When Courage Takes a Holiday: The Curious Case of Junkanoo’s Silent Men. SPEAK UP VOLA!

In the theatre of Bahamian politics and culture, few spectacles are as colourful, or as petty, as the recent melodrama swirling around the Junkanoo parades and the so-called “boycott whispers.” It would be laughable if it weren’t so revealing. The consultants orbiting Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg, those soft-voiced, well-paid whisperers, have been quick to murmur in private that they don’t support the foolish talk of Junkanoo groups threatening not to perform in the upcoming Boxing Day and New Year’s Day parades. But for all their supposed disapproval, none of them has had the spine to stand before the public and say so out loud.

Instead, we have shadows, men who enjoy influence without accountability, pay without principle, and titles without testicular fortitude. The “well-paid” consultants’ silence is deafening, and their cowardice is contagious.

The most mysterious twist in this ongoing carnival of cowardice is the suggestion that the mighty Saxons are among those considering a boycott. Now that’s a headline that should shake any lover of Bahamian culture to their core. The Saxons, arguably the heartbeat of Junkanoo, the pride of countless fans, are said to be part of a movement to sit out the nation’s most significant cultural celebration. But as always, the real question is not what is said, it’s who dares to stand behind it.

And that brings us to the million-dollar question: where is the leader of the Saxons?

Vola Francis, the man at the helm, has been conspicuously silent for all the noise surrounding this supposed boycott. He has hidden behind the scenes, ducking the press, and pretending that silence equals strength. It does not. That’s not leadership. That’s survival instinct.

“The most influential” Francis’ utter silence in moments like this is cowardice masquerading as strategy. It is a betrayal of both the Junkanoo community and the cultural legacy that men before him built with sweat, sacrifice, and pride. If he disapproves of the reckless talk of boycotting, then why not say so? If he disagrees with the Minister’s comments or the direction of the JCNP, then let him stand up and avow it. But what we have instead is a man straddling the fence, afraid to offend either side, too timid to lead, too proud to follow.

One Family should stop ducking and dodging, allowing one woman to manipulate them like puppets. They need to gather their courage, too, and stop hiding through Taylor Street, EITHER YOU ARE FISH OR FOUL.

The irony is that Junkanoo, at its heart, is about courage. It’s about the courage to create, perform, and face the cold dawn with drums beating and hearts pounding. It’s about men and women who work tirelessly for months—often without pay, to make the nation proud for a few glorious hours on Bay Street. Junkanoo is the ultimate act of cultural bravery. Yet, the men who now lead it seem to have misplaced their courage somewhere between a political handshake and a consultant’s paycheck. If men were men, Francis could soothe these nagging itches from the JCNP right now.

Over several days, we have witnessed how little courage many Junkanoo leaders possess. They quickly grumble in private rooms and WhatsApp chats, but when the microphones appear, they vanish. The very people who should be defending the integrity of this art form are instead hiding behind platitudes and anonymous statements.

And let’s not forget the consultants themselves—those invisible influencers who whisper sweet nothings into Minister Bowleg’s ear while collecting taxpayer dollars. They are the architects of confusion, the courtiers of indecision. They tell the Minister one thing in private and nod in agreement when foolishness unfolds in public. Their game is simple: keep the Minister comfortable, keep the contracts coming, and keep their fingerprints off the mess.

But Bahamians are not fools. We see what’s happening. We see a Ministry that has become a stage for indecision and mixed signals. We see Junkanoo leaders who have traded authenticity for access, independence for influence. And we see a cultural movement at risk of being strangled by ego and fear.

This is not the time for political diplomacy or emotional immaturity. This is the time for clarity, for men and women of courage to reclaim the spirit of Junkanoo. If the Saxons are truly considering a boycott, their leader owes the public an explanation—one that can stand up to scrutiny. And if the group is being falsely dragged into this nonsense, then he has a moral duty to set the record straight.

Cowardice and hypocrisy have no place in culture. It is shameful that whisperers and fence-sitters undermine a tradition built on boldness.

Minister Bowleg must now decide whether he will continue to entertain this foolishness or finally demand accountability from those around him. The consultants who claim to oppose the boycott must speak publicly or step aside. Junkanoo deserves leaders—not courtiers, not cowards, not shadows.

Because make no mistake: if this confusion continues, it will not just be the parades that suffer. It will be the soul of the nation’s most beloved cultural institution.

The drums are calling, BOOM BOOB! The question is: who among these so-called leaders dares to answer?

Post Views: 925