De Barbados Public Workers Co-operative Credit Union Ltd Big Show gave Barbadians and a few tourists a taste of what it is offering for the Crop Over Festival when it launched on Saturday night at Hilton Barbados.
Some legends, veteran and emerging calypsonians and soca artistes filled the air around the pool and beachside restaurant at Needham’s Point with the sweet songs of calypso and soca ranging from classics to new releases, delighting individuals attending the event the tent’s management billed as launch day.
Among them was Mighty Grynner who sang timeless favourite Leggo I Hand and Cultural Ambassador The Most Honourable, Anthony Mighty Gabby Carter, who sang his Boots which was once banned from airwaves. While the road march king after whom The Mighty Grynner Highway is named, is among the tent’s cast, Mighty Gabby will be a guest performer during the season at the tent based at lecture theatre 1 at the Roy Marshall Teaching Complex, The University of the West Indies’ Cave Hill Campus.
The addition of two new members of the cast and the dates of the shows and their venues were announced by chairman of the tent Hallam Nicholls, who also gave their line up for this year’s Crop Over Festival which officially starts on July 5 and ends on August 5.
De Big Show will pitch six nights this year starting on Saturday at LT1 at The University of the West Indies and continue every Saturday in this month.
There is “a very special show” on July 6 at Sandals Resort and another show on July 12 before their Pic-O-De-Crop contenders face the judges on July 22 at Wildey Gymnasium.
“This year we have two new additions to the tent Ranaan and Sakarah, two very young persons, and I’m sure they’re going to make a tremendous impact on what we present to you,” said Nicholls.
The cast comprises 2024 Pic-O-De-Crop monarch Adrian Clarke, 2023 monarch iWeb, 2024 Pic-O-De-Crop finalists Chrystal Cummins-Beckles, Tae, and Biggie Irie as well as Mr Blood, Mistah Dale, Natahlee, Skung Yung, Ishiaka McNeil, Mary E., Mikey and 2025 junior monarch semi-finalist Bit Bit.
Calypso stalwarts The Most Honourable Stedson Red Plastic Bag Wiltshire, Pompey, and Serenader will be guest performers during the season.
Nicholls told the audience which included Minister of Educational Transformation Chad Blackman, representatives from sponsors, music executives, and calypso lovers that it was not a night for speeches.
The relaxed atmosphere was perfect and conducive to people chatting and mingling with each other and the entertainers, snapping photos with their favourite calypsonians, and eating the food and sipping drinks sold by the resort.
Some performers opted to their 2025 tunes, and others sang their popular songs of Crop Overs past. Among them were Classic, Chrystal Cummins-Beckles, Mr Blood, Biggie Irie, iWeb, Natahlee, Tae, Sakarah, B. Moore Specific, Skung Yung, Super Blue, who was performing at Ras Iley’s show later that night and Mikey who brought the event to a close with his Feting Family and teased with his 2025 soca tune Doctor’s Orders.
After MC Kirk Brown thanked everyone for coming, DJ Dash closed out the event with a few popular tunes to keep the vibes going as people made their way out of the St Michael locale. (GBM)
