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Mask No Mas

On Monday 2nd of August 2021, it is predicable that many people in Barbados will be wearing masks, but it is a fact that no one will be playing mas as per normal on Grand Kadooment Day. Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley revealed the sobering news that there will be no mas events for the 2021 Crop Over Festival.

Within the past few weeks, a Cohobblopot seem to have been heating up and scores of people became hungry for news on the status Crop Over 2021.  There is no doubt that the Crop Over Festival which is now in its 47th year has evolved into a national event. The festival is an economic watershed, boosting of the turning over of millions of dollars annually in diverse sectors both locally and internationally.

It is therefore no surprise that the powers that be will not sit by and allow COVID-19 to totally paralyze the spirit and practice of the Crop Over Festival.

The tempo of Barbados changes in the month of July, summer starts and with it comes a cultural storm. Crop Over is the eye of that storm. This year it appeared that the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) is dragging its feet or not being in tuned with ethos of the people.

  In 2020 COVID -19 floored everything in Barbados. It robbed the island of Crop Over. In 2021 there is still respect for the seriousness of the pandemic but there is a resilient and a resolve not surrender what is an integral part of Barbados’ nationhood. Surrendering Crop Over 2020 was the right thing to do back then.  In 2021 the right thing to do is not to let go the national festival but to give it a different treatment so that it can survive this period of distress.

Entertainment promoters, tent managers, bandleaders, masqueraders, calypsonians, businesspersons, and fete goers got a little haywire over lack of communication from government.  Persons involved in the various sectors of the festival needed definitive answers to questions they were asking.

 A recent meeting with government and most of the major stakeholders in the festival appeared to have settled several issues and paved a way towards festive activities which can be done within the limitations of the country’s COVID-19 protocols.

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Spirit of the Nation this weekend November 16

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The Richard Stoute Contest Finals Tomorrow November 9 & 10th

The Richard Stoute Contest 2024, co-produced by the National Cultural Foundation, has reached the final turn of the race. Twenty eager competitors are now preparing for the finals of the Over 21 and Teen Talent categories.

The ten Over 21 finalists are Alicia Alleyne, Zoe Armstrong, Kimberly Allen, Shaquan Smith, Amirah Cordice, Shaneka George, Jaleesa Greaves, Jacqueline Stoute, Lisa Hackett and Kenyah Joseph. The ten Teen Talent finalists are Kadarius Allen, Joshua Osbourne, Kayla Alleyne, Jasmine Walkes, Kyrique Alleyne, ZZ Cumberbatch, Kymani Devonish,Roneisha Alleyne, Joshua Osbourne, Jaliah Thompson, and Kenaz Walker.

Simply by making it to this point in the competition, these competitors join a special class of Barbadian entertainers, all of whom experienced the training and development that comes with taking the Richard Stoute stage. Since its inception in 1976, the Richard Stoute Contest has given birth to several Barbadian musical favourites. One of these is 1983 winner of the competition Edwin Yearwood who was referred to then as “the baby of the competition” by journalist Linda Deane. Singing Wildflower and You Are So Beautiful, a tribute to his mum, he won the seventh teen talent competition, beating AndersonArmstrong and Terencia “TC” Coward who would both later become his contemporaries in the soca arena. In a 1983 article about the contest, Linda Deane referred to the three as “the ones with the better chances of success”. TC would place second in that competition. Just three years later, in 1986, now global soca queen Alison Hinds was also a finalist in the Richard Stoute Contest.

Fast forward to the 90’s and many popular names in the Crop Over arena were singing and winning the transformative competition. In its sixteenth year, a twenty-year-old Adrian”AC” Clarke sang his way to the crown with his rendition of Jackie Opel’s Higher and Higher (his first time singing spouge) and Calypso Traveller. The very next year, his future Coalishun bandmate Rupert “Rupee” Clarke won the crown at just eighteen years of age. His winning songs were Frankie Paul’s “Sarah” and Stevie Wonder’s “Lately”, earning him a standing ovation in the Wildey Gymnasium along with a red Suzuki Swift, driving lessons from Cox Driving School and a trip to a Caribbean island of his choice. The 90’S would also see Barbadian balladist Betty B win the 1998 contest while performing artiste Ishiaka McNeil took the1999 crown.

The start of the new millennium was not without its future household names as Barry Chandler, who sang Vehicle and Wildflower(in tribute to his own mother and single mothers) amidst a standing ovation in George Street Auditorium, sang his way to the crown in the year 2000.

There are several more names throughout the years including popular band Spice & Company and 2024 Courtesy Garage Pic O De Crop contenders Darin Holder, Trinity Clarke and Shontae Alleyne-Clarke. Undoubtedly there isevidence that the environment of the Richard Stoute Contest breeds exceptional talent. Speaking about the competition in the year 2000 Barry Chandler spoke about Founder Richard Stoute saying “He not only taught me how to sing my songs properly, he taught me discipline, and I want to thank him for that”.

In a recently held press conference at The National Cultural Foundation NCF Music Officer assigned to the contest, Aisha Butcher, assured Barbadians the NCF will continue to uphold Richard’s legacy and standards while introducing innovations. These innovations include state-of-the art equipment, additional vocal coaches and a separate competition for the Over 21 age group. “We were happy to see that registration doubled this year [for the Over 21 age group] and the quality is on par with prior competitions”, Butcher stated.

The National Cultural Foundation has also introduced The Richard Stoute Award and The Spouge Award as part of their strengthened approach this year. The Richard Stoute Contest 2024 Finals will take place, tomorrow, Saturday November 9th (Over 21s) and Sunday November 10th (Teens) at The Derrick Smith School

and Vocational Centre

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Sagicor Life Inc. Lighting Ceremony This Friday

The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment will host the Sagicor Life Inc. Lighting Ceremony this Friday, November 1, marking the start of the annual community Independence celebrations.

This year’s ceremony will be held under the theme Celebrating Our Communities: Re-engaging, Re-igniting, Re-imagining, and will take place on Friday, November 1, at 5:30 p.m., at National Heroes Square, The City.

Following the Lighting Ceremony, the celebrations will continue with a Bajan Brew at 7:00 p.m., offering an evening filled with spouge, drama, song, and steel pan performances.

The event is free and open to all, providing an opportunity for the community to come together and enjoy the rich cultural heritage of Barbados as we celebrate Independence. 

Patrons are encouraged to arrive early and make any necessary transportation arrangements due to expected road closures in the vicinity of Wharf Road and Trafalgar Street. (PR/GIS)

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