Vibrant and outspoken veteran bandleader Betty West is celebrating 20 years on the Crop Over scene. Easy magazine sits down with her as she reflects on the ups and downs.
Watching Betty West saunter into the Accra Beach Hotel and Spa sporting a red tank top, jeans and a healthy dose of self-confidence, one could easily mistake her for a woman years younger than the 68-year-old phenom she has become.
Though signs of the years have become a tad more visibly etched in her face, one thing age has not done is conquered the vibrant spirit of the former fashion model turned mas’ costume designer. The former French Guadeloupe native who has adopted Barbados and everything about it as her home, Betty has become a cultural icon for her 20-year contribution to Crop Over.
For many women, she has also become a poster child for aging gracefully and maintaining sex appeal.
For a woman who has lived and worked in Britain, Germany and Barbados after marrying quite young in life, she has brought a varied and often rich world view to her work and life.
“We all have a talent from God,” says Betty. “I haven’t been anywhere to formally learn how to make costumes . . . it was something that came naturally. My mother always said I was a dreamer and I dream these things out and try to bring them alive.”
Perhaps her mother was onto something, because every year Betty brings a new creative flair and sense of artistry to her costumes. This year her theme “Old Bajan Remedies” was showcased on Kadooment Day.
“This year because of the recession it was very difficult for me because sponsorship was down. Superior Plastics, one of my sponsors, was very good to me and they told me, ‘Betty, you have to come this year because you have a good theme’,” she said. “I made a decision this year not to come with any feathers and to be different, and to portray my theme within the band.
“Because of limited financial resources a lot of my local people didn’t jump, but out of nowhere – the last week – so many overseas people joined up on the website. We had 370 join up in the band and had a wonderful time, so all in all it turned out very well.”
Though Betty is quick to add that she hasn’t gained monetary riches from her work in Crop Over, she has become richer personally and socially from the experience.
“This year for Junior Kadooment I did well and was beaten, but I was pleased to see that Junior Kadooment for this year has gone a touch higher,” Betty added. “The involvement with the schools is really brilliant.”
Betty, whose theme for Junior Kadooment was “My Favourite Stories”, was pleased with the schools involvement and she plans to offer her services to volunteer and mentor in the schools to help carry on the Crop Over tradition.
“God willing, I’ll be doing this for another five years,” she says. “But I’m not about the money or getting rich from this. People see you win something but they don’t realize the expenses you have with security and other things. But it’s all for the love of the festival.”
What is even more remarkable about Betty is that she has managed to work in Crop Over through the years and raise three children who now have children of their own. But it’s the fact that she’s made great strides in the profession and costume creation while battling Parkinson’s, a disease she was diagnosed with at the age of 24.
“Occasionally you’ll see my head shake or see me blink a lot, but I try to control it,” she said. “It’s the type of thing that tends to get worse with age. You know you hear people talk about aging gracefully but I don’t believe in that. Getting old can be very hard. I’m the sort of person that I don’t want to be dependent on anyone. I don’t want to have anyone clean me up or anything, so I try to take care of myself.
“I know that if I don’t eat by a certain time or if I get too excited or too angry it will come on and my hands will shake a lot. I can’t do things like thread needles. I was diagnosed very young, my husband was actually the one who picked it up and initially I was told they were tremours and it was temporary, but it isn’t.”
Because of that, Betty has tried to make the necessary adjustments in terms of stress and even dealing with her body. She also suffers from tinnitis or ringing in the ear which she also lives with.
“People now think I’m left-handed because I’ve trained myself to use my left hand when I found out the right hand was shaking more,” she said. “I think we all have control of ourselves and I think in everything in life is determination and I’m determined to survive and keep my youth for as long as possible.”