With just about four weeks remaining before Grand Kadooment on August 1, the new route will remain.
Word of this from the president of the Barbados Masqueraders Association (BMA), Anthony Layne, who confirmed to Barbados TODAY this evening that it was the preferred choice of his membership.
The route which starts at Warrens, travels along the ABC Highway to the JTC Ramsey roundabout (Emancipation Statue) then returns along the highway and through Waterford Bottom and ends at the National Stadium, was revealed when the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) announced the return of the Crop Over festival several weeks ago. The “sweetest summer festival” as it is called, was a casualty of the COVID pandemic and as a result, was shelved since 2020.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, the authorities believed that coupled with vaccination and covid protocols, the new route would be a more expansive space for revellers to jump safely. However, folllowing the Minister of Health Ian Gooding-Edghill’s announcement of the relaxed protocols over the weekend, some band leaders had suggested the route be reverted. Nevertheless, following a meeting of the BMA membership on Monday night, Barbados TODAY understands that the majority of bandleaders were not in agreement with the change.
Layne however noted that members voted to stick with the new route out of health and physical safety concerns.
“There were only one or two persons talking about the protocols have been relaxed that they would like to go back on the old route but we will be going on the ABC highway as planned before. . . . Remember, we still in a COVID environment, don’t mind the protocols have been relaxed. Also some persons just like the new route, the new route for me personally is a lot safer. On the old route we used to get a lot of problems and we don’t complain a lot about it but you have the problem of people jumping in the bands, people snatching drinks from the bartenders and such like. So, we get a lot of issues on that route, especially between Station Hill and Bank Hall. Because the bands are very tight and you have people moving on the roads in opposite directions, in the same direction, so you get a lot of issues. The highway is a safer route and plus, the position was you didn’t want the bands passing through densely populated areas,” Layne added.
He also suggested that some changes to the route may be in the pipeline for Crop Over. Pre-COVID, there was some outcry that the festival had outgrown the then route. But, while not highlighting any possible alternatives, the band leader noted that was a discussion they would first need to engage with the NCF.
Meanwhile, Layne is hoping that with weeks remaining until the big day, things will begin to pick up in terms of more members. Nonetheless, he predicted a successful Crop Over season.
“It will be good and exciting. If I go down the road with ten people, you make sure that the ten people enjoy themselves and have a good time and that is all you can ask for. How e‑ver many they are, we plan to have a great and exciting time,” he added. (KC)
