Junkanoo: From the Shack to the Street

From the first time I experienced Junkanoo in 2012 I became instantly hooked on this vibrant Bahamian culture and tradition. I wanted to understand the tradition better. I found there to be lacking information and media coverage on Junkanoo, especially compared to more famous “Carnivalesque” traditions in places such as Mardi Gras in New Orleans,or Carnival in  Rio De Janeiro or Trinidad. The existing visual record that I found didn’t truly evoke the wild rush out of energy, sound, and color that is the true Junkanoo experience. This energy is what I am trying to capture in my photographs. Junkanoo also represents a strong social and cultural force that helps define Bahamian culture.  A lot goes on behind the scenes and is largely unnoticed and I want to represent these aspects as well as the culminating parade spectacles.  That’s where this project began and still continues. – Erik Kruthoff