Culture

200-plus in cultural showcase on May Day

Over 260 performers will take centre stage during the National Cultural Foundation’s (NCF) community showcase at the May Day Celebrations. The spectacle includes a four-year-old, the youngest dancer and a 66-year-old, the eldest dancer.

Participants who enrolled in the NCF 2023-24 community training programmes across the island, will be on show at the Barbados Workers’ Union’s annual Labour Day celebration: It’s About You Too: Family Day & Picnic on Wednesday, May 1, at the National Botanical Gardens.

From midday patrons there will see multiple choreographies in African Dance, Afrobeat Dance, Street Dance, Stick-Licking, Landship and Maypole as well as Tuk Drumming and Flute presented by the enthusiastic performers.

This cultural aspect of the day’s events is produced by the NCF in recognition of the Season of Emancipation which runs until August 27. This showcase is special, since it is a celebratory year for the Foundation, marking its 40^th anniversary and 50^th anniversary of Crop Over.

Those on stage are enrolled in the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) programmes, in dance and drama, aimed at reengaging the community by unearthing, training and showcasing community talent.

The sessions are developed in four zones: north, south, east and central covering every parish and are open to all ages and experience levels.
In the dance genre, led by NCF’s Cultural Officer (Dance) Alicia Payne/Hurley, participants benefit from training in the disciplines of Drama, African Dance, Afrobeat Dance, Street Dance, Stick-Licking, Landship and Maypole, Stilt Walking as well as Tuk Drumming and Flute.

ICH Community Tuk and Flute classes trained 53 persons in the art of playing the instruments of the tuk engine. These programmes were held at the Queen’s Park Steel Shed and Harrison College with tutors Jeffrey “Ife” Wilkinson for Tuk Drumming and Karl “Frog” Smith for Penny Whistle.

Bajan Stick Licking, the indigenous martial art of Barbados, was revived by the training of participants, both children and adults in classes held at schools across the island.

One of the most popular Street Dance Styles at the moment, Afrobeat Dance is a unique fusion of traditional African and contemporary or modern day movements.

The African Dance iteration of the programme started on January 6.

This new addition to the ICH Community Training programme has seen an excitement and enthusiasm to the art of Stilt Walking by its participants.

NCF Cultural Officer (Dance) Alicia Payne/Hurley said the showcase is months of hard work by participants and long hours of dedication by the coordinators and tutors. She urged Barbadians to come out and show their support.

“I just want them (Barbadians) to really come out and see what they’ve been doing over the last couple of months. They’ve been working hard. They’re now understanding the rigors of performance and preparing for performance and the additional rehearsals, getting the costumes ready and right, the excitement is in the air. They’re so ready to perform for Barbados and I just want Barbados to be there to receive them.

“I think people will be in for a fabulous surprise when they see our amateur Tuk Orchestra who will probably shock them on May Day. You will get to see lots of entertainment but you also get to see persons in your community just like yourselves, not necessarily professional dancers, persons who have never done this before… have braved it and decided: ‘You know what I’m gonna show the world what I have been doing since January 6^th and I’m gonna do it with pride’,” she added.

The cultural officer stated that last year families just came forward in droves to see their loved ones.

“The phones came out, the cameras came out and the screaming and the enjoyment . . . so proud of what their little ones and their older ones have been doing in the few months that they were training”, Payne/Hurley said.

The ICH Dance and Drama training is free to the public. (PR)

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.