Festivals are the living expression of our creative, imaginative people.
These cultural extravaganzas reflect the dynamism of our local culture.
Over the years street festivals have become an art form in Barbados and
some of the best occur in St. Michael.
Today calypso is an integral part of the Crop Over festival, with the
Pic-O-De-Crop Calypso Monarch Competition being one of the
most popular events. During the Crop Over season, numerous calypso tents
perform several times weekly and performers compete for a place in the
Calypso Monarch finals.
The enthusiasm of Barbados' young calypsonians ensures that the future
of calypso in Barbados is secure. The Junior Calypso Monarch competition,
serves as an excellent training ground for the calypsonians of the future.
This is a truly unique Barbadian celebration Created from the marriage
of the English Harvest Festival and the West African Yam Festival, Crop
Over is a coming together of these two great cultures.
It was originally held on the sugar plantations and involved the celebration
of the end of harvesting of the sugar crop. The plantation labourers would
bring the last load of sugar canes to the mill, followed by a procession
of workers with exotically decorated animal carts. An effigy was made
out of cane trash, representing the hard times faced when sugar cane was
not in season.
The official beginning of the festival was when the plantation owner was
thanked for being the host of the festival. Food was a plenty and drink
flowed freely and there was a riot of folk song, (original calypso music),
traditional tuk-band music and dancing.
In the 1940's, due to the war, it was discontinued but the people longed
for their traditional form of celebration and finally Crop Over was revived
in the 1970's. From simple beginnings it has grown to a massive festival
requiring many months of preparation. Commencing late June and lasting for
five weeks, Crop Over's main features are calypso music, flamboyant costumes
and a carnival spirit that infects the entire island. Street jump -ups with
tuk-music and stilt walking, vendors with a fantastic selection of food
and drink, calypso tents offering a great evening's entertainment: in short
... plenty of fun for all!
The festival starts with the Ceremonial Delivery of the Last Canes, delivered
in a brightly coloured donkey cart. Calypso competitions climax at The Pic-O-De-Crop
finals with the crowning of the calypso king or queen. The grand finale
is Kadooment Day which starts at the National Stadium where the various
bands parade before the judges. Here the fabulous array of Carnival costumes
creates a riot of colour as band members dance to their favourite calypso
in front of the packed stadium. The procession then heads down to Spring
Garden Highway, where it can only be described as a frenzy of activity and
joyous celebration, in other words, a big ?wuk-up?! Over the years Crop
Over has contributed to increased arrivals during the traditionally 'slow'
summer months, as visitors, and Barbadians living overseas, travel from
all over the world to join in this fun filled festival.
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The festival starts with the Ceremonial Delivery of the Last Canes, delivered
in a brightly coloured donkey cart. Calypso competitions climax at The Pic-O-De-Crop
finals with the crowning of the calypso king or queen. The grand finale
is Kadooment Day which starts at the National Stadium where the various
bands parade before the judges. Here the fabulous array of Carnival costumes
creates a riot of colour as band members dance to their favourite calypso
in front of the packed stadium. The procession then heads down to Spring
Garden Highway, where it can only be described as a frenzy of activity and
joyous celebration, in other words, a big ?wuk-up?! Over the years Crop
Over has contributed to increased arrivals during the traditionally 'slow'
summer months, as visitors, and Barbadians living overseas, travel from
all over the world to join in this fun filled festival. 
