Crop Over Festival
In Barbados, the one annual party you don't want to miss is the Crop Over Festival. For five weeks every summer, Bajans gather to celebrate their culture, celebrate their heritage, and just simply celebrate.
Crop Over Then and Now
The festival's origins date back to the eighteenth century, when Barbados was the biggest producer of sugar cane in the world. Once the cane was all harvested, the island celebrated – the crop was over. Over the years, however, the importance of Barbados within the sugar industry, and the importance sugar cane plantations themselves, gradually declined. As the central importance of the crop declined, so too did the festival celebrating the end of the harvest.
In the 1940s, the Crop Over Festival stopped completely, but it didn't stay gone for long. The event had been so popular that its supporters, together with the Barbados Tourism Authority, brought it back in 1974. The revival of the Crop Over Festival triggered the revival of a few other Bajan festivals, including the Holetown Festival and the Oistins Fish Festival. Today's Crop Over Festival draws visitors from all around the world, not to mention all the native Bajans.
Party Music
One of the best parts of the festival is the authentic Caribbean music. The calypso performers are organized into “Calypso Tents”, each of which has a different group of performers playing live music throughout the festival. The tents are more than just a way to organise the musicians; the tents are competitive rings where the calypsonians battle for the title of the Calypso Monarch, the People's Monarch, the Party Monarch, and other recognitions.
In addition to calypso, other forms of music from the islands, including soca music and reggae, can be heard from some of the Caribbean's most highly acclaimed artists. Much of the music is dancehall party music, but other artists provide thoughtful social and political commentary in the form of song. At any rate, for any aficionado of Caribbean music, the Crop Over Festival is a must-see event.
Bridgetown Market Street Fair
Meanwhile, in the capital city of Bridgetown, a “sub-festival” of Crop Over occurs the last week in July. At the Bridgetown Market Street Fair, there's also calypso music lacing the air, but the main contest here is cooking. Cooks engage in competitions to see who can whip up the best traditional Bajan dishes, and other vendors sell all sorts of arts and crafts.
Beginning to End
The Crop Over Festival begins with the Ceremonial Delivery of the Last Canes, in which the last sugar canes cut of the season are handed in. Then, the King and Queen of the Festival are named. The king is the most productive male sugar cane cutter, and the queen is the most productive female cutter.
After weeks of vendors, music competitions, and other fun and games, the party ends with the Grand Kadooment. The Grand Kadooment is a carnival parade, featuring traditional dancing, big marching bands, and very elaborate costumes. At the end of the Grand Kadooment, a Designer of the Year is named for the best costume of all. The parade ends in Spring Garden, but the party doesn't stop there. Once in the garden, the festival ends with a grand finale of dance, drink, music, and food, along with a dip in the warm waters of the nearby Caribbean.
There's also a Kiddies Kadooment, in which younger revelers compete, parading with their own costumes and music. Not to be outdone by the adults, the kids also have Junior Calypso Tents throughout the festival, first introduced in 2002. Some of the participants have gone on to become adult calypso performers, and, just like the grown-ups, the kids compete for the title of Junior Calypso Monarch. Ranging in age from eight to eighteen, the talented young Bajans are an impressive sight to see.
If you're planning a visit to Barbados anyway, try to time your visit to enjoy the incredible Crop Over Festival. You certainly will not be disappointed.
