[ Stileet's "Shibby Bam Bam" plays ] [ Singers vocalizing ] ♪ Yuh ♪ [ Vocalizing continues ] ♪ Stileet in the building, boy ♪ ♪ Watch it, now ♪ ♪ Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum ♪ ♪ All you wan' do is ♪ ♪ Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum ♪ Edgar: Over the centuries, the Bahamas has been a hideout for pirates, outcasts, and rumrunners; a refuge for political exiles, religious devotees, and former slaves.

More recently, it's a sanctuary for people seeking momentary respite from the workaday world.

This chain of beautiful tropical islands on the edge of the Caribbean has also long attracted musical explorers like myself in search of sonic treasures.

Sometimes exploration brings you to what you were searching for.

Often all you find are fading echoes from the past.

But here in the Bahamas, if you follow those echoes, you might just be surprised where they lead.

♪ Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum ♪ Man: Flight 5-2-7, ready for departure.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Ladies and gentlemen ♪ ♪ Once again ♪ ♪ Music Voyager ♪ Edgar: You may think you've heard everything, but the world is full of surprises.

And when you're hanging out with musicians, nothing is off limits.

Is this what you guys do every weekend?

Every night.

Every night!

My name is Jacob Edgar.

Music is my life, and life is short.

So, crank up the volume and let the voyage begin.

[ Man singing in Spanish ] ♪♪ Ah, the struggles of a working ethnomusicologist, forced to travel to exotic locations, stay in magnificent ocean-side resorts, hang out with interesting people, have amazing life experiences.

Yeah, it's tough, but it's not all sunshine and beaches.

Oh, I'm supposed to eat that?

Yeah!

Just most of the time.

Yeah, this job can be tough sometimes, but, you know, it does have its perks.

Edgar: On this journey across the Bahamas, I've decided to leave the tourist traffic behind and head out to Cat Island, one of the outer islands that many consider the petri dish of Bahamian culture.

Cat Island is the original home of rake and scrape, the style of music that locals cherish as their own.

Everyone I've asked says the person to talk to about music on Cat Island is a guy named Pompey.

I'm Jacob.

Cedelle.

Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

So, I've been told that I can find Pompey Johnson around here.

You know if he's around?

Yeah, I could grab my conch shell and blow back to him and see if he's home.

[ Conch shell blows ] She's blowing to see if Pompey is home.

That's our little code.

[ Conch shell blows ] So, I guess he's home.

Yeah.

Okay, so, how do I get there?

You go back this way.

Yeah.

And you reach the little "T" junction and you take a right... Hello!

Hi.

Are you Pompey Johnson?

That's me.

Alright.

Is that the conch you just blew?

Yeah, this is the shell I answered Cedelle.

That's amazing.

That's how you guys communicate with each other?

Yeah.

It's cheaper than the phone.

Yeah, I bet.

Doesn't cost anything.

So, the minute I got off the plane and I started asking around who I should talk to about music on Cat Island, pretty much everybody I met said I should speak to you, Pompey Johnson.

Yes, well... Is that... Are they right about that?

I am the only Pompey Johnson here, uh... [ Chuckles ] I'm...

I would be glad to help you.

Pompey agrees to bring his accordion and sit down with me at Cedelle's place to share what he knows about the old-time music.

Maybe you can tell me a little bit about what is rake and scrape and how you started playing it.

Rake and scrape is a local dance that we had here some years ago.

We used to call it just sting bo dutty.

Sting bo dutty?

Sting bo.

Yeah.

I don't know what it means.

Where do you think that name came from?

You know... Alright.

Well, I imagine you brought this accordion -- I hope you brought this accordion so that you could show us how you play it, right?

So, we think... You think you could get your band together and maybe give us a little demonstration of what -- what your rake and scrape is all about?

Yes.

We can do that.

Yeah?

Cedelle, could you put the drum on?

Heat it up for me, please.

It's being heated now.

You're heating the drum up back there?

Yeah.

Can I come take a look?

Sure.

Oh, cool.

Alright.

Heating up the drum back here?

Yep.

Right here on the stove?

Yeah.

Sure enough.

Heating it up instead of lighting a campfire.

So, what do you call this kind of drum?

This is, um... Well, actually, this is a cow skin.

Normally, we use goat skin.

Okay, so typically, traditionally, it would be goat skin, but this is cow.

Yeah.

Okay.

And it's just nailed onto an oil barrel, I see.

Yeah, with a little rim base around it.

So, we've had you back here cooking all day, and now we're going to make you go play for us.

Is that okay?

Cool.

No problem.

Yeah?

You don't mind, right?

No, not at all.

Okay, good.

[ Upbeat music plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Singing in Creole ] ♪♪ ♪♪ Johnson: Usually when we play, people dance, especially the tourists, especially.

Why do you think they love it?

It's different.

You know, they come from places where they have all this electrical stuff.

And here we are with an accordion, a drum and a carpenter's saw, a handsaw.

And we can go in the corner there and we can have the music, and they just dance.

♪♪ Edgar: I don't usually have the patience for fishing, but while I'm here, I thought I'd head out to sea and try one of Cat Island's most popular activities.

Let's go catch some fish!

Not just "fishing."

Yeah, let's go catch some.

There you go.

♪♪ Come on, rod.

♪♪ Fish on!

Fish on!

♪♪ Well, here we are out here with our high-tech equipment and our fancy rods and reels, and we're still not catching any fish.

♪ Hoist up the John B sail ♪ ♪ Let's see how the mainsail set ♪ ♪ Send for the captain ashore, let me go home ♪ But I can imagine for a traditional Bahamian fisherman, coming out to sea and facing the squalls, facing the rough seas, spending hours and hours trying to bring home food for the family and coming home unsuccessful, that's a lot of material to sing about.

You've got time to kill.

You've got challenges and struggles.

All of that is perfect material for a good song.

♪ I wanna go home ♪ Edgar: Looks like tonight I'll be singing about the one that got away.

Better luck next time.

That's alright.

I saw a fish market on the way here.

I think I'll stop by.

[ Laughing ] Yeah.

[ Upbeat music plays ] There are still a few places where you can find regular live rake and scrape on Cat Island.

In spite of its name, Da Smoke Pot, the mind-altering substance of choice is actually a potent mixed drink, one that definitely puts you in the mood for a night of dancing.

The thing that I make is called a Bahama Papa, okay?

You call it Bahama Papa?

Yeah.

Julian Russell and his wife Renee run the place, with Renee cooking some of the best food in the Bahamas.

And Julian not only runs the bar, he also plays a pretty mean saw in the house band.

♪♪ Music always sounds better on a full stomach.

So, after a delicious meal of fried fish, rice and beans, the chairs are rearranged and the instruments unpacked.

And we call this music bush music, okay?

So, we go in, straight in the bush.

[ Upbeat music plays ] ♪♪ Life is simple on Cat Island.

They didn't have electricity until the 1990s.

So, if you want entertainment, you have to make it yourself.

Rake and scrape dates back to the era when slaves and their descendants working on local plantations imitated the European ballroom dances of the upper classes.

But they added an ample dose of African spice to make a new sound with its own special flavor.

Rake and scrape is now popular all over the Bahamas, but it's being done in a whole new way.

While getting ready for my trip to the Bahamas, I came across a video that shows how far rake and scrape has come from its rustic roots.

♪♪ So, I'm off to Freeport, Grand Bahama, to track down the guy behind this wild new take on rake and scrape and get a taste of another side of life in the Bahamas.

While I look for this musician named Stileet, I check out some of the delicacies of Grand Bahama.

What's going on over here?

Ah, pretty good.

We're just getting some conchs here.

Can you pull them out?

How do you get a conch out of its shell?

You can try.

Try pulling them out.

Let's get a good -- It won't bite you.

Let's get a good grip on that.

And let me know if you get him out.

Come here.

Ah!

And to get him out... You can keep trying, man.

You ready?

Go ahead.

[ Laughs ] [ Groans ] I'll tell you the easiest way to do that, though.

We go one, two, three.

Okay.

So, we put the hole between two and three.

And that's where... That's where he's attached.

Ohh!

And by the way, the conch is a big delicacy in the islands.

I don't know if you tried it.

Have you tried it?

I've had conch fritters, conch salad, conch stew.

Oh, really?

I love it any, every which way.

Every which way.

Okay, let's see.

This is what he looks like when he comes out of his shell.

Wow.

You take a piece of that.

Just straight.

This is like conch sashimi.

Yeah.

Now just chew it.

Put it in your mouth and chew it.

It doesn't really have a taste.

You add the taste to it.

You're right.

It's all texture.

All just texture.

Yes.

Alright.

So, what do I do with these now?

Well, I'll tell you what.

They're all nice and clean.

I'll tell you, the fresh conch salad is the best thing you can ever have, and there's a lady right over there.

Why don't you just take them right over to that shack right over there?

It's one of those things you almost don't really want to know what it looks like before you eat it, but here we go.

Hi.

Oh, just plop it in here?

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

♪ Eat until we want no more ♪ [ Vocalizing ] ♪ Conch ain't got no bone ♪ [ Vocalizing ] ♪ Conch ain't got no bone ♪ ♪ Got me boiled fish, me guinea corn grits... ♪ Here you go, sir.

Oh, my.

This is your tropical conch salad.

Enjoy.

Wow!

That looks great.

Alright, here we go.

The big taste test.

Ready?

Oh, my God!

That is so good.

Thank you.

That's like a cornucopia of flavor.

Tropical conch salad.

And this is Stileet, the Rake and Scrape General, from the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.

Welcome to my world.

And it's called rake and scrape!

Are you ready to rumble?

Let's do this.

Watch it now!

[ Vocalizing ] ♪ Oh, we rakin' and we scrapin' ♪ ♪ Oh, we rakin' and we scrapin' ♪ ♪ Oh, we rakin' and we scrapin' ♪ ♪ Oh, we rakin' and we scrapin' ♪ My style came basically from them, the way the guy used to rig the guitar, the energy.

I like the vibe of the energy.

I like the punch.

You know, lead the people to keep them on the dance floor, to drag them into your system, drunk them, and then leave them stunned, and they always want more.

[ Vocalizing ] Get down, boy!

Oh, yeah!

Oh, yeah!

[ Vocalizing ] ♪♪ Get down, now!

Down, down.

Get down.

Down, down, Get down, get down, get down!

Oww!

You can rake and scrape in so many different ways.

And people, you know, you can be at the conch stand right here and you can be cutting up conch and they could be playing Bahamian music and he could be raking and scraping his own way.

Some people, they be on the back of the truck, or pilots, they fly.

They wake up in the morning to rake and scrape.

So, they are flying and they are doing their work in their own way of raking and scraping.

And so rake, and scrape is like... it's like a rhythm of life.

As you go through your daily life, you rake and scrape through life.

Rake and scrape.

Let me see how I will put it.

♪ It's an indigenous piece of music ♪ ♪ That carry on so bad ♪ ♪ It is carry on bad ♪ ♪ Watch how the people jumping ♪ ♪ And they acting like they mad ♪ ♪ So when I sing, "Who come to party?"

♪ ♪ All my rake and scrapers scream ♪ ♪ Throw your hands in the air, man ♪ ♪ And show me what you mean ♪ That's what rake and scrape is about.

Yeah!

[ Upbeat drumming ] I would like for, just how reggae, R&B, rock, is accepted worldwide, I would like for Bahamian music to be the same way.

And it's called rake and scrape, which is incorporated with Junkanoo in certain mixtures.

But I don't want to change rake and scrape to the point whereby that it had to be tweaked to be accepted.

Edgar: While the music of Stileet has a modern energy and attitude, it shows that no matter how times change, keeping a connection to their roots helps Bahamians define who they are.

[ Calypso Mama's "Gin and Coconut Water" plays ] ♪♪ ♪ Gin and coconut water ♪ ♪ Gin and coconut water ♪ ♪ Gin and coconut water ♪ ♪ Cannot get in America ♪ ♪ What's the tonic, man?

♪ ♪ It's the jelly ♪ ♪ Good for your belly ♪ ♪ Gin and coconut water ♪ ♪ Cannot get in America ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Organ music plays ] One of the most popular music styles in the Bahamas is gospel.

The church is an essential part of community life in the islands, and the spiritual music tradition dates back hundreds of years.

Singing, particularly music, is intricately Bahamian, if that makes sense.

We come from a place where singing was a comfort to us in times of slavery.

We've carried that over into our modern life.

We use music for every occasion.

There are no occasions in Bahamian history or life where there is not some sort of music, singing, clapping, you know, hallelujah-ing.

It could go from a real dirge to a great lament.

Back on Cat Island, you can still find remnants of the rushing tradition of church music, shape note singing, and rhyming spirituals that are sung nowhere else.

The Region Bells are keeping the old-style a cappella spiritual music alive, passing down the tradition from fathers to sons.

♪ Well, Ezekiel in the valley ♪ ♪ Now, it was on ♪ ♪ On the Lord's day ♪ ♪ He was preaching ♪ ♪ God told Ezekiel to prophesy ♪ ♪ Come hear the word of the Lord ♪ ♪ Ezekiel in the valley ♪ ♪ Now, it was on ♪ ♪ On the Lord's day ♪ ♪ He was preaching ♪ ♪ God told Ezekiel to prophesy ♪ ♪ Come hear the word of the Lord ♪ ♪ Well, God told Ezekiel, the son of men ♪ ♪ To preach the gospel to sinful men ♪ ♪ He smote that city with all his might ♪ ♪ Then the Lord placed Ezekiel in the valley prophesying ♪ ♪ Come hear the word of the Lord ♪ ♪ My Lord ♪ ♪ Ezekiel in the valley ♪ ♪ Now, it was on ♪ ♪ On the Lord's day ♪ ♪ He was preaching ♪ ♪ God told Ezekiel to prophesy ♪ ♪ Come here all the word of the Lord ♪ Yeah!

That's great.

Wow.

Amazing.

The honorable Region Bells.

Incredible.

When did this group get started?

In 1948.

1948?

And believe it or not, not in Cat Island -- in Eleuthera.

Oh, really?

Yes.

But all the members are originally from Cat Island, right?

Yes.

Yeah, we are the longest... Well, the oldest performing gospel group in the country.

Well, you don't look that old, so there must be some transition that's taken place over the years.

Oh... We're in the third generation.

♪ We got your toe and your foot bones joined together ♪ ♪ And your foot and your ankle bones joined together ♪ ♪ And your ankle and your leg bones joined together ♪ So, tell me about the style of music that you do.

You know, I've heard this expression "rhyming spirituals."

What does that mean?

The rhyming spiritual, the leader would take -- would make a call.

Alright.

So, call-and-response.

Yeah.

Which is a very African element in the music.

Yes.

Joe's father would have been considered one of the strongest or best when it comes to the rhyme.

Oh, really?

You know, he just shout out.

He'll just shout out, ♪ What kind of shoes are you going to wear?

♪ And they respond.

All: ♪ Golden slippers ♪ ♪ What kind of shoes are you going to wear?

♪ ♪ Golden slippers ♪ ♪ Golden slippers I'mma going to wear ♪ ♪ I'mma going to wear, I'mma going to wear ♪ [ Laughter ] [ Choir singing ] ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ For the Lord God Almighty reigns ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Holy ♪ ♪ Holy ♪ ♪ Are you, Lord God ♪ Edgar: One of the most popular contemporary gospel groups in the Bahamas is Shaback.

And they definitely know their way around an old-school hymn.

♪ Amen ♪ ♪ Worthy is the lamb ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ Edgar: But Shaback brings a whole new energy to their modern style of gospel.

Edgar: Is gospel music popular in the Bahamas?

I think it's the most popular form of music in the Bahamas, entirely.

It's a testament of people's lifestyle, what they endured.

One thing we do in the Bahamas, no matter what we went through, we sang about it.

So, if you had a rough day, you sang about it.

If you had a difficult day, you sang about it.

You had a great day, you sang about it.

So, a lot of our stories of what it means to be a Bahamian, a lot of our struggles, you won't find them perhaps in a book, but you'll find them in a song.

Right.

And that's what made the Bahamas so genuine and so uniquely different, because we put everything, all of our emotions, we put it into a song.

[ Band playing ] [ Cheering, shouting ] Alright, y'all ready?

Now we praise Him from the islands of the sea.

Are you ready to praise the Lord with us?

How we doing?

Come on, everybody.

♪ Ohh, from the Bahamas ♪ ♪ From the Bahamas to the nations, we praise ♪ ♪ Oh, from the Bahamas ♪ ♪ From the Bahamas to the nations, we praise ♪ ♪ Hey, giving God the glory ♪ ♪ Give God the glory ♪ ♪ He deserves ♪ ♪ He deserves all our praise ♪ ♪ Yeah, giving God the glory ♪ ♪ Give God the glory ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ He deserves all our praise ♪ ♪ Hey, praise Him with our hands and feet ♪ ♪ Praise Him with our hands and feet ♪ ♪ Jump and shout ♪ ♪ Jump and shout ♪ Edgar: Ah, that's a fun song.

What's it called?

It's called "We Praise," and it really talks about -- you hear the line often in the song, "From the Bahamas to the nations we praise."

It's telling the world that we're coming from a place where praise is what we do in the Bahamas.

And this is how we do it in the Bahamas.

You can't imitate it.

You can't duplicate it.

You just got to appreciate it.

♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ ♪ Praise, praise ♪ Come on, praise Him!

♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ ♪ Praaaaaaise ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ ♪ Praise, praise ♪ We see ourselves as really being the bridge, the bridge between the old authentic spirituals and the modern-day music.

♪ Ohh ♪ ♪ King of kings, Lord of lords, we praise ♪ [ Cheers and applause ] [ Singers vocalizing ] ♪♪ ♪♪ Edgar: The children of the Grand Bahama Youth Choir sing folk songs that have been passed down for generations.

But as they grow and find their own musical voices, they will add new influences that keep the Bahamian sound exciting and relevant.

♪ Going to Cat Island ♪ ♪ Oh, Cat Island ♪ ♪ Join a rake and scrape band ♪ ♪ Going to Cat Island ♪ ♪ Oh, Cat Island ♪ ♪ Join a rake and scrape band ♪ Edgar: In the Bahamas, the soul of the past lives on in the voices of a new era.

Bahamians are proud of their heritage, but they aren't afraid to take it in new directions.

Once again, music has given me a window to a bygone era, a soundtrack of today, and a vision of what the future holds.

But my Bahamian sojourn isn't over yet, and I've got a feeling there are many more discoveries to come.

[ Vocalizing ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪