Grand Kadoonent, a grand affair in B'dos - Entertainment

Entertainment

Grand Kadoonent, a grand affair in B'dos

Simone Morgan
Wednesday, August 08, 2012

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados — More than 10,000 revellers turned out at the rainy Grand Kadooment on Monday as the three-month Barbados Crop Over season ended.

The high-energy masqueraders, who derived from 23 bands, started their parade at approximately 7:30 am in St Michael parish and danced their way down to the National Stadium where their bands were judged.

Inside the stadium, the revellers 'wuk up' themselves for the spectators and judges, then gyrated for another five miles to the Spring Garden Highway.

Some of the songs that ruled the colourful parade included Mickey's We Loose and No Behaveya, and Lil Rick's, I Like Myself, We Want Drinkz and Drop It.

The bands were joined by thousands of persons who partied on the sidelines all the way to Spring Garden.

Veteran masquerader Gwyneth Squires was all smiles. She won titles for Large band of the Year, Best Band on the Road, Most Colourful Band and Designer of the Year for her piece Barbados in Living Colour.

Also basking in victory was Michael 'Mickey' Mercer who earned tune of the crop for We Loose. It was the singer's fourth title of the season, having won awards for Sweet Soca, Party Monarch and People's Monarch last week.

"This is really a wonderful feeling and I am really humbled and thankful. I am very appreciative of all my supporters and I want to congratulate Lil Rick' as well on his second place victory," he said.

According to Andre Hoyte, corporate communication specialist with the National Cultural Foundation (NCF), the festival was filled with colour, creativity and splendour.

"Grand Kadooment was hot, wet and steamy (all) at the same time. This shows that creativity has no boundaries. The rainy weather was embraced by almost everyone as it sort of offered a form of relief to the pelting sun. Everyone really enjoyed themselves today, bringing a fitting end to the sweetest Caribbean summer festival," he said.