The music that we call Junkanoo is very primitive, but at
the same time very infectious. Our basic musical instruments
are made right here in the Bahamas, and consist of the drum
cowbells, horns, whistles, scrapers and brass.
Drums
 The
first drums were made from wooden barrels with cured goat
or sheep skin stretched an nailed over on end of the barrel.
The other end id left open. The drum is carried under on arm
and supported by a thick strap, which runs over the opposite
shoulder of the drummer, who plays or beats it with his bare
hands.
Today, goat or sheep skin are still used to make the drums,
but they are generally made from metallic oil barrels. In
the instance, the skin is ether tightly nailed or screwed
onto the metal barrel. We are also making bigger drums fashioned
from bigger oil barrels or the middle parts of old washing
machines. These huge drums are affectionately referred to
as B-52’s or Rocket Launchers.
 A
new drum that has been recently incorporated into the Junkanoo
rhythm is the Tum-Tum, which is actually a set drum made from
fiberglass and plastic. These skins from these higher pitched
drums are more likely to break, and are therefore used by
the lead drummers to play the lead rhythms for the Junkanoo
group.
A local folk hero by the name of John
Chipman is widely known and credited for making goat skin
and sheep skin drums. It is estimated that he alone makes
some four (4,000) thousand drums a year alone. Most of the
skins used in the construction of these drums either come
from Long Island, and the Ragged Islands in The Bahamas, or
Jamaica, West Indies.
Cowbells
 These
noisy flat slider clapper bells are mostly made from galvanized
tin or cast iron. They normally range in size from six (6)
to fourteen (14) inches long and are usually played in pairs.
They are joined at the end by a cord or chain, with one held
being individually held in each hand, and shaken or struck
together.
Nowadays, most Junkanoo revelers use what we affectionately
call the “Meghorn” cowbell. They are essentially
made in the same manner, except they are joined together,
in the sense that we now have two (2), three (3) or even five
(5) bells per hand. We know of two men in particular who earn
a living from making cowbells, namely Mr. Donzel Huyler and
Mr. Meghorn. Mr. Huyler is locally known to be a pioneering
force in cowbell making, whilst Mr. Meghorn introduced the
“Meghorn” bell some years ago.
Horns
 Modern
day Junkanoo has seen the introduction of various types of
horns over the years. Today we use four (4) basic types of
horn to accompany the rhythmic and infectious strain that
we all call Junkanoo.
The first in the line is the traditional conch shell, which
is taken from the local seafood delicacy, a mollusc scientifically
known as strombus gigas. We also utilize foghorns they are
normally installed on boats, in addition to bicycle horns
taken from the bicycle. The foghorn and bicycle horn are usually
doubled or tripled for a louder sound effect. There is the
bronze bugle used in the old armies, that carries the melody
in this delicious sound and sight spectacle known both her
and abroad as Junkanoo.
Scrapers
It was during the 1930’s that these instruments became
an integral part of the Junkanoo parade, and added a unique
twist to the broad cacophony of sounds emanating from Bay
Street every Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Examples of these rudimentary instruments were washboards
and spoons, jawbones of animals, sticks bottles, nails, saws
and screwdrivers. Nor of these instruments are used any longer
in our modern day Junkanoo parade.
Brass Instruments
 The
year 1976 ushered in a new era in local Junkanoo. The group
known as the Music Makers under the leadership of the youthful
Sammy Thompson put together a brass section and made it a
part of their musical backline. The brass section of the group
was led by Isaiah Taylor, who is presently the leader of the
Bahamas number one band, the world famous Bahamen.
The integration of brass with the tradition a sounds of Junkanoo
was not too well received at first, but today, most major
Junkanoo groups can boast of having a brass section to accompany
the traditional goatskin drum, cowbells, horns and whistles.
Members of our Royal Bahamas Police Force Band, the youth
marching bands and even members of various church bands comprise
the majority of the well received brass section o most groups.
Even our corporate citizens have caught onto the act, as Commonwealth
Brewery, local brewers of Kalik and Heineken beer, Guinness
and Vitamalt, sponsors the annual Best Music Award for both
the Boxing Day and New Year’s Day Junkanoo parade.
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