Culture

NIFCA Music In The Square Back With Bang

The much-anticipated National Independence Festival of Creative Arts (NIFCA) Music in the Square series is back, and throughout the month of Independence will pay tribute to three of the island’s musical greats.

James Millington, Jackie Opel and Sir Emile Straker will be celebrated when some of the island’s finest musicians come together for three free concerts dubbed Icons Night. The concerts will take place each Friday (November 3rd, 10th and 17th) beginning at 6 p.m. at Golden Park Freedom Park, The City.

As NIFCA celebrates its 50th anniversary under the theme, 50 Years of Excellence Remembered, Icons Night will be used as a vehicle to salute the dedication, service and contributions of these persons on the music landscape.

Cultural Officer of Music Education for the National Cultural Foundation (NCF), Kevin Moore, stressed that these three stalwarts were selected because whether directly or indirectly the impact they had on Barbadian musicianship, music education and Barbadian music performance was significant and far reaching.

In the case of Millington’s legacy, he was revered around the Caribbean for his eminence as an educator and was known for his development of the Combermere School music programme where he would have founded string and symphony groups.

During his time at Combermere, Millington directly influenced the likes of Dr. Duncan Fletcher and Victor Pilgrim whose guidance would in turn have impacted prominent musicians including Arturo Tappin, Pernell Farley, Mark Husbands and Chris Allman. Millington was also the father of renowned musician Janice Millington and the grandfather of Miles Robertson, the former musical director of Multiple Grammy winner Adele.

Night 1 of NIFCA Music in the Square kicks off this Friday with James Millington Night entitled From the Classics to Jazz. It will feature the David Weatherhead saxophone quartet, Bajan Brass, Combermere Steel Orchestra, the Barbados National Youth Symphony Orchestra, Kweku Jelani, Paula Hinds, Shawn Layne and more.

On Night 2 will be Jackie Opel Night and held under the theme “Spouge and Reggae”. Some of Barbados’ biggest names in reggae, including Daniel Medford, Rhesa Garnes, Peach Bless and Biggie Irie will share the stage with aspiring young talent such as Jessica Hunte, Asanta, Mighty Bit Bit, the St Leonard’s Boys’ Steel Orchestra, Baje to the World winner Kyrique Alleyne and many more.

*St Luke’s Academy made their NIFCA debut at last year’s Music in the Square.*

Moore stressed that while Barbados claims Opel, especially for his development of the indigenous Spouge genre, the Cry Me A River singer was highly respected in Jamaica’s music industry. In fact, top reggae stars on that island, including The Wailers’ Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, for example, have credited him as one of their major influences in their early music.

While Sir Emile’s impact on not just Barbados and Caribbean music, but internationally, will be celebrated on Night 3 when focus will be paid on his work in calypso and folk music.

Sir Emile’s group, The Merry Men, was at the vanguard of the promotion of Barbados music spanning from the 1960s and lasting for well over 40 years. They were the first Barbadians to be featured at The Super Bowl half-time show in 1979 performing calypso/folk music.

The Mighty Gabby will be leading a host of excellent talent in Sir Emile’s tribute with lineup that includes, St Leonard’s Boys’ Choir, the Ignatius Byer Primary School Choir, Arts in the North, Mylon Clarke, Alex Cage, the winner of the NIFCA arrangement challenge and others.

NIFCA Music in the Square was built last year where the young talent of Barbados was showcased at after work limes on Fridays in the month. (PR/GIS)

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.