CROP-OVER kicks into a higher gear today with a number of activities to keep people going this penultimate weekend of the festival.The popular pork lime, which has been attracting huge crowds to the Wildey Sports ground all season continues at 5 p.m.All roads lead to the National Stadium tonight for the Banks/LIME Pic-O-De-Crop Semi-finals. Seven monarchs with about 21 titles among them are among the 18 vying for a place in next week’s finals, where they will meet defending monarch Red Plastic Bag, who is trying to land his tenth calypso title.After the 36th song has been delivered, patrons who don’t want to stay around for the announcement of the finalists may opt to go to Soca Titans dual album launch party at the BTI car park, Bridgetown, which kicks off at 9 p.m. Acts include soca champions out of Trinidad JW & Blaze, Skinny Fabulous of St Vincent, Konshens of Jamaica and Edwin, Li’l Rick, Rupee and Alison Hinds of Barbados.Brewster’s Road Crew’s 24- hour fete will liven up the Harbour Road from around 3 a.m. tomorrow and goes straight through to 3 a.m. the following day. Look out for live performances from krosfyah, Soca Kartel, TC, Natahlee, Grynner, Black Stalin, KMC, Mr Dale, Alan Shepherd of Spice and Company, Rupee and several others.Crop-Over is for all ages and the Barbados Association of Retired Persons is “getting in the do” once again. The likes of Red Plastic Bag, Queen T and Ras Iley will be providing live entertainment at the Extravanganza and Day Fete at Ilaro Court tomorrow afternoon.The junior participants in the festival will get their moment in the spotlight at 2 p.m. at the National Stadium tomorrow. Activities start with the Junior Kadooment followed immediately by the Scotiabank Junior Calypso Monarch where eight finalists in the younger category will compete for top honours, while seven in the 13 – 18 category will try to take the crown from defending champ Anita AC Charles.The showdown of the weekend is expected to be the three competitions, which make up Soca Royale, on Sunday at Bushy Park from 11 a.m. All gates will the be thrown open to the thousands expected in the East for the Sweet Soca competition at 1:30 p.m. That will be followed by the Party Monarch and climaxes with the clash of the champions of the two contests. The winner will drive home a spanking new fully-loaded red Kia.
(YB)
