2022 Crop Over Music Is Sweetness Galore 🎶

Greetings to those who visited the pages from Barbados, Canada, Greece, Germany, Jamaica, Japan, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, USA, United Kingdom and Vietnam 😎

This is the most festive weekend in Barbados. It is the climax of our annual summer festival, Crop Over. 🎼🌞

There will be parties or shows all weekend long. Tonight is the finals of the calypso competition. On Monday, costumed revellers parade on one of the highways. Follow the links for scenes from 2019. It has been two long years since they got to enjoy the sun, the music, the drinks and sometimes even the rain. 

Perhaps being housebound for much of 2 years allowed the creative juices to flow for the calypsonians this year. The music is lyrical, melodious, unbelievable good.

I will begin on a light note. This one is by the Road March grandmaster, the Mighty Grynner. When I first heard it a couple of months ago, I wondered where they found it in the archives. It sounded so much like the Grynner of 35 years ago. That is an awesome thing. He won three successive road march titles on two occasions - 1983-85 and 1988, 1989, 1990. The melody of Grynner Behind Her is sweetness can't done. 

                The Mighty Grynner - Barbados' Tune-O-De-Crop (Road March) Grandmaster 

I would not be surprised if a woman wins this year's Calypso title. TC is ever consistent. This year she is the Kaiso Reporter.

        According to Terencia (T.C.) Coward-Thompson she "is an advocate for the nation" this year 

I'm always impressed by Chrystle Cummins-Beckles Holder, who has never won the local calypso title but is a repeat regional calypso queen. This year she is singing about all those things that drive her Crazy. Fantastic arrangement. 👍👍

  Chrystle Beckles-Holder has one of the most melodious arrangements of the 2022 Crop Over season

The reigning calypso monarch is William "Classic" Waithe. He has another witty and catchy socio-political commentary, Duh Get In which means "They Get In". It's simply classic. 

                                                            This is a Classic performance

I would love to feature Mr. Blood, who also has an excellent kaiso and is a performer. Perhaps the two year drought of new calypsos made us hungrier for what is on offer this year. To me, this is possibly the best set of final's tunes I've heard in more than 30 years of following Barbados' calypso finals. 

Still, I am saving my final spot for one of my fave local artistes, John  Yarde, who is a newcomer to the competition. He's remembering all those who have passed with a rendition that will live past the season. It is one of the first songs of the season to catch my attention and live in my memory. He's performing too early to win, in my opinion. Yet, I wish him and all of them good luck. It is such a fabulous pic-o-de-crop. 👍👍

                                  This is a rather suave image of Pastor John Yarde

'Til next time.🎆🎵🎺