By KARAN MINNIS,Guardian Lifestyles Reporter,karan@nasguard.com

Party in the backyard, oh yeh ... party all night long. Rake and scrape until the morning come, gonna party 'til the break of dawn.

The Brilanders sang it best with their nationwide hit "Backyard Party". And come March 13-15, at Regatta Park, George Town, Exuma will host one of the biggest "backyard parties" ever — the Bahamian Music and Heritage Festival.

With perfomers like Avvy, KB, Ronnie Butler Elon Moxey and Funky D leading the way, the three-day event is sure to be a smashing success, and one you don't want to miss.

Pepherina Hanna, acting general manager of the Exuma Tourist Office said they really "knocked it out of the ballpark" with last year's event, and that most people would think it difficult for them to top that show, but she says they have done it with this year's line up, which she said is "even more spectacular".

Festival organizers will continue with its the gospel night concert, with endless performances from the biggest gospel acts from throughout the country. This includes all the favorites on Exuma.

"We will have all the big guns. You name them and they will be here. We have MC Mr. Wenrick Clarke, Police Youth Marching Band, Ebenezer & Mt. Sinai Praise Worship Group, Seventh Day Adventist Choir, New Uprising Group, and Al Gibson for the Gospel Concert. Ecclesia Praise & Worship Group, Bishop Lawrence Rolle, Simeon Outten, Therese Davis, Ms. Daisy, and Christian Massive will also be performing that night.

"MC Kenneth Nixon, Peaches, Musical Smitty's, The Rolleville United Band, George Whylly and the In Crowd will perform on Friday night along with The Falcons, Action Jackson the Limbo Dancer, the Long Island Rake 'n' Scrape band, Anita Ellis (Nita), Eugene Davis (Geno D), Elon Moxey, Ronnie Butler, and the Soulful Groovers."

In addition to the music, organizers say there are also plans to expand the heritage aspect.

"We had a lot last year but this year we will have even more examples of Bahamian heritage," she added. "We want to immerse our visitors and residents in the knowledge of the way things were back in the day. Some of these things our kids have never seen and we will have it all here to educate and entertain," she said.

In addition to a fantastic collection of cultural and heritage expressions, organizers also plan to have the nationally renowned Exuma sweet onions as a part of the event.

If you want a place to entertain your children while you get your groove on, there will be a corner set aside especially for them, along with Bahamian art and craft, face painting, hair braiding, board games, sack races, egg 'n' spoon race, marbles, hop, scotch, top spinning, hoopla competition, kite flying competition, bingo and storytelling."

The first Bahamian Music and Heritage Festival was held in 2005, and was organized as an extension to the Georgetown Cruising Regatta celebrations with the main thrust being to promote Bahamian heritage and culture.

The inaugural festival saw unique heritage demonstrations like boat building, straw-weaving, bush medicine tasting and story telling, and was an excellent stage for presenting the best in authentically Bahamian craft items which ranged from unique jewellery pieces to handbags, Bahamian art and souvenirs.

The Bahamian Music and Heritage Festival is one of the signature tourism event for the Exumas in only its fourth year, and is on par with other "premier" Family Island events like the Andros Crab and the Cat Island Rake and Scrape Festivals.

"This festival is important if only because we need to be sure we can find quality ways to showcase things Bahamian -—our food, our music, our arts and our craft," says Tourism's Director General Vernice Walkine. "I am very impressed."

In a special treat, there will also be a Pompey Exhibition with Pompey Junkanoo Pieces by Crusaders Junkanoo Group, storytelling with Cordell Thompson, a Yuma Arts Craft Center, a boatbuilding demonstration by Don Pinder and Ray Smith, a woodcarving demonstration by J.R. Tinker and a straw-stripping and plaiting demonstration.

Last year thousands of Bahamians, winter residents, hotel guests and visiting yacht owners packed the Regatta Park for a celebration of the Bahamian experience.

A flotilla of fans came from nearby Long Island and the Exuma Cays, a special flight came in from Inagua, and charters and private planes flew in patrons virtually non-stop. Everyone was reportedly treated to a spectacle of arts and crafts from colourful straw work to shell craft to jewellery to woodcarvings to paintings all on various Bahamian themes.

"The artifact booth with relics like the goose iron, kerosene lamp, wooden scrubbing board, grater, iron pots was a favourite, especially with the younger crowd who saw how chores deemed simple today use to be much more complicated," said Hanna.

A wide variety of Bahamian presentations ranging from delicious whelk soup and stews to barbeques, and crabs to conchs were on display.

"This festival is on the right track where we need to be going," said musician Fred Ferguson, the Ministry of Tourism's entertainment consultant. "This festival has set the tune for what the other festivals' standards should be.

"We have been able to continue the warm relationship between the visitors and the locals and that's excellent. Last year the visiting boaters even put together a band to be a part of the festival. The draw for the festival, besides the heritage, is the entertainment and we have been able to keep that at a level everyone is comfortable with."

For more information on the event contact the Exuma Tourist Office at (242) 336-2430.

*Bahamian Music and Heritage Festival

Wen: March 13-15

Performers

George Whylly & The In Crowd

Avvy

KB

Ronnie Butler

Miss Daisy

Funky D

Prophet Lawrence Rolle

Rolleville United Band

Falcon Band

The Soulful Groovers

Audley Dames & The Boys

Exuma Mass Choirs

*Demos and competitions

Onion peeling

Straw-plaiting/stripping

Culinary arts

Bread baking

Boat building

Wood carving

Cane peeling

Coconut barking

Pea shelling

Pompey Exhibition

*Kids corner

Face painting

Hair braiding

Board games

Sack races

Egg 'n' spoon race

Marbles

Hop scotch

Top spinning

Hoopla

Kite flying

Bingo

Storytelling

*IF YOU GO

Getting there:

$185 roundtrip via Bahamasair

Depart: Thursday, Mar. 13

6:20 a.m. - Depart Nassau

7:00 am. - Arrive Georgetown

Return: Sunday Mar. 16

7:30 p.m. - Depart George Town

8:10 p.m. - Arrive Nassau

*Where to stay:

Palm Bay Beach Club, George Town, Exuma

Rate $240.00 per night

*Grand Isle Resort and Spa, George Town, Bahamas

Rate $525.00 per night

*Concert ticket prices

$45.00 for three nights

$20.00 per night

$5.00 for children under 12