In
for crop-over. This is the las' lap for Crop-Over, and yesterday scores
of people arrived at Grantley Adams International Airport to catch the
fever, which should be at it highest by Kadooment Day, Monday. These four
"independent ladies" (from left) Y'vonne Abrahams, Kelly Griffith,
Pamela Sobers and Anesha Archibald from Trinidad and Tobago, plan to "go
to all parties" until they leave on Tuesday. The Trini lasses got
a warm Bajan welcome from three stiltmen who entertained everyone outside
the arrival hall.
by RICKY JORDAN
OVER 10 000 costumed revellers will take the National Stadium by storm
on Kadooment morning Monday, creating the largest turnout of masqueraders
in the history of Crop-Over.
According to Grand Kadooment co-ordinator Ashanti Trotman, this number
was the largest he has seen in his 16 years of working with the festival;
while chairman of the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) Al Gilkes, who
was part of the committee that started the festival 31 years ago, said
it would arguably be the biggest mas'.
Costumed bands yesterday reported they were for the most part sold out,
including Baje International and Power X 4 which each boasted over 1 500
revellers.
"It's remarkable really. Bands have been selling out within a week
of being launched, which is unusual. The response has been fabulous. Maybe
because it was controversial and low-keyed last year and people now probably
want to make up for that," said Kathy Davis, organiser with Power
X 4.
Perennial winner Gwyneth Squires also noted she had to make more costumes
than originally planned, since her numbers had risen to 522 for her band
Paradise Lost.
Stating the turnout had resulted from a combination of factors, Gilkes
said people who were turned off last year now seemed to be turned on.
"The large turnouts at fêtes have been unbelievable, plus a
lot of Trinis and Jamaicans have joined bands as a result of the Follow
Me To Crop-Over campaign. People used to attend mainly NCF-sponsored events
but are now going to everything," he said.
Gilkes also noted that younger "party animals", whom he dubbed
the Crop-Over generation, had been born after the festival started and
therefore saw
it as their own.
Trotman said about half of the 22 bands contained over 450 revellers,
which itself showed increases in individual bands.
Noting that they should assemble by the stadium's Nova Scotia Gate at
7:30 a.m. Monday for the nine o' clock start, Trotman urged non-costumed
revellers not to intrude into the bands.
"Intrusion can result in you being fined $5 000 or confined,"
he stated.
The order of bands is: Walk Holy, Blue Box Cart, Extreme Island Safari,
Bajan Events, Evolution/Cable & Wireless, Paradise Lost, Refugees,
Power X 4, Radical, Berger Boyz, Campus Unity, Bajana, Plan B Production,
Wednesday 2000, De St Andrew Bashment Crew, Renegades, Triple Force, Blue
Ice Entertainment, Baje International, Outrage, Vision 20/20, Legend of
Rachel Pringle, and One Big Family.
In
for crop-over. This is the las' lap for Crop-Over, and yesterday scores
of people arrived at Grantley Adams International Airport to catch the
fever, which should be at it highest by Kadooment Day, Monday. These four
"independent ladies" (from left) Y'vonne Abrahams, Kelly Griffith,
Pamela Sobers and Anesha Archibald from Trinidad and Tobago, plan to "go
to all parties" until they leave on Tuesday. The Trini lasses got
a warm Bajan welcome from three stiltmen who entertained everyone outside
the arrival hall.
