Nassau was a featured setting for a groundbreaking music video that has already generated a million Youtube views since its October 16 debut.
Can You Feel It is a Caribbean anthem from dancehall star Shenseea and Trinidadian soca crooner Kerwin Du Bois. The music video, which includes a cameo by renowned music producer DJ Khaled, had a two-day shoot in Nassau. The shoot employed dozens of Bahamians as talent, crew members and local vendors, who supplied boats, covid testing, lifeguards, medics, police support, locations, an electric crew and many other amenities and services.
The music video is a six-minute extended commercial for Carib beer. It is part of a global rollout of rebranded beverages in honor of the 70th anniversary of Carib beer.
Originally, the shoot was destined for Jamaica, but the Bahamas was selected when Jamaica experienced lockdowns related to Covid-19. The switch meant that producers had only days to arrange the complex shooting schedule. As a result, the Bahamas Film & Television Commission made urgent requests of Bahamas Customs and the Department of Immigration, along with other agencies, to facilitate the emergency filming.
Once the decision was made to film in the Bahamas, Nassau producer Henrietta Cartwright- Edgecombe was selected to coordinate the production. With a little over a week to put the Bahamas leg of the project together, she brought on colleagues, Camille Thurston and Sonia Brown, to make the shooting process as seamless as possible.
"We would like to thank Clarence Rolle and Robyn Rahming and the entire Film Commission for coming through and assisting us so that we are able to meet tight deadlines and to ensure projects like this get all the support needed," said Ms. Edgecombe.
Goombay Kids continues to blaze new trails as it enters its third season with Cable Bahamas.
The series is highly rated, and it is the only children's show of its kind that is locally produced. The third season premiered at Fusion Superplex, with a private screening and red carpet to honor the cast, fans and the show’s continued success.
Bahamas Film Commissioner, Clarence Rolle, said the show is exactly the kind of production that film administrators want to see coming out of the country.
“It is a high-quality show with universal appeal,” he said. “It checks all the right boxes for local and international consumption. Hopefully we will see Goombay Kids and Bahamian shows like it making moves on the international scene someday."
Stephanie Nihon, co-creator of “Goombay Kids,” said the show was born out of a desire to elevate young Bahamians through the medium of television. It is designed to entertain children while teaching them about their culture, history and the fundamentals of life.
“This show is the only one of its kind that showcases and gives this kind of onscreen opportunity to Bahamian children,” Nihon said. “Season two has recently concluded with rebroadcasts airing. We are currently about to air season three in October 2021. Some of the adventures the Goombay Kids find themselves on during season three, is learning how to execute and rush in their own Junkanoo; going back in time to 1720 and being captured by pirates; attending a cultural rake n’ scrape summer camp and discovering the lost city of Atlantis.”
The new season will also feature local celebrities and talent such as Jaquay Adderley, Sawyerboy, Zhane’o Newbold, Leah Eneas and Charlie Bahama.
As Goombay Kids grows in popularity, Nihon’s LFD Productions has embarked on a new production. They will soon introduce
Stem Cadets, another children’s show aiming for ultra-high production quality and an entertaining, education style.
“LFD partnered with Rotary, Lyford Cay International School and Cable Bahamas to create this fun new show,” Nihon said, “The Stem Cadets are four experts who are here to create the next generation of experts in science, technology, engineering and math. In this series, kids encounter everyday phenomenon and reach out to the Stem Cadets to learn more and create their own experiments. Fun, interactive and educational, this series will allow children to learn how the world works!”
Meanwhile, Goombay Kids broadcasts every morning and some evenings each week on the OurTV Network, Cable Bahamas (Channel 212) and is available on demand through the REV GO Play App and the REV Cable Bahamas Facebook page. “Stem Cadets” Saturday mornings on OurTV (Channel 212).
