It was a Saturday evening just after nine when one stumbled on the fanfare at Dover Beach, Christ Church, where dozens of locals and visitors brought merriment to the space at the beachside opposite the Dover playing field.
The sounds of sweet steel pan filled the air. The pannist was none other than Anderson Ward, also known as Mr Impact.
He explained that he was no stranger to steel pan music since his father was a pannist. He took up this instrument at the age of five years under the watchful eye of his father. At 19 he was part of an outfit playing pan in the Bridgetown Port for cruise ship passengers. He also travelled overseas to perform in Germany, Brazil, Sweden and Miami.
Mr Impact soon turned his attention to singing as he showed the silky quality of his voice through a range of selections from calypso to reggae, pop, and even country and western.
The mixed crowd sitting primarily under a tent in front of the Shak Bar & Grill gravitated to the floor and even sought to engage a willing
Mr Impact, who humoured them with his showmanship honed by years of performing at various levels, including at the National Stadium and Kensington Oval in the Pic-O-De-Crop Finals.
As the scent of the meats on the grill wafted across the courtyard, limbo queen Cheryl Grazette then took centre stage. Lithe and energetic, Grazette, who has been limbo dancing for 28 years, rhythmically worked her way under a bar from as high as four feet down to less than a foot, much to the delight of the crowd.
Soon some of the folks would venture to try similar feats. Some barely made it under the bar at four feet. Only one person was able to complete the task with any measure of dexterity. The crowd loved it.
Grazette then dared to complete her task under a fiery rod.
She has showcased her talent in other parts of the world, including Spain, China, Canada, and United States, officially representing this country at expos and other cultural promotions.
Peter Dear, who was coordinating the cultural expose for the operator of the Shak Bar & Grill, Gillian Gonzalves, said it was done to highlight Barbadian culture to visitors and locals.
“We need these kinds of shows to promote Bajan culture. At other times we also have a tuk band and the Landship performing here,” Peter added.
It was indeed A Slice Of Bajan Life!
