SOME BANDLEADERS are tired of the same thing over and over for Foreday Morning jam, but they are willing to conform to regulations for the fastest growing event of the Sweetest Summer Festival.
At least two of the bandleaders who spoke to the SUNDAY SUN said their bands had already been launched and sketches drawn, but they were ready to go back to the drawing board.
Still fuming from the proposed change from the traditional Friday night after Pic-O-De-Crop Finals to Saturday, emotions ran high towards the end of the week, when bands got wind of a set of regulations for Foreday Morning costumes that are aimed at keeping the “mud mas” separate from Grand Kadooment.
Even though they were to learn that the rules circulating on Facebook and other social media did not reflect the contents of the draft proposals from producer, the National Cultural Foundation (NCF), people took issue to the exclusion of beads, feathers and decorative pieces which the NCF felt would give Foreday Morning the appearance of “Kadooment at night”.
Creative director for Spektrum, Jherad Alleyne said while it might just be a coincidence, Foreday Morning had grown with the involvement of younger people coming out to play J’ouvert and brought a slight change to the traditional T-shirts.
While not advocating that all the old things associated with Foreday Morning and the other activities be stamped out, Alleyne said Crop Over needed revamping and the regulations were too strict. He said it was not enough to say “this is what it has always been”.
“I see Crop Over as being branded as one of the greatest festivals and it needs to change. We don’t have to follow what is happening everywhere else . . . Barbados needs to go its own way,” stated Alleyne.
Having said that, Alleyne said Spektrum would stick to the rules as laid out by the NCF and see what they could do creatively.
Also heading back to the drawing board is Rumatology. Bandleader Danielle Prescod said they would go back and look at the designs that did not conform to the rules and change them.
“I think it’s good they made a stance . . . . They made a decision; those who want to be a part will abide,” Prescod said.
Mas Invasion will not have such a headache. Bandleader Kennifer Marius said they promoted sexy, but conservative fun.
Marius said they catered to several full-figured and mature women and they “don’t do swimsuits”.
She said while they offered an alternative to T-shirts, they did not incorporate beads and the like in their designs, which were done with comfort in mind.
