up the delegation.

He says the government is “careless” and “negligent” in its decision since the pandemic has adversely affected the economy and health of the country.

Lewis believes the delegation should have been smaller “to participate in a more targetted way for a more desired impact.”

Shaback Choir, a religious group directed by Press Secretary Clint Watson was also a part of the contigent.

Some people have questioned why the country’s national youth choir was not invited to attend the expo. Instead, Shaback seemed to take that place as it is seen singing the Bahamian cultural songs on the stage while dressed in island-style fabric.

A delegate of Bahamians to Dubai at the World Expo 2020 has spurred public debate, as some argue that the contingent was too big and the cost was too high.

Director of Communications in the Office of the Prime Minister Latrae Rahming when pressed by reporters last week said the government spent $1 million for the trip, while the government of Dubai contributed $3 million for the Bahamas’ representation at the World Expo.

He justified the spending by stating that the event was planned about five years in advance and the former administration intended to spend more but the Davis administration cut back on spending.

The trip is meant to be a cultural event comprising Bahamian bands, musicians, and cultural artisans. Among those who traveled were the Royal Bahamas Police Force Band, a Junkanoo Group and the Bahamas All-Stars Band.

A local performer, The Mighty Pencil, was not invited to the event but took to social media to voice his displeasure and questioned why others were not asked to attend.

Many of the delegates when they arrived in Dubai took to social media to show off their living arrangements and share their experiences in the mega city located in the middle east.

Seen in many of the pictures and videos are Watson’s cousin also known as a local sensation, Dynamite Daisy, who dramatizes an intoxicated woman with ugly makeup, disheveled hair, and shabby clothing. Some questioned whether or not her act would meaningfully contribute to the expo since it may not translate to people in that part of the world.

One Bahamian living in Dubai, Aaronp Moss asked, “What is she coming to do? Public intoxication is a jailable offense in this country.  No one will understand her…”

Watson’s sister Nicole Watson and another cousin Pastor Trent Davis, are also seen on the trip,  Their role has not been explained.