Sobero – A touch of Crop Over

by Charmaine Walker

“Rain, rain, go away, please come back another day.”

This was the plea of the organizers and party goers of the Sobero Premium Brunch Inclusive Fete on Sunday night. The fete kicked off at the L’Belle Lawns, Lower Estate, St George at 5.30 p.m. with a cool breeze and clear sky.

Men and women were decked out in their bright colours, all ready to jam down to their favourite tunes from the greatly missed Crop Over season. They limed, drank and danced while DJs kept the party going until the live acts took to the stage.

All came out to excite the crowd with old-time favourites and crowd-pleasers. Proceedings started with the well loved Mighty Grynner, who was warmly received.

Then Leadpipe, Mikey, Soca Queen Alison Hinds who noted it felt so good to be out again after a long rest, all kept the wonderful groove. Then came Peter Ram and L’il Rick, who performed during the latter stages of the occasion and lifted the tempo even further. The party never lost its energy, even as the 1 a.m. hour approached and with party goers still wanting more.

Co- founder of the event Janelle Roach told Barbados TODAY that it was a challenge bringing the fete because of COVID-19 protocols and restrictions.

She also noted that getting sponsorship was difficult because of the number of businesses having to lay off staff or close their doors for lengthy periods. But she expressed gratitude that there were still some who tried to work with them, and she also praised the National Cultural Foundation for coming on board and filling most of the gaps to make the event a success.

The fete accommodated about 215 persons, and the Sobero organisers said they were very pleased with the outcome. There was a bit of innovation this year with respect to admission procedures.

Instead of tickets, organisers gave party-goers branded masks with the Sobero logo, and that was their mode of entry on the night. There were unlimited drinks and the food flowed all night. (CW)