Optimizing Masquerade Tradition: NCF Chief Calls for Authenticity and Innovation in Crop Over Celebrations

Bring back the mas’ to the masquerade. Stop with the carbon copy and the cut-and-paste.

That is the conversation chief executive officer of the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) Carol Roberts wants to have with Crop Over bandleaders and stakeholders.

She admits there are some Grand Kadooment bands struggling, but wants all to come to the table.

“It’s not the Carol Roberts show, it’s not the NCF show, it’s not even the Government show. It’s the people’s festival. If you are talking about a festival that’s contributing, which is something else we’re working on, a study to show the real economic impact over $50 to $80 million every year, isn’t it worth having those conversations? Isn’t it worth making some tough decisions?

“Isn’t it worth taking pride in the content that you put in the festival, or is it enough to just carbon copy, carbon copy, cut and paste, cut and paste every year?” she asked in an extensive interview.

Roberts said masquerade was a “collective responsibility” and could not be only at the NCF.

“The foundation this year has been extremely, extremely accommodating of and generous with bandleaders [of Junior and Grand Kadooment] . . . and will continue to do so, but it is time for a conversation, a real, no-holds-barred conversation, and there are a lot of questions that I, certainly as the CEO of the NCF, want to put on the table.

“We talk about there is no vibe in the festival, but we, the people of the country, make the vibe. There are very few bandhouses. There are very few band fetes. Once upon a time you had to go to a Baje band fete. The whole thing is quiet, mostly, until the costumes come in at the airport. So now you look to the NCF to create the vibe?”

Last Monday in Grand Kadooment, 18 bands paraded before the judges at the new starting point of the Helipad, The City, before moving off along Princess Alice Highway, Prescod Boulevard, President Kennedy Drive to Eagle Hall, Black Rock and ending up on the Mighty Grynner Highway.

The start time was pushed back from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. but some bands still did not start on time.

“For Grand Kadooment the pushback time was two hours and that was a collective decision. We would have had discussions in the morning, did a couple of conference calls, consulted the Met services and then there was consensus that we start at 11. But even with the 11 o’clock start, some bands still were not ready. If you’re not ready for an 11 o’clock start, you’re gonna butt up on some issues on the road,” Roberts said.

She also said the judges needed to see something to put points against.

“Bands don’t want to get into formation to do any choreography. They want to hit the road and get down the road, but you still want prize monies. So what are you judging? What were you asking me to judge? It is time for that conversation.”

She said increased subventions and more support could not be the conversations without the bandleaders bringing “what they are adding to the pot”.

“That has to be part of it and we need to look at it dispassionately. It’s not about the personality. Is not about who’s the head of the association. It’s not about what size the band is. It’s not about who the CEO is, or what used to happen under another CEO. It is just about what is right for the festival and for the event and for the art form, because it is, in lots of ways, an art form.”

Roberts said the most important question was what would make revellers come to Barbados instead of the other Caribbean carnivals.

“If I could buy this costume, whether I was jumping in Jamaica, Grenada, Hollywood, Japan, what would make me come to Kadooment? If the flights are more expensive, cost of living is more expensive, the route is shorter, because our route is shorter than a lot, what is going to make me come to Barbados? What’s so special about Barbados?”

The CEO said while she has heard the remarks about St Lucia and Grenada carnivals getting more people, Barbados has to look at the reasons why.

“So if we’re not prepared to just have the conversations and work towards getting it together, the NCF, through Government throwing more money at it, is not the solution.”

However, the NCF chief stated that from all accounts the new route worked.

“I am hearing that the route was liked by a lot of people. Several bandleaders have reached out to say, ‘Oh, we had a great time on the road’. Others have reached out and said, ‘We had some unfortunate setbacks’. Some bands were pulled off the road. As we meet with the stakeholders, we will find out what happened.”

She said it was also not about the numbers on the road being reduced.

“I remember the heydays of having 20 000 to 30 000 people on the road. Now we probably have 15 000 maximum, but our society has changed, our behaviours have changed, our tolerance has changed. We are not the people we were 15, 20, years ago. It’s not as simple as the numbers dwindling, it is all of the considerations you cannot ignore.”