Entertainment

NCF looks to surpass 30 000-strong at last year’s Pandemonium

The National Cultural Foundation expects an even larger audience for the 2024 edition the Republic Bank Pandemonium. To date, the event has become one the largest and most widely-anticipated event on the Crop Over calendar, with over 30,000 patrons attending last year.

While the Republic Bank Pandemonium event will see the event being staged for the third time when audiences head to the National Botanical Gardens on Sunday, July 14 from 2 p.m., steel pan is not new to the Crop Over experience.

Pan has always been key to Barbadian culture and heritage with its sweet sounds adding to the sweetness of Crop Over since its inception. It has been part of Bridgetown Market, the Calypso tents, national parades, and on stage in competition – to say the least.

In the late 80’s and 90’s, up to 10 pan groups competed in a popular competition called Pang-a-lang and was part of a trend of steel pan and tuk bands being paired in a joint expression of Barbadian culture.

NCF Event Producer Karen Pestaina said the inclusion of pan is significant especially during the golden anniversary of Crop Over.

“As we celebrate this 50^th year of Crop Over it is important that a taste of the past and the solid foundation of the future of pan be merged at one event”, Pestaina said.

Pan lovers descending on the National Botanical Gardens will experience exactly that among other things. Along with a Children’s Pay Area, there will be a number of food vendors on location.

Island Smiles with their Crop Over branded 360 photo booth will be on site to capture the memories of the day.

The line-up which includes: Calvary YPS Steelband, St. Leonard’s Band & Choir, the all-female group Dejavu, Phoenix Steel, ZigE Walcott and Black Peppa, Euphony Steel, the Barbados National Youth Steel Orchestra, the Crop Over 50th Anniversary Iron Massive Steel, the Republic Bank Steel Band and live performances by Brucelee Almighty, Walkes, Lorenzo, Mikey, Nikita, Fadda Fox, Saddis, Biggie Irie, Lil Rick and Caribbean Soca Queen Alison Hinds. Special guests, Trinidadians Liam Teague, and Boogsie with the XLR Band, will also be there.

The night culminates with the feature act: the NCF’s 100-member strong National Youth Steel Orchestra – the largest steel pan ensemble in Barbados.

Speaking on the inclusion of Liam “Hands Like Lightning” Teague being part of the event, Pestaina said: “He has long been part of the festival whether solo or with his group from Trinidad and, to also have his son Jaden Nunez-Teague perform this year with the National Youth Steel Orchestra, shows continuity of relations between the islands and region.”

“It also shows that pan is on the road of success. Jaden has grown up in the artform with his father tutoring and similarly our juniors have had the opportunity to attend workshops from various artists and local tutors to reach the successes they have achieved”, the event planner explained.

Locals and visitors headed to the event are in for a musical treat with a lineup of performances which keep pan at the forefront while adding choir, voice, percussion and more. (PR)

Entertainment

Spirit of the Nation this weekend November 16

Entertainment

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

Entertainment

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)