01. Independence Coming
02. Gimme' Some Skin
03. It's Your Life
04. Gimme' Some Skin (inst.)
05. Goombay Jump
06. Bahamian Anthem
07. Where Ya Gonna Go Next Year
08. The Bahamas
09. The Long And Winding Road
10. Theme From Shaft
11. Quando, Quando, Quando
I AM WHO I AM
Release date: 1972
Label: Penn Records
01. Goombay Jump
02. Don't Be Independent
03. I'm Bahamian
04. Where Ya Gonna Go Next Year
05. Yellow Bird
06. Shame & Scandal
07. I Am Who I Am
08. The Time For Loving Is Now
09. My Way
10. This Generation
11. Island In The Sun
12. The Bahamas
OVER THE YEARS
Release date:1969
Label: Penn Records
01. Yellow Bird
02. Looking Back
03. Freeport
04. Henpecked Husband
05. Strike, Strike, Strike,
06. Junkanoo On Bay Street
07. Togetherness
08. If Only I'd Known
09. Impossible Dream
10. Delilah
11. Exodus
THE CULTURE, ISSUES, HISTORY & FUN OF BAHAMIAN MUSIC
Release date:
Label: GBI
01. Back To Back
02. Lovers Only Cruise
03. The Beauty Queen
04. Obeah To Win Your Love
05. What Time It Is
06. West End Market
07. The Teachers Strike
08. Rake & Scrape
Frank Penn wears many hats as a composer. He makes strong social commentary, preserves the rhythms and sounds that fuels Bahamian music, and as a producer encourages others to record Bahamian music. Although he doesn't hit the performance stage regularly, his style of music covers just about any of the idioms found in the Bahamas. From Rake 'n' Scrape, junkanoo, calypso, goombay, Frank has a bit of it all. In the line of social commentary, Frank made some very uncomfortable to the point of having several of his songs banned from being played on the Government owned and operated radio station. Songs like "Accountability", "Strike, Strike, Strike", and "Invasion" that really told stories of what was going on in society wasn't tolerated by the powers that be. The Bahamas as a young nation still in some instances discriminates against the work of the recording artist. In listening to Frank's songs, in particular those that were banned, it is unclear why that position was taken. The lyrics were not offensive, the music was good, and most of all, he had the right to share his views with the wider community. I will share two of his songs that were banned along with one of his popular tourist attraction songs.
The first is song featured here is entitled "Accountability". This song calls for religious, Civic, and all persons seeking public office to be honest and accountable to those whom they represent. This songs further speaks to the political and social climate coming up to the 1987 general elections.
Click play to hear "Accountability"
This song was also banned from being played on the Government owned station. The subject deals with Frank's perspective of the general strike held by workers all over the Bahamas. Popular cartoonist and one of the featured artist Eddie Minnis captured Frank's dilemma after having a second song banned.
Click play to hear "Strike, Strike, Strike"
This third song was written by Frank Penn and became a popular song that promoted the tourism industry in the Bahamas. Frank received great reviews for this composition. The classic calypso sound is used as background music for his well crafted lyrics.
