Religious Songs and Drums in the Bahamas

In this collection of Religious Songs and Drums in the Bahamas, Marshall Stearns demonstrates the strong external influences on Bahamian music and culture. The religious music by the Baptist-Methodist Group and the Congregation of the Church of God suggest a certain influence of American gospel music, while the drumming of the “Ring Game,” “Heel and Toe Polka,” and “Jumping Dance” indicate a continuance of African drumming traditions with the scraping element of a saw, unique to Bahamian “rake ‘n’ scrape” music.

Track Listing

101	Walk and Talk to Glory	Baptist-Methodist Group	02:32
102	Please Hear Me When I Call	Baptist-Methodist Group	03:23
103	In the Upper Room	Baptist-Methodist Group	03:44
104	Church of God Congregation, Nassau (1)	Church of God Congregation (Nassau, Bahamas)	03:25
105	Church of God Congregation, Nassau (2)	Church of God Congregation (Nassau, Bahamas)	03:42
106	Church of God Congregation, Nassau (3)	Church of God Congregation (Nassau, Bahamas)	06:27
201	Ring Play	Alfred Henderson	01:12
202	Heel and Toe Polka	Alfred Henderson and Howard Johnson	01:28
203	Fire Dance	Gabriel Adderly and Alfred Henderson	02:43
204	Jook Dance	Gabriel Adderly, Alfred Henderson, and Howard Johnson	02:22
205	Jumping Dance	Alfred Henderson, Gabriel Adderly, and Harcourt Symonette	04:37