In a bold move, the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) and the Barbados Association of Masqueraders (BAM) have announced a significant shift in the upcoming Grand Kadooment Festival.
This year, party bands will no longer be judged.
Chief executive officer of the NCF Carol Roberts explained that the change stems from extensive discussions with BAM and independent bandleaders.
“The decision to not judge the party bands came through our discussions with the association of masqueraders and bandleaders of the independent bands as to how we could better make the route work, coming out of the lessons learned last year. And one of the challenges, not just last year but over a period of time, has been the smooth movement of the larger bands, which are predominantly party bands, where the reveller wants the experience more so than the presentation for judging.
Prize money
“And so we collectively agreed that the bands forego the judging process, and . . . we would take the aggregate of prize monies allocated for party band prizes and share it equally among all of the party bands so that they parade,” said Roberts.
Bryan Worrell, BAM president, elaborated on the back-up problems that plagued last year’s parade.
“There was a long stalled period of bands parading and leaving the starting point. This created back-ups, slowing the entire procession,” he said.
“To address this, we agreed that the party bands would forego judging so they can focus on the parade and the experience, rather than staging lengthy presentation routines. The change aims to streamline the procession, with plans to adjust truck set-ups and parade routes to facilitate faster movement,” Worrell noted. “We’re still working out the exact logistics of how bands will move off, but this is the second year using the new route and we’re making tweaks to improve the experience further. The bands moving off won’t be a first or last thing in terms of who is heritage or who is party. BAM has come up with a method but we don’t want to upstage the NCF as they need to review it first,” he added. While the traditional cash prizes for party bands have been eliminated, Worrell confirmed that the prize money has been redistributed as part of the subvention – $27 500 – up from $20 000 last year, to support the bands’ participation.
Changes
“The prize monies allocated for party bands are now shared among all participating bands,” he explained. Heritage bands remain eligible for $20 000 in prizes, maintaining the competition element for those categories. Chetwin Stewart of Power X Four,
one of the biggest party bands for the festival over the years, welcomed the changes. “The increased subvention helps us and the fact that we’re not judged means we can focus on giving revellers a good time without the stress of competition,” he said. Stewart added, “The party bands want the revellers to have a good time. They don’t want to be rushed down the road and you don’t want to get pulled off the road. We all agreed that last year’s delays and issues at the start weren’t ideal. These adjustments should make the parade smoother and more enjoyable for everyone. The party bands are on board. Nobody at the meeting said no to it.”
Adding a heartfelt note to this year’s festivities, the NCF announced that awards would be named after the late Gwyneth Squires, a revered designer and bandleader who dedicated over 30 years to the festival. Worrell described her as “a major contributor to Kadooment and the movement,” noting that her legacy would live on through the new awards.
Andrea Wells, NCF’s chief cultural officer, paid tribute to Squires’ enduring influence.
“Squires set a very high standard of masquerade during her years competing at the Crop Over Festival. Her presentations at both Junior and Grand Kadooment were highlights of those events and eagerly anticipated by lovers of mas’ each year,” she said.
“On her passing, in recognition of her sterling contribution to this art form, the NCF decided to honour her legacy by naming prizes for the Best Couple Overall in Junior Kadooment and the Best Individual Male And Female in Grand Kadooment in her memory.
“This was deemed fitting, as during her years of participation, she had won these categories of prizes more often than any other designer.”
The festival’s momentum continues to build, with 24 bands registered for Grand Kadooment and an encouraging influx of new and returning bandleaders.
Worrell expressed optimism: “Some of the older bandleaders are back and we’re seeing new blood too. This bodes well for the future of the festival.”
Additionally, Junior Kadooment has experienced an increase in participation, jumping from 20 bands last year to 30 registered this season. (NS)
