Bahamian Musicians: April 2015

Overview

Music has since been an important part of Bahamian culture and culture on the whole for that matter. The indigenous instruments of The Bahamas are the goat skin drum, the conch shell and the cow bell (Deleaveux, 2015), foreign instruments have made their way into The Bahamas and they have been embraced and ‘Bahamianized.’ All evident by these artists who represent both the past and future of Bahamian music and also indigenous instruments and the embracing of foreign ones, this is a look into the lives and careers of three Bahamian musicians.

**References**

References

Deleaveux, R. (2015, March 7). My Life So Far. (S. Russell, Interviewer)

Fox, C. (2015, March 9). Biography. (S. Russell, Interviewer)

Justilien, C. (2004, April 23). Bio. Retrieved from Musicians & Entertainers of The Bahamas: http://www.bahamasentertainers.com/Artist/PeanutsTaylor/pntsBio.html

Taylor, P. (2015, March 11). My Life. (S. Russell, Interviewer)

Reuben Deleaveux has been dubbed the master drummer and is nicknamed “Rumpapapum” he is the 4^th best drummer in Bahamian history after King Eric, Peanuts Taylor and Chippy Chipman. He was born in Nassau on July 10^th 1978, he attended the A.F Adderley Junior School then after he attended R.M. Bailey Senior High where he was a part of the school’s band and was taught by Lou Adams Jr., the son of the legendary Lou Adams Sr.

Deleaveux’s father, Origin Deleaveux Sr. is a gospel musician, he bought his son a snare drum at the age of 2 years and the legend was born, Reuben also comes from a family of musicians. He recalls his early encounter with the drums, “I was making noise on the pots and pans and water jugs and he decided to buy me a drum at age 2 and I used to make all the noise and my uncle was a drum set player and I just watch and learn and went to school and the drum just became a part of me” (Deleaveux, 2015).From his early exposure to the drums Deleaveux has become a master, he recounts “I’m known as the king of the goombay drum, the goombay drum is the goatskin drum but I’ve mastered all drums from snare drum, the drum set, congo drum, bongo drum. I am the master drummer” (Deleaveux, 2015). Deleaveux’s career started in 1991 he describes his first solo performance:

“I think it was in 1991 I was introduced to some of the cultural legends like John Chippy Chipman and I was given the opportunity to perform with those guys on a show and on a particular night they didn’t come and the lady said man you always coming with daddy and man you can’t do nothing? I say I could beat drum ya know she say yea, misty chipman, she say man well come beat for me tonight then chippy them comin late and when I played the drum she was blown away because she didn’t know this guy was here comin to the show all that time with the grandsons with the children she didn’t know I was a master drummer so it started in 1991.”

Since, he has been very active in junkanoo playing with a number of groups over the years but he know plays with the group Genesis which formed in January of 2015, he is also a part of ‘Da Rhythm Band’ who perform regularly at Via Cafe downtown.

Da Rhythm Band

He is also currently involved in the project Keep Junkanoo Alive which aims to bring awareness to junkanoo and have the season year round. Deleaveux travels around the world to cultural shows and festivals representing The Bahamas and showcasing Bahamian culture through his talents as a master of the goombay drum.

As an artist Deleaveux aims to bring goombay back as the music of The Bahamas and to become a manager and mentor in the future for younger Bahamian artists.

https://soundcloud.com/saxons-ceejay-morley/rueben-deleveaux-the-secret-sounds-of-the-bahamas-album05-thunder-roll

Videos

Peanuts Taylor, Chippie Chipman, Reuben Ruppapum Deleveaux and a host of performers recreate the hey day of Taylor's Drumbeat Club at the National Art Gallery.