Here you can see very clearly that blacks of The Bahamas was not engaged in one style of music. The land of the pink pearl was published in 1888 and show Blacks playing and singing the blue bells of scotland and when the stormy winds do blow. And is noted for playing and singing them quite well.

These songs already being a part of the Black Bahamian musical options could of develop some similar songs in the same character.

I just wanted to post this because there seems to be an belief here that all blacks had not adopted European influences and all of it came by way of America despite the fact that Europeans would have brought with them their musical traditions from Europe when they settled in the Bahamas. Powles actually makes a few references to this, he also mentions that Irish jigs were considered a national dance among many Black Bahamians.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015009054720;view=1up;seq=246