Culture

Keerah will be first to perform at Finals

First-timer to the competition Keerah will be the first contestant to perform when the Courtesy Garage Pic O De Crop Finals comes of next Friday, August 4 at the National Botanical Gardens at 8 p.m.

The Courtesy Garage Pic O De Crop Finals Draw was held today, Thursday, July 27. There was one switch between Keerah who pulled 17 and Teri who pulled No. 1. Reigning Monarch Quon will perform at No. 14.

I-Web was unable to attend the draw. However, his manager Brian Corbin was present and pulled number 7 on his behalf. The other 18 finalists were present as well as tent managers, relatives and well-wishers.

Courtesy Garage’s Regional Product Manager Samuel Gaston and the National Cultural Foundation Chief Cultural Officer Andrea Wells delivered brief remarks.

The draw took place in the Courtesy Garage showroom where the 2024 Nissan E Power X-Trail was revealed.

This year the winner of the Courtesy Garage Pic O De Crop Competition has the option of driving away a brand new Nissan vehicle or take $100 000 in cash. Second place gets $40 000; third place $20 000 and fourth place takes home $15 000.

This year, after negotiations with the Barbados Association of Creatives and Artistes (BACA) and tent managers, the NCF increased the prize monies to be paid from 5^th to last place positions.

ï 5^th place will now receive $10 000; an increase of $5 000

ï 6^th to 10^th place $8 000; an increase of $3 000

ï 11^th to 19^th place $ 6 000; an increase of $3 000

ï Added to that, an appearance fee of $1 500 will be paid to every contestant.

Here is the order of appearance for the Finals.

COURTESY GARAGE PIC O DE CROP FINALS DRAW 2023

POSITION	TENT	ARTISTE	SONG
1	House of Soca	Keerah	Come Fuh Me
2	All Stars	Donella	Who’s Next
3	House of Soca	Billboard	Foolish
4	All Stars	Niqa	The Chosen Few
5	All Stars	John Yarde	Gospel According to John
6	Shinning Stars	Ross	Helping Hands
7	De Big Show	I-Web	Brain
8	De Big Show	Nathalee	Not For Sale
9	House of Soca	Coopa Dan	Reflection
10	De Big Show	Mr Blood	Hornology
11	De Big Show	AC	Anansi and the Big Bad Ram
12	House of Soca	Raanan	Mr Thankful
13	All Stars	Charisma	Hear
14	House of Soca	Quon	Sing Quon Sing
15	De Big Show	Chrystal	De Rescue
16	Shinning Stars	Bumba	Change De System
17	All Stars	Teri	Cat Piss and Pepper
18	All Stars	Eric Lewis	Conversation with Mr. Satire
19	House of Soca	Raheem	Child Support

Culture

BPS Crop Over Do-Flicky Costume Competition Winners Announced

Five winning teams have emerged from the recently held prize-giving ceremony of the inaugural ‘Barbados Postal Service (BPS) 2024 Crop Over Do-Flicky Costume Competition’.

The winners hail from the Post Offices of St. Joseph; St. George; Welches Road; St. Philip and the General Post Office in Cheapside.

The overall winner of the competition is the eight-member team of the General Post Office’s Accounts Section, who each received an Island Safari Tour. Second place went to the Welches Road Post Office, third was the St. Philip Post Office, fourth was the St. George Post Office and fifth place went to the St. Joseph Post Office.

Winning Teams (flanked by BPS management), of the inaugural ‘BPS Crop Over Do-Flicky Costume Competition’, from the GPO; Welches Road PO; St. Philip PO; St. George PO and the St. Joseph PO.

Postmaster General, Joann Busby, in her address to the winners, stated, “We look forward to many more events like this in the future, celebrating both our history and commitment to excellence.”

Concept Creator of the competition, BPS Marketing Officer Neiai Hall said, “This competition aims to showcase the creativity and cultural expression of our staff, through costume design and performance. The theme of the competition is rooted in our rich heritage and the vibrant spirit of Crop Over.

On left – ‘BPS Crop Over Do-Flicky Costume Competition’ 2nd Place Winning Costume, On right – ‘BPS Crop Over Do-FFlicky Costume Competition’ 3rd Place Winning Costume.

“We have encouraged participants to design costumes that not only display their creativity but also incorporate elements that represent the services offered by the BPS”.

The judging criteria consisted of Sustainability; Creativity; Depiction of a BPS Service; Originality; Portrayal; Video Creativity and Originality; Practicality and Inclusivity and Descriptive Write-Up.

Plaques were presented to each of the winning teams and the St. Joseph Post Office also received the Postmaster General’s special award for Outstanding Advertising Video in the competition. (PR/GIS)

Culture

LAST LAP WEEKEND – Ended with Pic-o-de-Crop Finals, Foreday Jump and Kadooment

AN INCIDENT FREE FESTIVAL By David Harris

After two months of activities that included early morning breakfast fetes and late-night parties, the golden anniversary of the Crop Over Festival ended with the Grand Kadooment on Monday.

Over 10.000 revellers in 18 bands danced on the new route which began at the Helipad in Bridgetown and ended in front of Kensington Oval. The street parade was changed its 9 a.m. start to 10 a.m. by the National Cultural Foundation after the Barbados Meteorological Service placed the island under a severe thunderstorm watch.

Eventually, the Blue Box Cart band got the parade moving at 10.07 and the masqueraders began wining and chipping on the streets of Bridgetown.

Only 13 of the 18 bands on parade judged, among the revellers were Barbadian superstar and National Hero, the Right Excellent Robin Rihanna Fenty and former West Indies captain Brian Lara.

Some bands were still heading towards the Mighty Grynner Highway just before at minutes to 9 o’clock. Aura was the last band to reach the highway before the police ended the parade.

The Grand Kadooment ended an action-packed weekend that included the Pic O De Crop Finals at the National Botanical Gardens in Waterford on Friday night, the Foreday Morning Jam which began in Bridgetown in the wee hours of morning and the Grand Kadooment on Monday.

Fans were primed for thrilling contest between the defending monarch IWeb (Ian Webster) and Adrian “AC” Clarke who placed second in last year’s Pic O De Crop competition; but it was AC who captured the crown for the third time after IWeb who appeared to have forgotten the lyrics of the De Village Ram in the second half of the competition.

Clarke performed at number 16 (immediately behind IWeb) and stamped his authority on the competition with an impressive performance of the self-penned Going Fuh Crown, the judges awarded him 133 points, 28 more than Sir Ruel who came second.

Adrian Clarke the 2024 Calypso Monarch

His impressive performance won the first prize of $100,000 or a Nissan E Powe X- Trail valued at $136,000; Clarke told journalists after the competition he had opted to take the vehicle instead of the prize money. Clarke, 52, first won the crown in 2001 and in 2008.

Sir Ruel was the most outstanding performer in the first half with A Single Bullet, he wrote the calypso in memory of his brother Dario Jon-Luc Holder-Branch who was shot to death in February this year. The former Junior Monarch amassed 105 points and won a cash prize of $40,000.

*Sir Ruel, Pic of de Crop, 2nd place winner*

Perennial finalist Chrystal Cummins-Beckles placed third with De Proposal, the multi-talented musician, arranger and composer was awarded 97 points and the $20,000 prize.

Billboard placed fourth for the second consecutive his calypso earned him a cash prize of $15,000; and first timer Tae, the youngest competitor in the final took the fifth position and $10,000 with A Big Cirus.

Calypsonians placing from the sixth to tenth position received $8,000 each, those coming 11 th to 18 th got $6000.

The competition started 51 minutes after the scheduled 8 p.m. due to technical hitches with video presentations, and one contestant (Kid Site) had to start over his song because of problems with the audio. The second half started just after midnight and ended at 2.10 a.m.

In commemoration of the 50 th anniversary of the Crop Festival there were performances by former monarchs the Mighty Destroyer. Red Plastic, the Mighty Gabby and Edwin Yearwood.