It is not often that Barbados gets to speak to the British Virgin Islands Islands on a cultural level.
Here are some photos from a Jazz workshop at the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination, where the two territories had that dialogue.
They were joined by other dancers from the region.
This is what Carifesta XV Is about.
I caught L’acadco from Jamaica as part of my work with the CARIFESTA media team. This group
Here are some shots of the night as they brought folk and traditional Jamaican movement to the stage.
On Day #2 of Carifesta XV, I attended Saltwater Tongues: We Came from the Sea at Browne’s Beach.
I really enjoyed this concept, which brought together different folk dance groups, theatre and spoken word artists to a public space.
Here are some of the images from that day.
Enjoy!!!
Carifesta is in Barbados, returning after 8 years.
As I continue to explore another aspect of art as part of the media team, here are some of my photos from this year’s parade.
If you are in Barbados, COME OUT!
There is a lot going on!
Here is a video to go with the article “White People Can’t Dance” currently on this blog.
Enjoy.
Crop Over is finished for 2022.
Here is my personal highlight:
the Barbados National Youth Steel Orchestra, led by Lowrey Worrell doing my arrangement of an Alison Hinds medley sung by Ambassador Alison Hinds herself.
Here is to a great Crop Over 2023.
Hello everyone,
Are you a social media creator, film or tv producer, marketing officer or an artist who needs Caribbean music and is tired of getting those takedown requests?
Then this is for you.
Head over to
https://stefanwalcott.bandcamp.com/
and take a look and listen to my royalty=free albums.
There’s something there for you.
Look what came through yesterday.
The program to Handel Festpielle in Halle with Handel’s Caribbean Messiah as a featured production for the 2021 run.
I wrote and was executive producer on this work since its inception and what a ride Handel’s Caribbean Messiah has been. Here is a clip of me going through the process of composing for the debut show.
So here are the THANK YOUS!!!!
2. All of the Barbados Museum crew especially Kevin Farmer who brought us over in 2018. BCIDA for supporting the album production in 2018.
3. Jewel Forde and everyone at the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation for the success of the 2018 run.
4. The Caribbean Export Development Agency National Cultural Foundation for their support in 2019.
5. The original management team who assisted in the growth of the production, the original Bajan cast and our expanded cast in 2019.
This started as an idea on a page and ended up being accepted by Handel Haus, I am truly personally humbled and I have learnt soooo much.
We might not get there as a group but the production shows there is a global demand for what we do in these tiny islands once there is co-operation.
Eventually, I will be writing and blogging on this experience outlining where we can improve as cultural industry people.
But for now.
Thank you Barbados for allowing me to create Handel’s Caribbean Messiah.
Hello everyone!
Here is my orchestral re-arrangement of the Barbados national anthem to celebrate what has been a challenging year.
On vocals is the amazing Allison Norville!
A .pdf version of the arrangement is available to download under my Books and Arrangement tab.
Thank you, Barbados for everything.Â
Happy Independence.
Caribbean festivals (including Crop Over) Â are propelled by spirits with the biggest fuel being rum.
Over the years many artists have dedicated songs to this deity. Here are 10 of the best:
10.
Chutney Soca is possibly the rum genre of the Caribbean. This one by Ravi B from 2010 also manages to include the marriage scenario, another common theme. Â One of my favourite songs period.
9.
Contone was a part-time singer and full-time car washer from Barbados. Through the years he has scored some massive hits at Crop Over with his rum lyrics. Â This Bashment Soca number, “I Like Drinking Rum,” is fairly direct. You also get a two for one in this video as he throws in, “Fire in the Hole” (Live I may add).
8.
The first of our Christmas rum songs is sung by Barbadian DaCosta Allamby speaking of how important it is to consume rum in large quantities. Â *Warning, drinking a gallon of rum is never advised.
7.
Lord Kitchener, another artist from the Trinidad carnival canon, is not to be left out. Â This one is another Christmas song and rum classic. The name speaks for itself.
6.
This song from 2014 comes from the biggest soca artist from St. Lucia, Ricky “One to Dem” T. As it is new, it does not have the legacy of the others on this list. However, this is still a ‘big tune’ from the Helen of the West.
5.
The Mighty Sparrow is one of the most prolific artists in Calypso and Soca. Â This one is a favourite among the mature crowd throughout the English-speaking Caribbean and speaks to being drunk and disorderly. It won the Road March in 1972, showing that unruly behaviour fuelled by alcohol has always been part of carnival.
4.
USVI Soca has one of the most fascinating soca sub-genre scenes. This riddim is just called Rum and Rave.Â
3.
To back up my point about Chutney’s relationship with rum, here is another one by Adesh Samaroo where he confirms his “undying” relationship with it.
2.
Gorg is known as the drinks boss in Barbados and this song from 2014 is but one in his catalogue. Borrowing from the Chutney approach, Gorg uses the rum-troubled-relationship theme.
1.
Machel Montano is another massively popular Trinidadian artist. Here is Bottle of Rum, a soca song off the hugely successful 3Zero riddim from 2012. Love and/of rum are again the themes.
Can you add any more?
* Stefan Walcott does not condone mass consumption of spirits of any kind. This post was not sponsored by any beverage retailer, the Holy Spirit or any other related product (although a donation would now be welcomed…;)
stefanwalcott.com 