2019 Crop Over has started its long climate starting with Pic-o-de-Crop Finals last night – Classic won – followed by Foreday Morning Jam. Today will be the street fair Bridgetown Market on the Mighty Gryner Highway and street party Kadooment on Monday.
Thousands of Barbadians and visitors have taken the opportunity to visit at this time of year. In recent days business establishments, seasides, roadways and sights of interest have been jammed.
Have a safe Crop Over Barbados!
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This one won the STARCOM popular monarch competition. A nice groovy Soca.
https://youtu.be/RV1riJsShjU
David
What if there is no Facebook account!
Check the address Pan, it’s on YouTube.
Check Diaspora corner .
Nice to see Classic finally picking up the good ones! Highly underrated calypsonian. In my opinion his authenticity can only be matched by the likes of Grynner Gabby Pompey Sir Don and a very few others.
It’s also high time that the contribution to the arts by the Merry Men be properly recognised. Their “ Nutseller” is a folklypso that captures an entire era with all its elements.
Sir William
Yuh lie!
Classic was always a very average calypsonian.
That speaks to cultural degeneration, his winning after 3 decades and that should not be.
@ Pacha
Ah really doan know how to tek this one. I hope you are being sarcastic or light hearted. Otherwise you just ain’t know of what you speak.
Classic is the best of the second tier. The shareholders guts full and have retreated to retirement.
@ David
Please list the First tier. How much attention have you paid to the Classic’s work? Kindly list this first tier of calypsonians.
@William
RPB, John King, Kid Site, Gabby to name the main ones. Classic is know for forgetting his lyrics from time to time.
Very familiar with Classic from his days at the MTW.
I am thoroughly enjoying the banter.
Brings back memories of the days when I was a BRC fan and some of my friends followed The Troubadours.
Suffice to say that Barbados has always had great artistes in Calypso/Soca.
This is another great year for entertainment in Barbados.
@ David
You speak of Classic forgetting lines. RPB forgot an entire verse and still won the crown!
Obviously you have not followed Classic’s body of work. Imagine you mentioned a first tier and left out Sir Don! Remarkable. You also did not name any female calypsonian. What about Romeo?
In the words of Owen Seymour Arthur : Reel and come again! Or in the words of an outstanding female calypsonian: you betta ask somebody.
“Eat, Drink and Be Merry” and enjoy the new national honour “Freedom of Barbados”. I couldn’t help but enjoy a wry smile when during the debate one Parliamentarian made an oblique reference to the way she wore her hair to the new national honour.
However, what brought out the cynicism was the PM who a mere eight months after she gifted her father with a KCMG introduced the bill, ah mean this thought didn’t spring up overnight did it? What if her father instead of the knighthood was one of the recipients of a “Freedom of Barbados”? The FOB wouldn’t look so good on a Passport but hey politicians are so genuine.
Rise Sir Elliot.
https://barbadostoday.bb/2019/08/01/mps-hail-freedom-of-barbados-honour/
@ Sargeant
We changing the honors but keeping the knighthoods and the queen of England.
Interesting.
The Duopoly Rules
@ William Skinner,
Looking forward to your list of first tier Bajan calypsonians.
@ William
You have a choice. The problem is if you replace damehoods and knighthoods with the Freedom of Barbados what are you going to do with the current dames and knights? Automatically transfer the new titles or leave things as they are?
@William, I have said before, the president does not like details, she does not think things through. She makes decisions on the basis of popularity and whoever she last talked to. This is the populism of Mr Jong, of preaching like a pentecostal pastor, all passion but no theology, Republicanism by stealth.
Why can’t she return to the Henry Forde report and have a proper national debate on Monarchy versus Republic, followed by a referendum or a national consultation from the public? Too simple or would that mean the president would have to think?
@ William Skinner
I am with you on this one. I always enjoyed Classic as a performer and a writer of lyrics.There is a certain Barbadian authenticity about him that drives one to listen to him. I would put him in the top tier as well.
https://barbadostoday.bb/2019/07/24/countdown-to-tokyo-2020-begins/
Excerpt from the article
“Numbers right now are about twenty-three people, a preliminary base that we have submitted to Tokyo 2020. I was there in March, and already most of the facilities are ready for use, and some test events were going on quite recently, and the reports coming back is that we would certainly have the best games ever.”
Excerpt from Wikipedia – 2016 Olympics
The Barbados Olympic Association registered a total of 12 athletes, 7 men and 5 women, to compete in five different sports at these Games
***Will we double the number of Olympic athlete from 12 to 24 in 2020. I doubt it. I will bet that the number of Barbadian Olympic officials attending will be more than the number of athletes attending.
I like this phrase “the reports coming back is that we would certainly have the best games ever.” Seem like the officials expect to party more than they did in Brazil.
FYI
The country’s only Olympic medal to date is a bronze won by sprinter Obadele Thompson in the men’s 100 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
The first.
Congratulations to Classic on his second win of the crown. Better late than never.
@ David Bu
Pursuit of excellence is the target. Achieving perfection escapes all.
A two -tiered or is it a duplicate system of National honours? With apologies to people suffering mental health difficulties but what kind of schizophrenic system is this? Moving forward with one foot firmly stuck in the past, quintessentially Bajan.
I see that you are not familiar with the claim that they are two Barbadoses.
We like China and Hong Kong… One country, two systems.
Have a great Day all
@William
The shareholder label came in to play post crop over. Sir Don would not have been included because he predates this period.
@ David
I don’t get into the shareholder thing. I asked for the first tier since you said Classic was in the second tier.
@ Hants
TC Rita Edwin Gabby Classic RPB Destroyer Sir Don Liar Romeo Pompey Grynner Black Pawn
@William
The shareholders are those that one could expect to win the calypso competition. Those are the competitors commonly referred to as top tier. It is one of those subjects open to debate.
@William,
Thanks for your list.
Now that I am retired I spend a lot of time listening to music and playing along on guitar.
I hope someone is archiving the music of Barbados.
The Minister of the Creative Economy, Culture and Sports could “create” a Bajan Musicians Hall of Fame.
@ Vincent Codrington
Calypso is a very complex art. That’s why after all these years there are Kitchener and Sparrow fans, who engage in serious discussion about who is the Better calypsonian. Some say Sparrow is the spirit and Kitchener is the soul of Carnival. The real purists will dismiss both and talk about Melody and Explainer.
Although he has emerged as a bashment singer, I think that Lil Rick is a great talent. His breakfast in bed is breath taking.
As you have agreed it is impossible yo listen to Classic and Grynner without being proud to be a Bajan – they are one hundred per cent authentic artists.
Gabby remains light years beyond any calypsonian we have produced to date. And there is none that I can see matching him. His Dr. Casandra when placed next to Emmerton shows his range and ability. People still worship Jack( Beach belong to we) by far one of the best social commentaries ever written anywhere.
RPB is a writing genius . I consider his : They Publish it and Hall ( can find me bruddah)to be superb masterpieces.
For me the greatest verse in calypso I have ever heard is from Kitchener:
Up jumps the lawyer from St Lucia
Sir with due respect
This witness an accomplice to the murder
I strongly object
Hudson Philips dive in a law book
My friend take it cool
Your honor observe this paragraph
Objection over ruled.
Now that is what is calypso. An entire court room scene captured with finesse.
That was the trial of Abdul Malik- Murder in a soak away.
When the pretenders get there give me a call.
Once again congrats Classic. Two crowns just so. I am mightily pleased. Persistence is the true measure of a great artist.
For all pessimists. Now we have murder number 33. So no need to worry. Only the usual slaughter in the Caribbean that tourists love so much.
The panic at the beginning of the year was again typical propaganda of the opposition.
Listening to this on youtube,
Destroyer – Hotty Hotty
Good to see all the personalities enjoining themselves.
David
Could you not be more descriptive?
@ Hants
Check Black Pawn : Politicians (1980)
One of the best voices we ever had.
And Malik World Cup (2006) a classic by any standards. Perfect pitch flawless delivery. That’s calypso!!
@Pacha
Second from the right is one of leading personalities Talk Show host and pollster Peter Wickham with husband.
@ William,
Thanks. Listening to Black Pawn now.
So what purpose does it serve for posting pictures of homosexual personalties on BU
All knows that Peter Wickham sexual preference is for men
His picture along with others of his ilk does nothing to improve the social enviroment of barbados
Barbados yesterday had another murder which brings the total to 36
Yes 36 including the murder of the babies murdered by their father
Up to this day BU has not publushed an article or commentary to highlight the negligence of laws which can give way to having desperate and sick people taking matters into their own hands when the law fails to do what is best for the children
It is almost three weeks ago that a father murdered his two babies and voices in this society who have influence via media outlets have become muted but can be loudly heard on matters that are personalized and thrown into the public domain as news
To Messrs Mariposa: Its very difficult to take your post here seriously or accord you a degree of respectful awareness that you are speaking devoid of base political nastiness.
This medium is a community congregation of folks full of their opinions and as such the articles published by the Blogmaster will generally reflect the views THEY present.
I have not submitted a piece in recent times but when I did in the past the Blogmaster was fair enough to publish it thus I can only presume that he still treats submission fairly and either publishes or tells the writer why he hasn’t…
ARE YOU in the latter group or a third group where your piece on violence and crime (properly written and informative) was not published with no advisment of why not!
This blog has talked to death (pun badly intended) on July 16 with ‘Crime Statistics’, June 14 with ‘Town Hall on Crime and Violence…’, and another in February on the issue of local crime…
Of course back in May, Mr Holder wrote his most RECENT essay about the court system badly disadvataging men and thus their relationship with their children…(in many regards he was like the canary presaging that tragic fire).
In sum, since December last year there has been many more uposts like those few and too those which indirectly relate …bluntly noted an average of maybe 3plus per month so maybe over 300 – 400 comments…YET you spew as you did above!
Were I one of the editors of this blog I would either simply not publish your absurdly misleading posts like that at 6:46 AM; prepare a brief disclaimer which highlights your hypocrisy and add it to ALL your posts like that; or tell you to offer an essay or Sto hell U!
“Barbados yesterday had another murder which brings the total to 36”
I’m a bit curious……. so, I’ll ask a few questions.
Yesterday’s stabbing death of ZR conductor in the Cheapside Terminal, took the murder rate, so far for the year, to 33.
If the babies were NOT included in the July 2019 murder stats, could you please tell us how did you arrive at 36?
Were 3 additional murders committed after yesterday’s murder?
Or, are you suggesting the father “murdered” the two babies = 35…… and then “murdered” himself = 36?
Would you mind telling us how you knew the “babies (were) murdered by their father?”
Were you informed about this by eyewitnesses; someone whom the father told; the police; evidence disclosed during a court case; the coroner’s report?
Or are you making an assumption the babies were murdered by their father based on gossip?
Great tune. I am in the music zone.
An incident free crop over so far. Well done Barbados. Let us keep it going.
@ David Bu
Incident free is the norm for us Barbadians. I hope you have not gone and put your mout’ ‘pon we. Lol!!
@Vincent
Except for the one time that idiot sprayed bullets on spring garden.
Without social commentary , Crop Over is “tits up”.Good thing Classic won.Just staving off the inevitable.
Artax
are you suggesting that the babies murdered themselves
have not police indicated that the deaths were murder by suicide
have you heard or been told by police authorities that people of interest were being sought by police in connection to that case
VAT written off Tax waivers handed out in undisclosed amounts without TRANSPARENCY
The poor shitting brinks while the rich eat off the bony calf and govt sends messages for all to eat drink and be merry
What a god dam sham
David
Vincent
This so called ‘incident free crop over’ that you wish for does not speak to the fundamental nature of the society.
Classically Bajan, it is just a meme to cover up real and underlying problems and presents what PLT so eloquently described as a ‘false respectability’.
When you have a social pressure cooker and you turn the screws the internal pressures will only increase and a much larger explosion will come sooner or later.
This we could guarantee!
@Pacha
If one invest the time slugs can be discovered under rocks.
David
Your militarist attitude is precisely why ‘violence’ in Barbados and elsewhere will only increase. Again, you see this symptom, not as the problem of the wider society worthy of deep understanding but as ‘slugs’ worthy of ‘discovering’.
Historically, White people and elite Blacks, later, have spawned a gun ownership culture. You never seem to point at them as ‘slugs’ for ‘discovery’.
Why are these people more deserving of the legal means to end life and not the ‘slugs’. Anytime there is a David vs the ‘slugs’ we are on the side of the ‘slugs’.
@Pacha
No they are not deserving. Can you stunt the growth of a plant by continually lopping off the limbs?
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