The music of Exuma had an energy that was very explosive. His sense of rhythmic accuracy was similar to that of a junkanoo band getting a fresh start at the annual junkanoo parades on Boxing Day Bay Street. For those who never experienced this; the equivalent would probably that of a locomotive train at full throttle. In listening to Exuma, even his ballads like "Rose Mary Smith" poured out pure energy. He had a way with grabbing his audience and making them feel his joy or his pain. While "Rose Mary Smith" is strictly influenced by American popular music of the sixties and seventies, others like "Cat Island Rake & Scrape Band" is what we call in the Bahamas pure “bush". Exuma also did something quite different with his bass line which along with the drums lies at the heart of his brand of Bahamian music. The placement of the bass phrase starting on beats one was quite new. Even in junkanoo, the bass line or strong beat would be preceded by a softer accented note on the up beat of two. The examples below shows what is typical, and what is used by Exuma.

 

Example #1.

Junkanoo bass line places the strong emphasis on beat one, but is preceded by a note in the previous measure.

Example #2.

Exuma doesn't prepare the note on the strong beat, instead he makes it lead into the first of the chord which in turn propels the rhythm forward as opposed to the feeling of resting on beats one in the junkanoo rhythm.

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The music clip below demonstrates the use of this unique displacement of the bass line. Exuma uses this technique quite frequently in his music, creating a distinctive groove that makes great for dancing to rake 'n' scrape music.

Click play to hear "Guy Fox"

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The influence of rock and pop is very strong in this next clip. Exuma marriages these outside influences with a calypso/ junkanoo rhythm, giving it a bouncing feeling. The guitar styling's and use of brass gives his music the seventies R&B flavor similar to groups like "Earth, Wind & Fire", "Tower of Power", "Brass Construction", and many other popular bands of that era.

Click play to hear "Fame"

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Blues did not escape the powers of "The Obeah Man". Exuma had a little bit for every pallet. Here he does his rendition of Bahama Blues. The emotions commonly associated with the blues is well executed by this Cat Islander. One quality that stands out is his use of the raw Bahamian dialect, seldom adhered to by artist with such a wide audience.

Click play to hear "Rose Mary Smith"

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Singles:
Exuma, The Obeah Man/Junkanoo (Mercury)
Damn Fool/Zandoo (Mercury)
Do Wah Nanny/The Bowery (Kama Sutra)
Monkberry Moon Delight (Kama Sutra)
Brown Girl/Rushing Through the Crowd (Buddah)

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