“Its my country,” the star has said.
“Im so proud of the Bahamas.
It is a magical place.”
Credit: The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation
TheBahamashas a new ambassador though many people might not associate him with the Bahamas at all.
But let’s be clear.
Lenny Kravitz archetypal, leather-pants-wearing, immensely influential rock star is a through-and-through Bahamian.
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And at least in the Bahamas, everyone knows it.
After the the event,Travel + Leisurewas able to sit down with Kravitz for an exclusive interview.
Read on for more of the star’s thoughts on his island home.
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His roots in the Bahamas run deep.
“I had my Bahamian training,” he continued.
Youd get greeted by a steel band."
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As he (and his fame) grew, he continued his regular visits.
Youve got to see what a family island is like.'
So I got on the mail boat, which was amazing it took five hours."
His first memories of Eleuthera are etched into his mind: “We pulled into Hatchet Bay at midnight.
I didnt know where I was.
I woke up in the morning, and realized I had arrived home and I never left.”
Kravitz spoke further with T+L about his love for the family islands.
That is the real cultural experience."
On Eleuthera, he lives a simple life.
Its more raw."
This isolation and quiet is, for him and many others, a catalyst for personal growth.
“You have to deal with yourself,” he explained.
“I dont think we even realize how much we dont feel ourselves.
But youre going tofeelyourself [in the family islands].
You will come to the surface.
Its a place where you free yourself.”
He says the people and atmosphere in the Bahamas are one-of-a-kind.
And for him, it’s even more personal.
“It’s the place I go to be myself,” he said.
“I am a local in the Bahamas.
They are aware of what I do, but they dont care about that.
Theyre blown away by the people.
“If you’re walking down the street, anybody that passes you will look at you and smile.
If somebody passes you in a car, they wave.”
Bahamian influences appear throughout his work.
“Ive recorded several of my albums there,” he told the crowd at the event.
“‘Fly Away’ was recorded there, at the famous Compass Point Studios in Nassau.
That song was written in the car, driving my daughter to school one morning along the beach.”
To celebrate his partnership with Bahamas tourism, Kravitz released a special junkanoo version of ‘Fly Away.’
“It will be an amazing project.”
He’s not leaving the Bahamas any time soon.
“Its the place I go to decompress.
Its the place where I go to hear myself and feel myself.”
In the midst of this whirlwind, though, he can’t wait to get home to Eleuthera.
The first thing Im going to do?
Get rid of my shoes.”
