Grand Kadooment 2023 – High marks for Crop Over Festival

As the curtains came down on the annual Crop Over festival on Monday night with the Grand Kadooment jump from Warrens to the Mighty Grynner Highway, stakeholders have given the season a passing grade.

This assessment came, even as law enforcement officials and representatives from the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) – organisers of the festival – were said to be locked in a meeting following a shooting incident along a section of the route late Monday evening.

Following a morning of intermittent showers, revellers and onlookers enjoyed an evening of grand spectacle along the stretch of the Mighty Grynner Highway as the costume bands made their way there. The first band arrived at the location just after 1 p.m., following a delayed start in Warrens.

Hours before the bands made their way to the Mighty Grynner Highway, thousands of spectators gathered at every possible vantage point, with many of them gyrating to the sounds of old and new music being played from sound systems at various stalls.

Former Soca Monarch champion and well-known calypsonian Michael Mikey Mercer told Barbados TODAY the return of  Kadooment to its original route was a plus, with noticeably a lot more spectators coming to see the bands.

“I think it was an amazing comeback. As you know, we were kind of tentative from last year. The crowd that came out to watch the revellers in the band was phenomenal and we had some fantastic music. I would give this an eight out of ten,” said Mercer.

Last year, after a two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Grand Kadooment jump was done from Warrens to the Bussa roundabout in Haggatt Hall and back down the highway to Hothersal Turning and onto the National Botanical Garden.

This led to an outcry from some stakeholders who insisted that the jump return to the Warrens to Mighty Grynner Highway this year, a wish that was granted.

Some revellers said they were happy with the outcome of the festival, adding that they were pleased overall with Grand Kadooment despite the long wait for bands to reach the Mighty Grynner Highway.

“I had an awesome time. This was my first Crop Over and I had a blast,” said Sheena Brathwaite.

“I think overall, Crop Over this season was very interesting and I can see that a lot of the events were well attended. Patrons came out and supported and this is good. I would say Crop Over this year was a success in terms of the production. So all we can do now is build and make it stronger and better,” exclaimed one long-time reveller who would only give her name as Marcia.

However, she complained about the time the bands were taking to complete the route.

“They are taking too long,” she said.

“I am happy to be back out and be back on the old route, but this happens every year where they take forever to get here [on the Mighty Grynner Highway]. The bands should leave with just the quarter of revellers if that is what they have at the start in order to avoid the delays and noticeably long gaps. But overall, I would give the Crop Over a pass,” said Marcia.

Meanwhile, an elated Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) Ryan Forde told Barbados TODAY that he too, was satisfied with the overall Crop Over production.

Quoting Stiffy’s song for 2023 I am Blessed, Forde said “like the rhythm in Stiffy’s song, it is blessed. It is good to be back to see the culture with everybody outside again. Locals and visitors are just enjoying themselves, loving the culture and the vibes. So it is good to be back and see the vibrancy and friendliness again”.

With several first time visitors expressing deep appreciation for the festival and a willingness to return to future Crop Over festivals, Forde said he was encouraging prospective visitors to also make the decision to put the annual festival on their to-do list. 

“Once you take the risk and you enjoy your first time you will love it and you will never stop coming because apart from Crop Over, we have so much more to offer – from attractions, accommodations and the best thing, the people and the food. There is so much vibrancy,” he said.

Some 24 bands were expected to complete the Grand Kadooment jump up this year, with a total of about 12, 000 revellers.

However, following a shooting incident along the Black Rock main road in St Michael, some bands were diverted after about nine of the bands had passed that location.

Police confirmed that a female received an injury to a leg and that one man was taken into custody as they continued their investigations.

NCF officials are expected to give an assessment of the festival this week. marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb