An Elgin accordion player is preparing for a mission to the sun-kissed Bahamas to preserve the instrument.
The traditional Scottish instrument has become part of the Caribbean islands’ culture since the late 19th Century.
However, there are worries that the deteriorating condition of the ageing equipment is making the music inaccessible for today’s generations.
The accordion is entrenched in local culture as part of “rake and scrape” music, which also features drums and a makeshift instrument made from a carpenter’s saw.
Now locals have turned to Elgin-based accordion player Graeme Mackay to help them preserve the music in the Bahamas as part of their culture.
How Elgin accordion player will help preserve instrument
Mr Mackay, 41, has been playing the accordion since he was just 10 years old, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.
Today he plays in ceilidh band Tweed and takes traditional music across the rest of the UK and Europe.
In his role as a judge and ambassador for the French-based International Accordion Confederation he has attracted interest from campaigners in the Bahamas.
He will now travel to the Caribbean with his wife Magdalena, who is also a music teacher, to keep skills alive.
Mr Mackay said: “Scottish people actually introduced the instrument to the Bahamas, but over the last 100 years they’ve become more scarce.
“A lot of the younger generations haven’t even been allowed to touch them because they might break them because they’re so old.”
Local campaigners have secured sponsorship to refurbish some accordions to allow them to sing with music again.
The expedition from Elgin is expected to cost £4,000 with a fundraising ceilidh being held in Keith on May 10 to contribute.
Mr Mackay hopes to use the project to teach skills that can provide a lasting legacy for the country.
He said: “I’m going to transcribe some of their local music into a way that’s easier to understand. It’s colour-based, which makes it more accessible to learn.
“People think the Bahamas is all rich people with yachts, but it’s very difficult for those who live and work there.”
Growth of accordions in Carribbean
Rake and scrape is the traditional music of the Bahamas and mixes European instruments, including accordions, with African drum beats.
It’s most distinctive element is the use of tools, usually saws, due to the enthusiastic performers of the time using whatever they could get their hands on.
It became increasingly popular in the 1920s and 1940s after being brought to the islands by immigrants before spreading.
Today the accordion is being increasingly replaced by an electric guitar or keyboard, leading to concerns the traditional form could be lost forever.
Listen to rake and scrape
The fundraising ceilidh for the Bahamas trip will be held on May 10 at the Longmore Hall in Keith at 8pm. More information is available online HERE.
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