GRAND KADOOMENT bandleader, designer and masquerader Betty West is inviting visitors to Barbados for Crop Over.
And everyone is invited to be part of her 400-strong Grand Kadooment band called Welcome To My Island.
West, known for her sexy yet tastefully laid out costumes, will be concentrating solely this year on an adult band because of sponsorship limitations but there will be no cheating on the revellers’ experience on the road come Grand Kadooment Day, August 7.
“This is 26 years for Betty. I love the culture, but there will be no junior band this year. I am very sad about that. I love my kiddies but because of the financial problems . . . ,” she said.
West said that she did not want to give away too many details at this stage but her band will feature seven sections depicting the cultural attractions of seven countries – United States, England, Canada, Germany, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Guyana.
“People were coming to Barbados for the sea and sun, but now they are coming for Crop Over to participate. Last year 40 per cent of my people [revellers] were from overseas . . . . I have a very strong theme and we are going to market it very strongly,” said West. (JS)
