Formal survey to determine Grand Kadooment route

Barbadians will have a say on the route Grand Kadooment revellers will take for Crop Over 2023.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Senator Dr Shantal Munro-Knight today announced that all stakeholders in the Crop Over Festival would be given an opportunity, through the use of a survey, to share their views on the new route.

Her announcement has garnered some general support from key stakeholders, though president of the Entertainment Association of Barbados (EAB) Rudy Maloney said he hopes the views of those with a stake in the festival are not overshadowed by the views of those who have no interest in the activity.

Speaking during a press conference at the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) this morning, Dr Munro-Knight said based on the feedback from the online survey, a decision on the route for next year would be made by the end of the year.

“Immediately after this press conference we will be releasing a survey to the public that will ask the public to input on the new route for Crop Over for 2023. That survey will target three audiences; the actual masqueraders who would have paraded on the day, it will target as well vendors, as well as Barbadians who would have participated.

“So that Barbadians, masqueraders, vendors can have a say in terms of that new route,” Dr Munro-Knight said.

For the first time this year, revellers jumped along the ABC Highway from Warrens to Haggatt Hall before returning to the National Botanical Gardens instead of the traditional trek from the National Stadium to the Mighty Grynner Highway via Station Hill, Bank Hall and Black Rock.

There had been mixed reviews from masqueraders, vendors and spectators regarding the new route, with some saying it provided more spacing and better viewpoints while others called for a return to the old route.

Dr Munro-Knight explained, “Now of course that would be buttressed by other conversations that will happen. I know that the NCF has already been talking as well to the bandleaders to get their input, so there will be a multiplicity of inputs that will go into it, but certainly we will hear from the public in relation to how we go forward with the new Crop Over route for 2023.”

Dr Munro-Knight disclosed that the entire process was expected to last around three months.

She said once that was completed Barbadians should know what route would be used by the end of November.

“I think that we had agreed that the survey would be out for about three weeks and then of course we have to be able to collate the information from the survey so that gives us let’s say until at least the middle of September. But what we are hoping is that by the middle of November we will be able to come back to the public, after of course we’ve had the Cabinet’s approval, to be able to say this is what Crop Over 2023 will look like,” Dr Munro-Knight said.

Veteran bandleader Chetwyn Stewart told Barbados TODAY he was in full agreement with the use of a survey to determine a route, adding that any route chosen should have at least 80 per cent support of stakeholders.

Stewart, who has over 25 years’ experience as a bandleader, said for the festival to be successful it had to benefit everyone.

“I totally agree with that. The route must have at least 80 per cent of the people for it. Grand Kadooment is not only about bandleaders and revellers,” Stewart said.

“You need to get the people involved. Everybody must be involved and everybody must do well for Crop Over to do well, not just the bandleaders. They have people who sell at the side of the road, they have people who make money from Grand Kadooment.

“You cannot have a route that only 50 per cent of the people are for it. I’m not crying down a route in particular, I’m just saying you cannot have a route that only 50 per cent of people want,” he maintained.

However, president of the Entertainment Association of Barbados (EAB) Rudy Maloney, said while he did not mind the decision to use a survey, he hoped the views of the main stakeholders were not lost.

“Once the survey reaches the people that matter, that is the key, because sometimes people that don’t jump the route, that don’t have any interest and are not involved are the persons who would do the surveys and it would not be a true reflection of identifying the route,” Maloney said.

“The revellers, the people who jump are some of the key people who the route will affect. The key stakeholders like the artistes, the deejays, even some of the people that are concessionaires, those are the people whose inputs are most important.”

Minister Munro-Knight said discussions would also be held regarding Junior Kadooment. While the event was not held during Crop Over this year, she said it would be determined if it would return for the 2023 Festival.

“Right now we’re reviewing the entirety of the festival and some of that review is ongoing so I wouldn’t want to speak on what’s coming and what’s not coming until we’ve had the opportunity to engage the full slate of stakeholders that are important to deciding what will and will not take place,” Dr Munro-Knight said.

When contacted, president of the Barbados Masqueraders Association, Anthony Layne told Barbados TODAY he would first meet with his members before commenting.

randybennett@barbadostoday.bb