Music in the Bahamas The Bahamas is a musical nation. It's no mistake that the Smithsonian Folkways collection of traditional Bahamian music is called Islands of Song. Music and song in the Bahamas have always had the function of bringing the community together, whether it was in church or in nightclubs or during the annual Junkanoo festival which is a communal music, dance and arts event with roots in West Africa. This is one of the most powerful musical celebrations of its kind in the world and virtually defines Bahamian culture. Bahamian musicians have a special place in the culture. There are many great performers and songwriters in the Bahamas and there is a lineage here which flows through different islands and families and styles, both uniquely Bahamian and universal in its appeal.

The Bahamas is increasingly seen as a model for other nations in the region for the sucess of our HIV education and treatment programs. We have the second highest reported rate of HIV infection in the Caribbean after Haiti. I want to emphasize the word "reported" because one of the things that makes the Bahamas a model for other countries is that there has been a very effective system of compassionate contact and tracing which has led to a higher incidence of reported HIV infections than exists in other countries, where this system does not exist.

The Bahamian government, with help from the Bill Clinton Foundation and other donors, is providing free HAART (state-of-the-art ARV therapy) to those who need it most. The rate of mother-to-child transmission has been reduced from 30% to less than 1%. There is a core of people here in both public and private spheres who have been working day in and day out for two decades treating, caring for and counseling people with HIV/AIDS and their families—and getting the word out to the next generations who are still at risk.

"I am in awe of the dedication of these people and anything I can do to support them I will do, says featured artist Andrew Jones. "I'm not a doctor or a medical researcher or a nurse but I am very excited as a musician and songwriter to use that as a platform to galvanize as much community support as possible for the people who are doing the real work of dealing with HIV/AIDS here and all over the world.

AIDS in the Bahamas This OWB event serves multiple purposes, according to Camille Barnett, president, AIDS Foundation of the Bahamas and OWB event organizer. It is a form of HIV/AIDS-awareness for Bahamians; it puts the Bahamas on a global stage with respect to our involvement in the fight against HIV/AIDS; it launches the Bahamas National Network for Positive Living (BNN+), which was only recently formed; it will highlight the music and the beauty of the Bahamas, and it will associate persons living with HIV/AIDS in the Bahamas with something fun, positive and uplifting.

We learned about One World Beat through the Caribbean Regional Network of Persons Living Positively (CRN+). The AIDS Foundation of the Bahamas has a close working relationship with CRN+. The AIDS Foundation of the Bahamas was formed in 1992 by The Zonta Club of Nassau. Zonta is an international service organization with 3000 clubs worldwide and observer status at the United Nations. I am a member of the Zonta Club of Nassau, and I was a charter member of the AIDS Foundation.

Our first mammoth task was to assist medical professionals treating HIV/AIDS by purchasing AZT for pregnant HIV+ women in hope of reducing mother-to-child transmission. In 1992 the rate of mother-to-child transmission was 30%, but by 2002, it was under 3%; now it is under 2%! Once the success of the program was evident, the government of the Bahamas began to purchase the medication. The government now provides medication to all persons who want and need it.

The AIDS Foundation has moved in the direction of education and awareness, especially among the young. Through a partnership with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese we provide the facilities for counseling of persons with HIV/AIDS. We provide financial support for the government's National AIDS Program. We sponsor PSA's, billboards, training for persons working in the area of HIV/AIDS, transportation from the Family Islands to Nassau for treatment and follow-up, workshops for churches, uniformed officers, students, hotel workers and others. The AIDS Foundation has offered office space and support to the BNN+, and is in the process of building an HIV/AIDS resource center.

Though stigma and discrimination still exist in the Bahamas, we have come a long way. Families are now looking after their relatives with HIV/AIDS, the AIDS ward in hospitals is empty, and patients for the most part are leading longer, more productive lives. Bahamians are recognizing that persons with HIV/AIDS need love, support, a hug and understanding.

—Camille Barnett, President, AIDS Foundation of the Bahamas and OWB event organizer.

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