Rake and Scrape

Rake and scrape is the traditional dance music of the Bahamas, and the sound comes from an unlikely instrument: a carpenter's handsaw, held bent against the body and scraped along its teeth with the shaft of a screwdriver, producing a rhythmic rasp that carries the whole beat. Around it work a goatskin drum and a button accordion or concertina, and sometimes a guitar. It grew out of the same African-derived tradition as Junkanoo and was the music for quadrille and heel-and-toe dances at community gatherings. Cat Island is regarded as the heartland and holds a festival each June; elsewhere it appears at community events and, increasingly, on stage.

What to look for

• The saw - bent and scraped with a screwdriver to carry the rhythm.
• The goatskin drum - heated over a fire to tighten before playing.
• The accordion - carrying the melody over the rhythm section.
• The Cat Island Rake and Scrape Festival - each June, the main gathering.

When to go

The Cat Island festival is in June over the Labour Day weekend and is the best single opportunity. Otherwise rake and scrape appears at community events and cultural nights across the islands; ask locally rather than relying on listings.

Practical notes

There is no venue where you can reliably turn up and hear it; the tradition survives through a small number of ageing players and festival programming. Hotel performances are usually short set pieces. The Cat Island festival requires flights and accommodation on an island with very little of either, so it books out.

Nearby

Cat Island is the heartland; Nassau's cultural centre programmes it occasionally.