For Grand Bahama native Deangelo Roberts, the journey back home began with an unexpected opportunity at Celebration Key. Like so many Grand Bahamians, Deangelo has spent years living in Nassau working in architectural drafting and design. He always kept music close—first through church, then through several years performing with a local band. Still, he saw it as something he did, not something that could define him.
That changed the day he saw an entertainment vacancy posted on the Celebration Key website. “I had actually applied for other positions related to drafting and design,” he explained, “but when I saw this one come up, I said, ‘Let me try it.’” He took a day off, flew to Grand Bahama with his harmonica and some tracks, auditioned—and walked away with a job that would mark the start of a whole new chapter.
Today, Deangelo performs the morning shift at Celebration Key, greeting arriving cruise guests with live vocal performances. The role not only brought him and his family back home but gave him a chance to establish himself as a professional entertainer. “Everyone knows me as a drafter and a designer,” he said. “Now I can establish myself as a performer. Celebration Key is a huge opportunity to open up possibilities for me.” His harmonica has become an unexpected attraction for visitors who stop to listen, film, and share his performances online. “There are very few musicians, especially in the younger generation, who play the harmonica,” he said. “That really attracts a lot of tourists when I’m performing.”
For Deangelo, the beauty of the role lies in its flexibility. “I’m still able to do drafting work while carrying my singing career in a very bright direction,” he said. Even more meaningful is the reach the destination provides. Videos of his performances, filmed by tourists, are now circulating far beyond the island. “I said from the start that I want to be international,” he said. “And that is exactly what Celebration Key is doing for me.”
Deangelo sees Celebration Key as a powerful force for the local community creating jobs, economic activity, and new platforms for locals – from artisans to small business owners – to showcase their work. “It’s shaping a culture, inspiring Grand Bahamians to look for new ways to maximize their own possibilities through Celebration Key. It’s a huge boost financially for Grand Bahama. They give a lot of work to the community, including other industries that benefit just from it being here. It’s putting Grand Bahama back on the map,” he said.
