Barbados is revving up for the climax of its largest annual cultural festival, Crop Over 2008.
Steel bands on foot and on trucks, playing the latest calypsos, brought new life to shopping in the Barbados capital, Bridgetown on July 18th, 2008, when the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) staged the 2008 version of Pan in de City. The colourful steel bands, from Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, roamed the city, creating a festive atmosphere for all within earshot.
July 25th, 2008 will see the semi-finals of the annual Pic-o-de-Crop calypso competition. Nineteen calypsonians will vie for a place in the finals, to dethrone last year's "King", Red Plastic Bag. Winner of the finals will pocket $22,000.
Flying in to spice up the 2008 festival with a big all-inclusive show on July 26th, 2008 will be Trinidad A-listers David Rudder and Machel Montano. They will team up with Barbados top band Krosfyah and others for what the promoters promise will be an "electrifying line up of the Caribbean's hottest soca performers", plus food and drink all night.
Nineteen performers have been picked for the 2008 open air Party Monarch Finals to take place in the hills on the scenic Barbados east Coast on July 27. The contenders will be seeking to dethrone last year's 4-time winner, Li'l Rick, who took home $22,000.
This is usually one of the best attended shows of the festival. In 2007 about 15,000 party lovers took advantage of a picture-perfect Sunday to be part of the picnic-style Party Monarch Final at what is now known as the Calypso Bowl. Besides many hours of lively calypso music, there is usually plenty of food and drink.
For Barbados the following long holiday weekend will see the climax of the 2008 Crop Over Festival. August 3rd, 2008 is the date for Cohobblopot, an extensive show of music, dance, drama and comedy featuring acts from Barbados and other Caribbean countries. The venue: the modernized Kensington Oval, just outside of Bridgetown.
Featured acts include local calypsonians Gabby, Red Plastic Bag, Grynner and Kid Site, Trinidad's David Rudder and Machel Montano, plus Rupee, Kimberley and a range of others.
The curtain comes down on Crop Over 2008 on August 4th, 2008 bank holiday, with Grand Kadooment, a day-long fete on the streets by costumed revellers.
The costumed bands, depicting various themes, will first parade to music before the festival judges at the National Stadium, before hitting the road following two designated routes.
The street parade ends in a massive street party on the Spring Garden Highway, just outside of the capital. |
