INTERESTING CHANGES AND NEW ADDITIONS IN CELEBRATION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF CROP OVER 

NEW ROUTE FOR GRAND KADOOMENT

A new route for Grand Kadooment was announced last Friday at the launch event for the Season of Emancipation & Crop Over 2024 on the grounds of Illaro Court, Two Mile Hill, St. Michael.

Some tweaks and some additions were announced  by CEO of the National Culture Foundation (NCF)  Carol Roberts giving a run down of some of the activities to kick off the 50th anniversary of the festival  on the calendar which runs from April 14th to August 27th.

The highlights are: 

Marcus Garvey Entrepreneur Challenge Prize, an Emancipation Village: Kilomobo and in honour of the memory of  the late musician Jackie Opel  an incentive award will be given for the best reimagined spouse music.

Twelve crop over limes

Bridgetown Market has moved from the Mighty Grynner Highway  occupying four locations in the heart of the city  and running  for four Fridays starting June 29th.

The Craft Market will stretch along Princess Alice Highway, from Pelican Village and the Bridgetown Fisheries Complex to Golden Square Freedom Park.

New to the Mighty Grynner Highway will be Festival Zones

 The new Kadooment route begins from the Bridgetown Helipad, proceeding to Hincks Street, along Princess Alice Highway, turning right at Pelican Village onto Prescod Boulevard/ Harbour Road, right around the Elise Payne Roundabout, onto President Kennedy Drive, left at Eagle Hall, travelling along Black Rock to the Frank Worrell Roundabout, left to Mighty Grynner Highway and ending  to Kensington Oval.

At Friday’s media launch, in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the festival guests were treated to performances by the Haynesville Youth Group, Red Plastic Bag ‘Something’s Happening’ with Dancing Africa, Peter Ram accompanied by IzaVybe and Euphony Steel, Crop Over Good Morning, Tae, A Bajan Thing and  Lil Rick doing his 2017 hit song  Blessing!

CEO Roberts invite persons responsible for the major events on the calendar to share what will be an exciting package of activities.

Winslow Jordan will pay tribute to his father with life size caricatures that will  be placed in strategic locations  as well as debut at the ceremonial delivery of the last canes.

Ronald Clarke  and his team were charged with the herculean task of selecting 50 of the best songs from the vast repertoire of music over the past 50 years. The team included Alvin Toppin, Kid Site and Jude the Dude.

Levi King stated that this year’s Folk Concert will be a theatrical experience looking at the last 50 years through the eyes of parents and grand parents who lived through this period.  The date selected for the Folk Concert is July 26  which was selected as it coincides with the date of the 1937 riots. 

Aja, while stating that there has long been an issue with sound quality announced that it has been decided that Crop Over Tents will take place at two locations only the Daphne Joseph Hackett Theatre, Queens Park and the Sir Garfield Sobers Gymnasium.