Crop Over

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Crop Over
Observed by
Caribbean Carnival, Carnival

Crop Over is a traditional harvest festival which began in Barbados, having had its early beginnings on the sugar cane plantations during slavery.

History

The original crop-over tradition began in 1687 as a way to mark the end of the yearly harvest, but was wide-spread throughout the region at the time, including in

Trinidad. Many crop-over celebrations were organized and sponsored by planters, who used gifts of food and liquor as a means of reenforcing and excusing the continued enslavement of their labour force. However, slaves would also have often unsanctioned fetes that featured singing, dancing and accompaniment by bottles filled with water, shak-shak, banjo, triangle, fiddle, guitar, and bones that were more in keeping with their ancestral culture.[2] Other traditions that were later added included climbing a greased pole, feasting and drinking competitions. However, with the harsh effects of World War II on Barbados, these annual celebrations came to an end. The Crop Over Festival was first launched on June 1, 1970, around the same time as the birth of Alison Hinds
, but was not officially called a festival until four years later.

Crop Over was revived and organized as a national festival in 1974 by local stakeholders including

The Grand Kadooment
.

Customs and tradition

The entire two months have a party-like atmosphere, with a variety of public and privately held events. The various official 'Events Barbados' festival albums typify the sense of national merriment which is prevalent across the season (see "Official Event Galleries".). The private events serve as the lead up to Kadooment Day and have many concepts such as sunrise, cooler, sunset, and all-inclusive themes. One of the major public features held is the calypso competition. Calypso music, originating in Trinidad, uses syncopated rhythm and topical lyrics which may satirise local politics or comment on the issues of the day. Calypso tents feature a cadre of calypsonians who perform biting social commentaries on the happenings of the past year, political exposés or rousing exhortations to wuk up or "wine up", "jonesing", roll de bumper, guh down (pronounced "dung") and "six-thirty" dance. Most recently, local variations of soca music have also featured prominently at the festival. There are also craft markets, food tents and stalls, street parties and cavalcades every week supplemented by other daily events.

Competition 'tents' ring with the fierce battle of calypsonians for the coveted

Kadooment Day celebrated with a national holiday when costume bands fill the streets with Barbadian music and fireworks
.

2020's Crop Over and

coronavirus pandemic.[1]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b "No NIFCA Or Crop Over Festival For 2020". Barbados GIS. 19 April 2020.
  2. ^ Hilary Beckles, A History of Barbados, Cambridge University Press, 2006
  3. ^ Carter, Gercine (July 23, 2010). "The father of Crop-Over". Nation Newspaper. Archived from the original on June 21, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2011.

Further notes

External links

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