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Crop Over Folk Concert merges past and present

Get ready for an unforgettable evening of music, dance and powerful storytelling at this year’s Crop Over Folk Concert titled Full Circle.

Under the creative direction of Levi King, this free event promises to be a groundbreaking production that will captivate audiences and spark meaningful reflection when it takes place on Friday July 26: The Day of National Significance at Golden Square Freedom Park, The City.

King explained that in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Crop Over, the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) wanted the production to push the boundaries of traditional folk concerts, at the same time, still appeal to long-time folk concert enthusiasts while attracting a new generation of audiences. So, Full Circle was conceptualised to be more than just a concert; it is a full-scale musical theatre extravaganza.

Re-enactments of important historical speeches from National Hero, the Right Excellent Clement Payne as well as Israel Lovell remain as part of the presentation, however, the difference this year is that traditional elements of folk culture are given a unique, fresh, modern treatment.

In addition, music lovers will be thrilled to know that the musical features entirely original compositions, with music composed by the acclaimed musical director Dr. Stefan Walcott and lyrics by King along with Michelle Hinkson-Cox the production’s scriptwriter.

Full Circle offers a deep dive into the lives of a fictional working-class Barbadian family trying to navigate the pre- and post-1937 disturbances era. It tells the story of an older couple, Lily and Elliot, whose son Aaron and his pregnant new wife Charlotte go to live with them.

According to the director, the NCF production aims to reflect on the socio-economic challenges of that time and draw parallels to contemporary issues, highlighting enduring themes such as poverty, disenfranchisement and the strength of the family unit.

The 19-member ensemble tasked with the responsibility of bringing this narrative to life comprises a mixture of seasoned and fledging professionals. Led by multi-award-winning actor Jennifer Walker, who plays the character Lily, Akil Ifill as Elliot and supported by rising stars Kiara Harper as Charlotte and Nekoda Ellis as Aaron.

The stellar cast includes: veteran Philip Eno as MacDonald; Atiba Sealy-Thompson as Freddie; Joshua Moore and Neil Waithe as officers; Jakobi Sealy as Clement Payne; Phelan Lowe as Israel Lovell; Nikita Thomas as Eunice and Tiffanie Williams as Mrs. Reeves. The chorus consists of: Kyrique Alleyne, Shannon Arthur, Letitia Christian, Josiah Haynes, Shireifa Joseph, Asiah Shepherd and Teila Williams. Williams doubles in the role of costume and props designer on the creative team which also features Olivia Hall as choreographer, Mark Maynard as set designer, Renelde Headley as stage manager.

Full Circle boasts a live band led by Shane Ryan on bass/playback, with Delano Ifill on drums and Irvin Belgrave on keyboard.

King hopes that attendees leave the folk concert with a powerful message of resilience, steadfastness and the power to effect positive change in their communities.

“I want that people nowadays still feel empowered in the knowledge that as Barbadians, we have the power to control our own destiny and that if there are things in our society that need to change for society to more than survive, but to thrive, we have the ability to make those changes happen,” he added. (PR)

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CIBC Caribbean team cleans Drill Hall Beach

A team of about 50 volunteers from CIBC Caribbean and their families joined hundreds around the world on Saturday 21^st September for the start of the International Coastal Clean-up – the world’s largest annual volunteer effort created to tackle and clean up increasing levels of trash and debris which are impacting our delicate marine environment.

Armed with gloves and lots of energy, the team assembled on the Drill Hall Beach, St. Michael from as early as 6.30a.m., and with the help of the crew from the Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) they started the task of collecting trash left by people who use the popular beach.

*Jacquelyn Boyce (right) marks off the items brought in by her team as they collect the debris*

The Barbados International Coastal Clean-up (BICC) is an annual nationwide volunteer beach cleanup event which is coordinated by Barbados’ Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN), a non-profit organization. This year the cleanup for Barbados will take place every Saturday until the end of October in an attempt to tackle and prevent the damage being done to our local marine environment by trash and debris on our beautiful beaches.

*The CIBC Caribbean team armed with the gloves and bags just before setting off on their clean-up mission*

On Saturday, all materials collected were carefully catalogued and recorded as the CYEN team uses this information to report into the international network to which they belong, about the items found on beaches across the region.

Within a two-hour window, the CIBC Caribbean team had collected 108.39 kgs of garbage which included food wrappers and containers, plastic beverage bottles, clothing, pieces of glass, cups, plates, grocery bags, micro plastics and bottle caps. They also removed pieces of wood and a discarded office chair with wheels. The group also moved the fallen dry palm tree fronds to a large pile for further removal.

*Sean Bostic and Krystle Maynard (right holding card) present the sponsorship card to Shannon Weekes and Jabari Jones of the CYEN*

“The cleanup at Drill Hall Beach highlights the ongoing commitment of Barbadians to safeguarding our coastal environment. As we work together to remove harmful debris, we not only protect our marine ecosystems but also strengthen our communities. Each piece of litter removed is a step toward a healthier, more sustainable future for Barbados, and we are proud to have CIBC contributing to this vital cause year after year. This effort is a reminder that protecting our beaches is not just an annual event but a shared responsibility for all of us,” stated National Coordinator for the CYEN in Barbados Shannon Weekes.

The bank also took the opportunity to present the CYEN with a donation towards their work in keeping the beaches clean by organising the clean-up exercises this year. The super-size credit card was presented by Krystle Maynard from the Treasury Department and Sean Bostic Senior Manager, Business Analysis, Performance & Analytics.

This is the third year that the bank has participated in the beach cleanup. Other beaches they have tackled include Sam Lord’s Castle Beach, St. Philip and Pirate’s Cove Beach in Bridgetown. (PR)

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VENEZUELANS TO VOTE SUNDAY JULY 28

Venezuela’s opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, says he trusts the country’s military to ensure respect for the result of Sunday’s presidential election. Speaking during a press conference on Friday, Mr. Gonzalez declared that the Opposition, is going to win because millions of Venezuelans want change.

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, has attracted significant support, even from former supporters of the ruling socialist party.

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Mr Deejay first on stage at Finals

First-timer to the competition Mr Deejay will be start the competition when the Courtesy Garage Pic O De Crop Finals comes of next Friday, August 2 at the National Botanical Gardens at 8 p.m.

This is the first time in the history of the competition that a visually-impaired contestant has made it to the Finals. The Courtesy Garage Pic O De Crop Finals Draw was held Wednesday, July 24 at Courtesy’s Wildey showroom. There were no switches.

Reigning Monarch iWeb will perform at No. 15. I-Web was unable to attend the draw. However, his manager Brian Corbin was present and pulled on his behalf. TC pulled for Tae who came later while Merle Niles pulled for Biggie Irie who was present. The other finalists were present as well as tent managers, relatives andwell-wishers.

National Cultural Foundation Chief Executive Officer Carol Robers announced that the Finals will be streamed to Barbadians free of cost as a gift for the 50^th anniversary of Crop Over. Courtesy Garage’s Regional Product Manager Samuel Gaston reaffirmed the company’s commitment to the festival.

*NCF CEO Carol Roberts (left) (EDIT) Courtesy Garage’s Regional Product Manager Samuel Gaston and Acting General Manager Andrez Greene.*

The draw took place in the Courtesy Garage showroom where the 2024 Nissan E Power X-Trail was on show. This year the winner of the Courtesy Garage Pic O De Crop Competition has the option of driving away a brand new Nissan vehicle valued at $136 000 or take $100 000 in cash. Second place gets $40 000;

third place $20 000 and fourth place takes home $15 000. 5^th place gets $10 000;