Source:FunBarbados
Crop Over 2008 is now history and if we are to judge by the pronouncements of the Minister of Culture Steve Blackett and the Officials at the National Cultural Foundation (NCF), it was a resounding success. Some people may question what was the yardstick used to measure success; the Minister and his supporting cast seem to have used the fact that there was high people participation. While more people may have participated the BU household has some concerns.
Crop Over – the concept was promoted in the early days as a celebration by Barbadians to recognize a successful sugar cane harvest. Over the years it has evolved to a carnival. Despite the obvious shift from its early anchor BU remain married to the original concept. Crop Over should be used as the flagship event to lift the Barbados cultural experience. While we have no problem with experimenting with the festival’s core design, promoting the Bajan identity MUST remain the main plot.
We listened with interest to Dennis Johnson who continues to be one of the few genuine personalities on talk radio. He made the same point which we have made above. To paraphrase what he said, he talked about Barbadians diluting their ‘Bajanness’ in order to assimilate into other cultures. Barbadians seem to be blessed with a characteristic which says that if we have to surrender our ‘Bajanness’ to make others happy, so be it. The BU household is uncompromising in the view that if a nation is confused about its identity it will inevitably lead to dire consequences.We have identified the Crop Over festival as a critical activity to lift the Barbados cultural experience. It is the most significant festival on the cultural calendar; if it continues to be mis-handled with misplaced priorities it will have an everlasting impact on the Barbados landscape. Cultural development and expression are important to the well being of any nation. The politically motivated appointments in key positions in the cultural industry should be reviewed as a matter of urgency. While the fete element in Crop Over seems to be flourishing, we are concerned that the Bajan identity which originally branded the festival has receded in recent years.
We have to comment on the minor controversy caused by a Christian element deciding to participate in Crop Over activities. The Christians participation in the festival should be viewed as positive. Any opportunity to spread the word by preaching to sinners should be grasped. It is our sense that revellers maybe uncomfortable with the Christians participation because they represent the moral compass many have tossed in the rubbish heap. We applaud the Christians for taking a stance. We encourage them to continue to work at how they communicate with the public. Currently there is an ‘us them’ perception which maybe inhibiting their work; we expect this situation to change with time.
Culture can be defined as all the ways of life including arts, beliefs and institutions of a population that are passed down from generation to generation. Culture has been called “the way of life for an entire society.”[3] As such, it includes codes of manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, norms of behavior such as law and morality, and systems of belief as well as the art. Cultural anthropologists most commonly use the term “culture” to refer to the universal human capacity and activities to classify, codify and communicate their experiences materially and symbolically. Scholars have long viewed this capacity as a defining feature of humans (although some primatologists have identified aspects of culture such as learned tool making and use among humankind’s closest relatives in the animal kingdom) – Source: Wikipedia
Barbados Underground 
Crop-Over must be diversified a bit to attract others but we do not have to dilute the Bajan characteristics to do that. If that is attempted (which I suspect is in the minds of certain stakeholders) then we are in trouble. A Trinidadian, a Londoner, a Bahamian and a Jamaican want to come to Barbados during Crop-Over to experience a festival which is uniquely Barbadian.
How do you measure success in the absence of success criteria?
The National Cultural Foundation should be renamed The National Foundation for the Performing and Fine Arts (NFPFA).
Cropover needs to move to a new level. It has become just a big canival.The powers that be need to put their heads together and charter a new path. to made the transition they can have an old time cropover with plantation fairs ans street fairs, then move straight into the new concept.
@’anonymous’
Good question, what are the success factors. There was a forum organized by the previous government which brought stakeholders together. We gathered from that exercise a master plan was to be developed, presumably the critical success factors would have been identified. Any word on the outcome?
As an aside we remember a similar exercise coordinated by the former Minister of Tourism i.e. a Master Plan for Tourism, any word on that initiate?
David
New administration, new rules. This the lack of maturity that I’ve been posting about, little or no continuity, it was not our idea so throw it out.
The Independence day parade, through the eddoes, NCF big changes now that it seem heading on the right path, so many others. A change is good but it must be a change FOR THE GOOD.
For some of our members – who are business people – this just ended Crop Over season – would have been THE WORST that they would have experienced so far, commercially and financially speaking, since becoming business people in Barbados. Well, this morbid and awful chapter in their business lives has so far marked a significant departure away from, say, six and seven years ago, during those Crop Over seasons, when it used to be fairly certain that – for them – having a successful Crop Over season, commercially and financially, was to be the outcome, wheresoever they trading positions were in Barbados, and whatsoever items and services they were selling to their local customers.
Oh, how wonderful it used to be when the characteristic spirit, fever, merriment and commercial activity long associated with Crop Over – the second most important cultural festival on the national calender – and of course second only to Christmas – were altogether seen to be in fairly happy commode in helping to make Crop Over successful for these particular members of our party and, of course, too for their friends and associates who have been business people.
Oh, how propitious it was then for prevailing so-called macro- economic and financial conditions in the country to be so fairly favourable and conducive as to be seen making Crop Over good and spirited, money making wise and otherwise, for the business people of our party and their business colleagues. As well, any one properly listening to so many other business people and careful observers of things commercial at Crop Over time then, would have been told by those people that Crop Over was a commercial and financial success for very many small established business people in Bridgetown or in any other place in close proximity to certain established Crop Over events, for small ticket sellers and stall owners at particular Crop Over events, etc, mainly because that was the way how things really were and had tended to be ( and we dont know so much about the commercial and financial success of owners of tents, leaders and designers of bands, calypsonians, Crop Over music producers etc).
Of course, too, this same six and seven years ago at Crop Over time, would have meant that the business people in our party and of course many other business people in the country would have been engaging in very damn good business with huge throngs of visitors to the island and with multitudinous Bajan-Brits, Bajan-Yankees and other Bajans living elsewhere and their descendants coming here. This time around in this last 2008 Crop Over, the experience of our party’s business people and that of many other ( NOT ALL ) business people in Barbados, is that of having done very dastardly little business with these visitors and Bajan-Brits, Bajan-Yankees, etc. How sad!! Perhaps, times are also hard so-called economically and financially for them at home!!
But, the truth is that this last Crop Over has been made the WORST so far for many of our party’s members because of the alarmingly high cost of living and the high cost of doing business in the country and the general worsening of the so-called macro-economic and financial conditions in the country which would have altogether adversely affected the commercial and financial outcomes of so many of business people in the country and the broad masses and middle clases of people.
Finally, it is this wretched DLP Government and the last wicked BLP Government that would have outlandishly contributed to making this last Crop Over so commercially and financially disadvantageous for many business people in Barbados, and so unsatisfactory and displeasing for thousands upon thousands in the country, very much because of those backward Euro-centric Western-oriented policies and programs that they continue to pursue and institute in Barbados, to the detriment of the further growth and development of most of the different cultures, segments and sectors and their constituent ingredients in our society, and which for the umpteenth time have reached another stage of adversely affecting them in a very uniformed oppressive manner.
PDC
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wunna wanted a change in government
this DLP government aint saying a pang
no vision
no direction
cost of living gone up
unemployment gone up and continues to go up
me caan tek um
I WANT THE BLP BACK
I WANT THE DLP OUT
I WANT BACK OWEN
DOWN WITH THE DLP
What exactly is your problem Q?
…you miss the lotta theifing?
WHAT THEIFING
man stop telling lies pun de people
d DLP never thief ???
thief or not de country did running good
every time the BLP in power wunna does come wid lies like saying de people arrogant and they thief money—Damn Liared People (DLP) does do dah everytime and fool de electorate
Only 5000 paying patrons at de East Coast and dat stupid Minister talking bout success. Isnt that the same idiot that said black people and white people were on de same boat from Africa so why we dont stop nonsense bout black dis and black dat? And BU didnt even pick him up on that!
Dat’s de change Bajans voted for. Look at all de Ministers of Culture in de last 40 years compared to this idiot.
@Anonymous we can’t respond to every thing out there can we? We are just a little blog. Could you expand on the comment? Why don’t you agree with the Minister?
Pre 1960 sociologist would tell you that a society needs predictability in it’s institutions, laws, practices, behaviours, in order to guarantee an acceptable level of peace and happiness amongst it’s citizens. Protection of a society’s culture, language, and BORDERS is paramount to the preservation of law and order, and good will amongst it’s inhabitants. ……But such a “STATE OF SOCIETY” is against the livelihood of lawyers, economist, political scientist, and poll takers.
…..Is there a wide cross section of Barbadians that are united in their negative opinion of Barbados open immigration policy? Are they happy? is there some discontent on this issue?
It is obvious that the Crop Over Festival has lost its way. As a long-standing supporter of the festival, I have become disillusioned with the way things have gone. What, for instance, is the purpose of a party monarch competition in which the staple fare is a barrage of howls from would-be singers commanding us to raise a flag, wuk up and juck. Is this this stuff developmental?
Does the money spent on this event promote good Barbadian calypso music?
Do the lewd, simulated sexual gestures of the performers promote appropriate behaviour among our young people?
The answers to these questions in my opinion is NO.
Say what you like about Crop Over, some people reaping the sweets. Didn’t we just import a wuk up bunny from Trinidad to gyrate with naked girls at Cohobblopot and pay him 60 thousand dollars? ( or was it 80 thousand?)
Meanwhile the Minister of Finance is asking Barbadians to fork out more than 400 dollars in road tax every year because of the difficult times we are going through.
It’s a time of austerity for we the people of this country, but a government agency can find 60 thousand dollars to give to a wuk-up bunny for one night’s work!!!!
Whoa!!!!
Mr. Walrond although I agree with your well rounded and intelligent statement.
You cannot blame the young people since your generation have forgotten to teach our children the proper principles and morals from which to learn.
Is it our fault then sir! N.B. I have not disagreed agreed with your statement; however, East Coast didnt have pong and hard times hit me to bring the young persons and other individuals to East Coast. Hence this has caused me to conclude that our consciousness is very unconscious indeed!
I agree with Olutoye Walrond that “lewd, simulated sexual gestures of performers” DOES NOT “promote appropriate behaviour among our young people”.
I agree too that the staple fare of a barrage of howls from would-be singers commanding us to raise a flag, wuk up and juck is niether developmental or our culture.
Not only has the Crop Over Festival lost its way, but we also seem to have lost our way as a people. We no longer seem to know who we are. We threw away our colonial past after independence (which might be reasonable) to embrace American mores. THIS IS MADNESS!
When we try to reminisce about our pass- essentially our unique culture, a few join in, and some ridicule.
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J.C, I didn’t blame young people for anything. They are not the ones who organise these things and promote them. And yes: proper values and morals are taught in my household.
dont get on your high horses Mr. Walrond; I was never referring to you per say…… so forgive me if you think I was singling you out.
I was jus t trying to tellyou that because of the lack of principles that is why persons don’t know good Kaiso anymore. And have no value for anything! Everything is just tooooo easy to obtain!
I know you have morals just by your comments I know this!
Please read and understand my point and dont be so hasty!
I too set certain principles who knows probably some of our principles might rub off too others ya never know!
There are currently two festivals taking place. There is the official NCF Crop Over calendar which is the Official Festival and then there is the fringe which is managed by the public sector (the bands, band fetes, entertainment companies, etc.)
The NCF is mandated to protect the island’s culture and heritage and as such is not driven by profit. However, the fringe is driven by profit, so they concentrate on fetes, soca, and most of their efforts are geared towards the big Kadooment. This is where they sell a one-day fantasy experience, a disposable costume consisting a feathers, a bra, a panty and an underwear (mass production); booze and a good time…with lots of teaser parties leading up to the climax (no pun intended). This is actually quite a good business model.
The challenge is that the fringe has now outgrown the official festival and has pressured the NCF into making changes and moving away from its core values and principles. Hence, the NCF now feels it is necessary to compete with the fringe and convert Crop Over into another Carnival and/or privatize some of its events.
Of course the DLP yardfowls, bareneck chickens and cackling hens are also all over the place and looking for ways to make money so they too are behind the move to sell out the uniqueness of Crop Over for a quick buck.
There are currently two festivals taking place. There is the official NCF Crop Over calendar which is the Official Festival and then there is the fringe which is managed by the private sector (the bands, band fetes, entertainment companies, etc.)
The NCF is mandated to protect the island’s culture and heritage and as such is not driven by profit. However, the fringe is driven by profit, so they concentrate on fetes, soca, and most of their efforts are geared towards the big Kadooment. This is where they sell a one-day fantasy experience, a disposable costume consisting of feathers, a bra, a panty and an underwear (mass production); booze and a good time…with lots of teaser parties leading up to the climax (no pun intended). This is actually quite a good business model.
The challenge is that the fringe has now outgrown the official festival and has pressured the NCF into making changes and moving away from its core values and principles. Hence, the NCF now feels it is necessary to compete with the fringe and convert Crop Over into another Carnival and/or privatize some of its events.
Of course the DLP yardfowls, bareneck chickens and cackling hens are also all over the place and looking for ways to make money so they too are behind the move to sell out the uniqueness of Crop Over for a quick buck.
i have long lost interest in cropover, it’s just a mad canival that if not control and become like Brazil. It has NOTHING to do with the sugar crop andif that is the direction it is going the name should change.
Brazil has several carnivals. So what do you mean by “become like Brazil”? Rio’s carnival is spectacular and has meaning, thought, creativity and each Samba school has a theme and a samba song that’s written specifically for the “band”. The music is still very traditional and speaks to issues in the society. So if Crop Over were becoming like Rio’s carnival, then that would be a good thing. Unfortunately it’s becoming a watered down second rate unimaginative bacchanal.
As a wuk-up artist myself
wuk-up is something that I would have to have a say on. I have wukked-up on stage and elsewhere and I have written about wukking -up,
If you listen to the song -FATHER HARRY -(1990-) you will hear my views on wukking -up when I expressed in the song that wukking-up is part of our culture, our past and our future.
My friends what I am seeing today is not wukking -up for wukking -up is an art and what I am seeing is VULGARITY———plain and simple.
Furthermore I believed that it should be BANNED from exposure in public spaces and public places such as the stage for it has gone too far now. People should be arrested and charged for breaking the wuk-up /Vulgarity law
Asiba -The Buffalo Soldier say so
This is Asiba-The Buffalo Soldier the one and only , any other is counterfeit-(apologies to Ken Husbands , who is on the radio now talking to Reverend Errington Massiah who is just hilarious)
btw -Rev.Massiah taught me at school -man he used to beat bad -for nothing I might add
Well, we never HAD an identity…
We, in essence are an “artificial” society. It it the AMERINDIANS who were here first! What part of Barbados was ever real? Both white people & black people were BROUGHT here! All we have done was turn this place from “little England” to “little Montego Bay, Port of Spain, & Brooklyn, ” all in one! Come on! If you think, even REMOTELY, that Barbados EVER had a culture, think again!
We culture…all we’ve got is a dialect, and a not too pretty one at that!
We’re followers, not leaders! That’s because Barbados had the pick of the slave litter back in the 19th century. As the slave ships came in to port, all the plantation owners had to do was choose the most docile slaves, & they were good to go! This docility continues today, & this is why the Trinis & Jamaicans will ALWAYS be better…because they had SPIRIT! What do we have? A BUNCH OF BORING CALCULATORS! We may be able to crunch numbers pretty well, but anything else? Not really.
Has it come to this, that we Bajans have to speak of the successes of the “Caribbean?” Let me bet you, Jamaicans are saying that Bolt is a JAMAICAN, not a CARIBBEAN! The Trinis are saying that Thompson, who came second to Bolt, is a TRINIDADIAN, not a CARIBBEAN!
To continue…
To me, Bajans in the Olympics was a sham, because all we had there was “B” qualifiers!?!?! (I don’t care what people thought about our “front runners”…them running with injuries is just begging for an ending to their careers!) What the hell? I thought we had the strongest economy in the Caribbean! If this what we do with it…indulge in our own laziness? Are the people running this country a bunch of morons? The only person to take note of on a global stage is Rhianna…bless her for having connections & using them to boost her talents wisely! If more people did this, WE’D have a lot more things to be proud about, instead of being the party clowns of the “Caribbean”…because trust me, to the rest of the islands, that what we are!
Well, Well, Well…
Culture…HA HA HA HA HAAAAA!
(Rolls on the floor laughing…because I don’t believe in leetspeak!)