The Grand Kadooment route will not be reversed in 2023. The route from the National Stadium to the Mighty Grynner Highway has many positive features about it and it is loved by many people. The new route however has great potential for future development of Grand Kadooment. Those involved must face the fact and get on the highway or be left on the byway. I liked the old route and would be willing to improve on some of its shortcomings for a few more years before moving. But I see the wisdom in the new route.
The only thing constant in life is change. Changes in the Crop Over Festival are therefore expected. Change comes about as a natural course of a process be it progressive or regressive. Changes also come in radical or sudden ways because of a new policy. I hope this juncture will allow those involved in Grand Kadooment to make major changes to improve the event. In recent years Grand Kadooment has lost its creativity notwithstanding the fact that there has been an upsurge in party bands. These bands have established their brands, but the NCF must be careful to ensure that it also establishes a brand that is based on the policy and goals of Grand Kadooment.
The old route had a closeness to the people in the dense communities and small roads. It was a wonderful feeling to play mas with the spectators and masqueraders in ‘contact’ with each other. However, this closeness also allowed for easy access to the bands which if not dealt with created a management problem for the bandleader. Policing this route would have been challenging. As Grand Kadooment rolled into populated communities it created opportunities for residents in the areas to make a quick dollar; vending drinks and food- sometimes right on their doorstep.
The small roads and the numerous corners on the old route would have a burden for drivers of the massive music trucks.
Climaxing at Mighty Grynner Highway with the cool waters of Brandon and Brighton beaches is the most appealing feature of the old route. Anyone who has played mas from the Stadium in the hot boiling sun will attest to the revitalizing properties of a dip in the sea.
We can accept the wonderful characteristics of the old route but at the same time recognize that things must change. For all the good that there is in the old route, we must consider if it no longer fits into the development and expansion of Grand Kadooment. Simple, has Grand Kadooment outgrown, or will Grand Kadooment soon outgrow the route from the Stadium to Mighty Grynner Highway?
The new route’s introduction may have suffered from poor public relations. The teething problems of the new route were easy to see on the Grand Kadooment Day. These facts should not take away from the potential of the new route. The heated and long discussion over the route being too hot and too long is superficial. Both routes are heated by the sun, no one has control over that. With planning the route could be shortened.
The new route provided adequate space for all concerned: masqueraders, spectators, and vendors. Logistically it is better for the music trucks, presentations of the bands, policing, and security of the parade area. The new route is also suited to big king and queen costumes which I hope will soon be seen again. The new route should bring an end to the unproductive ‘Robert’s / Revelers Truck. This item has been a waste of thousands of dollars over the years with little or no return on investment. The money that the NCF poured into the truck could have been better used. Take the money and the resources and invest them into the development of community and small group bands.
The new route is a move away from the theater of the streets to a show/spectacle. If this is correct it is now vital that designers become more creative and stay away from the run-of-the-mill feather and beads costumes. Too many bands look alike. Few bands have themes and portrayals. With the new route seemingly designed for spectatorship, it is imperative that bands create better presentations.
The time is ripe for the NCF and shareholders in masquerade to look beyond just a new route and look at a new direction in Grand Kadooment. We are generally never ready for change, but this does not mean that it is not time for a change. I was not ready for a change this year and thought that the move to the ABC was unavoidable but not needed this year. This year’s Grand Kadooment is now in the past and we must be ready for not only a new route in 2023 but a new development plan.
Enough is enough we are down to nakedness without proper reasons. For sure creative designs that follow a theme and presentations that depict a portrayal are now things of the past. I do not accept that the market is dictating costume designs and if it is, our creative minds have surrendered to trends.
Grand Kadooment go must under the microscope and be examined if it is to survive. Barbados must be careful of delivering the same type of mas that is available in other places. Barbados must seek to define uniqueness about its mas. There is already a decline in the membership to bands, fewer bands are being produced and with your ears to the ground you will hear the voices of those who watch Grand Kadooment saying ‘that bands are no longer worth waiting to see’. Even beautiful half naked women wearing generic feather and bead costumes become mundane after a long period of time. Meaningful, beautiful, appealing, and sexy costumes were created before and I am sure it can happen again. The NCF will have to play a key role in turning the corner and moving to a higher ground of creativity in Grand Kadooment. The NCF should encourage and support authentic masquerade bands. The art form must be given an opportunity to regain itself and survive.
Bandleaders and designers should seek to produce bands that are beyond the cookie cutter type. Sure, it is easy and profitable to buy costumes from as from as China. However, is there merit and pride in setting up our own industry of costume making?
Please note that I am not suggesting that bands will a formula that is working for them stop using it. I am suggesting that bands look at other dimensions instead of staying with the same thing repeatedly.
With the move to the ABC Highway Grand Kadooment now has a golden opportunity to chart a course that developed a culture of creativity in mas
