Why does barbados have crop over

The Party Monarch and more recently the Sweet Soca competition are among the festival's most popular events! The finale of the festival is the Grand Kadooment! This carnival parade features large bands with members dressed in elaborate costumes to depict various themes.

Designers compete for the coveted Designer of the Year prize while the revelers seem more intent on having a good time! The revelers make their way to Spring Garden accompanied by the pulsating rythym of calypso music. When they reach Spring Garden, the party continues with more fantastic music, lots of food and drink and, for some, a quick swim at the nearby beach.

A grand end to a grand festival. It all starts in July with a very civilised ceremony, and culminates three weeks later in a day-long bacchanal of colourful costumes, revelry and street dancing.

But today the festival no longer bodes hard times. Music pervades the Crop Over. From folk to the fast-paced Caribbean beat of soca , music is everywhere, bewitching even the most stiff-jointed. The addictive rhythms of calypso storm the airwaves, sending just about everybody into fits of head-bobbing and body-weaving.

Roving Tuk bands wend their way through the crowds at many Crop Over events, often dressed in hilarious attire. Tuk bands play lilting and captivating rhythms, delighting young and old alike. Unique in format and cadence, Tuk is native to Barbados. Spirited musicians in small bands play a trio of rhythms using a kettle drum, bass drum and penny-whistle flute. The sequence begins with a slow waltz, then moves into a march rhythm, and concludes in an almost frenetic African beat. Meanwhile, from the June opening of the weekend calypso shows called tents, as in Trinidad singers polish their renditions and prepare to battle for a position in the eliminations leading up to the big Pick-o-de-Crop Calypso Finals , held a few days before the Grand Kadooment.

While the cadence of calypso seduces, the lyrics attract, for their light-hearted wit or biting truths. And audiences from bank managers to school children take to them like kids watching someone shoot spitballs at a teacher. And although times are hard now, people still look forward to it. In hard times, festivals are even more important. Crop Over is not just a way to blow off steam. It is also a spiritual renewal. Middle East. Polar regions.

Books by series. Slow travel. Travel literature. Gift cards — NEW! Central and South America. Like any centuries-long tradition, things change. Harding was ceased in the 80s and more monarchs, live music competitions, have been added to reflect the diversity of Bajan music, but the festival has been a meeting place for old and new traditions.

Crop Over officially begins in June, and a variety of events take place that highlight the vibrancy and richness of Barbadian culture. All these events are updated annually on the official Crop Over calendar.