PARTY TIME IN BARBADOS
THERE’S A SEXY SIDE TO THE ISLAND’S SERENITY
BRIDGETOWN, Bahamas — I got back to the hotel at 5 a.m., splattered with paint. The street party was still going on, but I simply couldn’t dance anymore.
The locals and diasporas (Barbadian expats) were better conditioned and better prepared for the Foreday Morning party that goes with the two-month celebration of Crop Over.
I had been prepped for this night; no open-toed shoes, cover your hair, and wear disposable clothing; for the all-night party featured … paint! Lots of it. Revellers dipped their hands in buckets of paint, and flicked and rubbed it on one another. No one was left unscathed as partygoers, (what seemed like the whole island, and the tourists) took to the streets, splashing paint, sashaying and wukking up behind trucks as over-sized speakers thumped out soca music.
Three kilometres later, with the morning sun rising, I was drenched in sweat and many, many colours of paint. And this wasn’t even the main event — Kadooment Day was still to come.
After a few hours of sleep we were back on the same streets, which showed no signs of the colourful jollity that took place, as we headed to the Bridgetown Market. There’s something to be said for Barbadian buildings; the brighter, the better. Vendors in pink, yellow, blue, and green sweetly-painted wooden stalls and little huts, showcased hand-crafted jewelry and ornaments, flora, and a range of Bajan delicacies.
To keep the party going we headed for the beach and set sail for the open water with the lively crew of Jammin’ Catamaran Cruises. We motored past a pirate-themed ship and another cruise liner, (with whom we had an on-deck dance-off — the oceanic version of drag-racing), and glided through the clear, aquamarine Caribbean waters.
Awaiting us on the deck; a Bajan feast — macaroni pie, flash-fried fish, fried chicken. As the sun set, the water glistened and the waves picked up the pace, as did the crew, who lead a spirited conga line to top off a wondrous day at sea.
All of Barbados is on show during Crop Over, a long-standing celebration of the harvest, but there is enough splendour on the island to draw more than partygoers.
For some adventure and exploration, we headed to the historical Harrison’s Cave, a subterranean active cave that has been accessible to the public via tramcar since 1981. As we ventured underground, the humidity of the caves hit us — it was as warm inside the cave as it was outside.
Licks of hardened-white calcium were etched all over the walls, and as the tramcar pulled to a halt, the urge to stretch a finger out to touch the surface was almost too much.
“I’m watching youuu!” our charismatic guide heckled out each time she sensed an act of rebellion coming from one of us. The stalagmites and stalactites at Harrison’s Cave have taken on such animated forms; they have monikers such as the “little village,” the “altar” (people get proposed to and married in front of this endearing formation), and the “soda straws.” Waterfalls and streams in the caves added a sense of calm wonderment.
Above ground the party continued. Crop Over is brimmed with live music showcasing non-stop soca and artists from neighbouring islands, such as Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.
Concerts and fiestas are located all over the island during the festival, and the settings of these events are vast and varied. From historical plantations, gardens, and polo fields, to Kensington Oval and the Grantley Adams International Airport, each celebration was perfectly suited to its surroundings, showing off the diverse terrain and landscape of the island.
“I like the mixture of culture. I like the fact that garden party,” said Teff Hinkson, a Barbadian-born artist based in Toronto, who was back home for the season.
“This is the one time of year where I stop; it’s something that’s very close to my heart. Me and my friends love it. We’ve got like, a whole crew of people that don’t see each other throughout the year, and then we all come together again.”
On the eve of Kadooment Day, a series of concerts took place with the final aptly titled, 1 Love. Artists delivered messages of equality, peace, love, and community between songs. Trinidadian soca artist, Machal Montano, thrilled the crowd with an energetic performance, and as the heavens opened up with a torrential downpour the masses delighted. “Some rain won’t stop the fun in beautiful Barbados,” a stranger scoffed.
And indeed, the next day, the final day of Crop Over, the crowds were in the highest of spirits, and the soca and calypso tunes resounded so loudly that it beat hard in my chest as I watched the parade go by.
The most looked-for masquerader of the parade was of course, Barbados’ favourite daughter, Rihanna, who delighted onlookers with her elaborate and opulent costume.
It was impossible not be swept up in the celebrations. Everywhere I turned — vivid colour, elaborate feathers, beads, sashes, and majestic head pieces were on display. Even red maple-leafed costumed dancers representing Canada were part of the crowd.
Many times, throughout the parade, I caught myself wide-eyed, and waving enthusiastically at the parade-goers dancing by me, them smiling and waving back, before moving on.
As Kadooment Day came to a close, scores of people continued the raucous celebrations at nearby beaches, basking in the relentlessly sunshine, while others capped off their day of walking the parade (approximately nine kilometres of it), with a feast and much-deserved rest.
For tomorrow, it was back to business as usual — Crop Over was complete for another year.
The writer was a guest of Tourism Barbados. No one from the tourism board read or approved of this article before publication.