EDITORIAL – Crop-Over success

THIS FOUR-DAY WEEKEND will see the climax to what seems to be a successful Crop-Over 2010.Our conclusion is based on the positive news revealed so far on the different aspects of the festival. For starters, there are no controversies – real, imagined or contrived – raging.Of course, there has been a lot of talk such as bandleaders’ displeasure with the longer route; the switching of the Pic-O-De-Crop semi-finals from the Wildey Gymnasium back to the National Stadium; TC’s no-show for the Soca Royale clash citing fears for her safety, and calypsonians’ views on that competition; and Kid Site’s stance on the Pic-O-De-Crop.But, thankfully, there have been no threats of boycotts, or disputes over prize money or increased appearance fees. Just as important, there have been few reports of bad behaviour and violence though many events organised by the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) and entrepreneurs were well attended. And, though we have no statistics on arrivals, people have been flying into the country for the festival, especially for this weekend’s grand finale.The success achieved to date must be attributed to the NCF’s organisation of the festival. We must never take for granted the massive amount of work required to plan and execute a series of public events of the magnitude of the Pic-O-De-Crop, Foreday Morning, Grand Kadooment, Soca Royale, Cohobblopot, Bridgetown Market, Kiddies Kadooment, Junior Monarch and other events that take place in a three-week period.Now, while no controversy has disturbed the peace of our festival so far this year, we are not yet home free.Music, sunshine and drinks can combine to make a pretty unruly spectacle of our public conduct, especially on a day like Kadooment Day. It is important for the preservation of law and order in our country and our reputation as hosts that we should be on our best behaviour. We particularly exhort bystanders not to break into the ranks of the parading bands and ‘rub up’ on revellers. Such behaviour can only lead to confusion and cause tempers to flare. If you didn’t sign up for a band and bought a costume, then you should stay on the sidelines. Here we urge revellers to control the level of “wukking-up” and to keep it as decent as possible. It is this restraint that should be our watchword for the entire weekend.That said, we must express our concern about the level of “wukking-up” that permeates every aspect of Crop-Over and the way we dance in general.Gyrations like “wukking up”, though popular, are simulations of sex, as some have said. Such behaviour is not an expression of our identity, and should definitely not define what our largest national cultural event is about.Crop-Over is supposed to showcase Barbados’ cultural diversity and we would like to see more of this and less of the lewd gyrations.As a people we should strive to lift the image of this festival and stamp Barbados’ uniqueness on it, thereby differentiating it from the abundance of carnivals in the region and ensuring Crop-Over’s continued attractiveness.