Culture

Dr. Munro-Knight Met With Liberian Officials

Last Monday, the final day of the Sankofa Pilgrimage to Barbados, Liberian Cultural Ambassador, Juli Endee, and journalist and newspaper editor of Front Page Africa, Rodney Sieh, paid a courtesy call to Minister with responsibility for Culture, Senator Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight, and her management team at the Division of Culture, Haggatt Hall, St. Michael.

During the visit, the Cultural Ambassador shared experiences while in Barbados and highlighted potential opportunities between the two countries.

Cultural Ambassador Endee and Mr. Sieh expressed their deep appreciation for the Barbadian people’s warm hospitality and enthusiasm for knowledge, following the successful staging of the Sankofa Pilgrimage week of activities.

Minister Munro Knight acknowledged the need for Barbadians to visit Liberia to complete the work that has already started in Barbados through the Sankofa Pilgrimage.

She lauded early plans to create a museum in Liberia and noted that Barbados could add to this initiative, while completing its own research, creating a full portrait of those 346 persons who left the country in 1865 and emigrated to Liberia.

Program Advisor for Reparations and Economic Enfranchisement, Rodney Grant, emphasized the importance of reclaiming African identity and culture, debunking the myth that reparations solely entail monetary demands.

He underscored ongoing projects to build memorialization, sensitivity, and consciousness within the country, including symbolic gestures like renaming monuments and locations to reflect post-slavery narratives and honour critical figures in Barbadian history.

Director of the Barbados Library Service, Jennifer Yarde, highlighted an upcoming initiative on May 24, Africa Day celebrations, where 10 schools will engage in a virtual cultural exchange with students from Liberia, Nigeria, and Gambia.

During the meeting, Mr. Sieh offered to leverage his connections with radio stations to amplify the outreach of this initiative and discussed his plans to document the process from an alternative perspective, fostering broader understanding and engagement.

The cultural ambassador proposed ideas for cultural amalgamation through dance and song, suggesting the establishment of a mini museum to commemorate the Sankofa Pilgrimage. The meeting concluded with Ambassador Endee graciously presenting traditional Liberian handcrafted pieces to Minister Munro-Knight.

As discussions concluded, there was a palpable excitement about the potential for deepened cultural ties and mutual benefit between Liberia and Barbados. Both parties expressed eagerness to continue these conversations and embark on collaborative projects in the near future.

Chief Executive Officer of the National Cultural Foundation, Carol Roberts-Reifer; Chief Archivist, Ingrid Thompson; and Director of Culture, Policy and Research, Dr. Donna Greene-Rusnighi, also attended the meeting. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Minister with responsibility for Culture, Senator Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight (left) shares a light moment with Liberian Cultural Ambassador, Juli Endee, and journalist and newspaper editor of Front Page Africa, Rodney Sieh, during their recent courtesy call at at the Division of Culture

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.