The most distinctive instrument in rake and scrape music is the carpenter's saw. A musician holds the saw handle between their knees, bends the flat blade into a curve, and then draws a metal implement along the serrated teeth. This creates a wavering, singing tone that sounds almost like a human voice. The pitch changes depending on how much the saw is bent.
Rake and scrape music developed on the out-islands - the smaller, more remote Bahamian islands also called the Family Islands - where people had to make music from whatever they had around them. A carpenter's saw was not a musical instrument, but a creative musician discovered that it could make a beautiful sound, and the tradition grew from there.
The music is closely linked to dancing, particularly a style called the 'jump-up' where people dance freely and energetically. At festivals, regattas, and outdoor parties on the Family Islands, rake and scrape bands play long into the evening while families and friends gather to eat, talk, and dance.
Rake and scrape is considered an important piece of Bahamian cultural heritage. In recent years, younger musicians have started learning it, and schools in the Bahamas include it in their arts programmes to make sure this unique tradition is not forgotten. It is a reminder that music can come from the most unexpected places.