Entertainment

NCF names Top 40 in People’s Choice Competition

Photo Caption: From left, Entertainer Association of Barbados (EAB) Public Relations Strategist Ruel Ward; the National Cultural Foundation Chief Executive Officer of Carol Roberts-Reifer; EAB President Rudy Maloney and the Barbados Association of Creatives and Artistes Public Relations Officer of Barry Knight at the Press Conference today.

The names of the the Top 40 artistes in the Student Revolving Loan Fund and Sunshine Snacks Crop Over People’s Choice Competition in association with Banks Beer was announced by NCF CEO Carol Roberts-Reifer today at the Wildey Gymnasium.

A the press conference, the NCF CEO was flanked by Entertainer Association of Barbados (EAB) Public Relations Strategist Ruel Ward, EAB President Rudy Maloney and the Barbados Association of Creatives and Artistes Public Relations Officer of Barry Knight, who signed off on the list.

The associations were all engaged from the start of the process with Maloney of EAB and president of BACA Sean Carter speaking at the competition’s launch on June 10.

Voting in the competition opened on Monday, July 4 and closed at Tuesday, July 12.

Lovers of Music and Crop Over were asked to select their top songs for the season by visiting vote.ncf.bb and casting their vote.

The first round of voting opened July 4 to 10 where voters selected their Top 40 songs for the season, and the second round of voting will opens at midnight Friday, July 15 and run until Wednesday, July 20. Then the Top 20 will be announced.

The Top 40 artistes named today have won $2 000 and they also advance to the finals of the competition where they have a chance to win another $1 000 if they make the Top 20. The Top 20 will perform at the Courtesy Garage 98.1 The One Soca Rukshun on Sunday, July 31 at 8 p.m.

Each voter was allowed to vote once from any device in the first round and the same will obtain in the second round.

The Student Revolving Loan Fund Sunshine Snacks
Crop Over People’s Choice in association
with Banks Beer TOP 40

ALL YANNICK HOOPER

AMAZING RAANAN

ANYTIME TARIQUE O’NEAL

ANYWHERE, ANYWAY BY SUGAHRHE

BASHMENT PARK DE PLUG

BEN KEERAH

CARNIVAL IS KEISHA CHRISTIAN

CELEBRATE LIFE RICHARD ANTONIO

CROP OVER WE COMING ARCHIE MILLER

DIBBINESS RHEA LAYNE & WALKES

DON’T KILL MY VIBE THELIA

EXTRAORDINARY MR. VEEJAY

FAMILY AFFAIR IMARA

FREE CHRYSTAL

CUMMINS-BECKLES-HOLDER

FREEDOM LAST BY DASILVA AND CHRISSY D

HAND PON HEAD SWAGGY

HOSTAGE RENE KING

JUDGE ME QUON

LOCATION GRATEFUL CO

LOKK IT AFFF EDWIN YEARWOOD

LOW BUDGET SIR RUEL

MAUBY BRUCELEE ALMIGHTEE

MOCK TOYAN

POP KITE FAITH CALLENDER

PRISON BREAK MISTAH DALE

PROPERTY RENIECE BONNETT

PTSD AKHNATEN

RAW RECOGNIZE RAW (RRR) LINSKEE

READY NIKITA X MIKEY MERCER

RED GYAL ANTHEM DOYENNE

RUM & SOCA Q~SO

SAME ONE SHAQUILLEGFG AND

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)

Entertainment

A SEA OF YELLOW AT RISE & RUM BREAKFAST PARTY

Patrons enjoyed a day filled with food, fun, and sun at Rise and Rum, the penultimate event of this year’s Barbados Food and Rum Festival.

Food lovers had an abundance of delicious dishes to savour on Saturday—from roasted breadfruit and seafood boils to various fish delicacies and scrumptious desserts, offering a wide array of options to enjoy.
Of course, there was no shortage of entertain, and local bands Square One and Krosfyah once again teamed up to keep the crowds grooving as they enjoyed their savour foodie treats in fine style.

Entertainment

Let us celebrate Jackie Opel

Tuesday 27^th August was a significant day in the history of local music. It marked the birthday of Dalton Bishop better known as Jackie Opel. The musical icon would have turned 84. Jackie Opel was an outstanding singer, composer, and creator of the Spouge music genre who was born on August 27, 1938, in the inner-city area of Chapman Lane.

*Shantal Munroe Knight, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office*

In 1962 Jackie migrated to Jamaica where he lived for six years. He was influential in the formative careers of some of Jamaica’s iconic entertainers. From Bob Marley to Jimmy Cliff, Ken Hopeton, Alton Ellis, and the early days of the band The Wailers.

On his return to Barbados Jackie Opel was gearing up to take his career and his newly created spouge music to a higher level. Plans were afoot to produce a concert, but fate was not kind, and he died in a car accident on Bay Street on March 9, 1970.

Special Free Concert Yesterday

The National Cultural Foundation (NCF) hosted a special concert, last night, in Freedom Park to honour Jackie Opel.

A cast of some of the island’s top singers graced the stage to perform a wide range of spouge songs. The modest audience can count themselves lucky to have attended an event that will be a benchmark in local music history.

Artists thrilled those in attendance

Performers included the following, Wendy Alleyne, Shadia Marshall, Keisha Christian, Mickey Dee, Mike Grosvenor, Colin Spencer, Desmond Weekes, Jamal Slocombe, Simon Pipe, D J Simmons, Bit Bit, Ishiaka, Romario Greaves, Alix Cage, Adrian Clarke and Edwin Yearwood.

Senator the Hon. Shantal Munro-Knight, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office delivered the opening remarks, and Ambassador to CARICOM David Comissiong delivered the feature address. It was generally felt by those in attendance that a Jackie Opel Birthday Concert should be held annually. (Article and photos by Christopher Williams)