Big-up Rihanna in Festival

Red Plastic Bag and his costumed dancers had the audience rocking to Once Upon A Wine and Something’s Happening. (Pictures by Digital Insight.)

Praise Academy putting on a show at the gala opening of the Crop Over Festival.

The large crowd just could not get enough.

Mon, July 02, 2012 - 12:05 AM

This year's Crop Over Festival needs more signage and pictures of Rihanna to create hype among visitors and the Barbadian community, says entertainer Richard Stoute.

The former calypso judge and tent manager, whose Teen Talent members were asked to perform at Saturday’s Opening Gala for the first time, lamented the lack of festival signage, especially around Bridgetown, and the fact that no pictures of superstar Rihanna were on billboards or show windows.

“Throughout Europe and North America there are huge billboards proclaiming Rihanna. There’s not even one billboard of Rihanna in Barbados. Not even a picture in a show window! So do we really appreciate the young lady? Are we happy for her?” he asked.

“If someone comes from Germany and asks where’s her picture, there’s none. I think she can promote the festival in that way because there are visitors who would get off cruise ships just to take a photo of a billboard of Rihanna in Bridgetown. We need to be more proactive in terms of how we promote this festival.”

Regarding specific signage for Crop Over, Stoute said: “If you are promoting a festival as important to us as Crop Over, which is a financial earner, we have economic challenges and need to sell it even more now. But there are no signs at all in the main stores of Bridgetown. And I’m in town every day.”

Another veteran, Sherwyn Redman, who has worked with the National Cultural Foundation collecting cash and tickets at venues for more than 20 years, agreed that more posters and billboards would be effective. He added that last year there was signage from Grantley Adams International Airport to Bridgetown. (RJ)

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Posted by Thora Jones 10 months, 3 weeks ago: Rihanna has adopted and heavily promotes American ghetto culture. People who promote Bajan culture should be placed on billboards and in ads promoting Bajan festivals in Barbados.

It really bothers me that many people in the tourism and entertainment industries in Barbados seem to lack basic skills in marketing and advertising. The only idea many of them seem to have to promote Barbados and their products and services is to put Rihanna in ads. Barbados is a lot more than Rihanna. We desperately need talented people who know how to let people around the world know that.

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Posted by Summer Rheigs 10 months, 3 weeks ago: Are we talking about a teen talent show or CELEBRATING CROPOVER? My friends and I are coming to Barbados to CELEBRATE CROPOVER and have fun, NOT to take a picture of Rihanna from a billboard or window display. Do you really believe a picture of Rihanna will sell cropover? I really don’t connect the two - Cropover and Rihanna. It would be a vast difference if she does a public announcement about cropover, and to go further, tell her “Navy-Followers” that she will be at cropover. That would make is difference because RihannaNavy has some hardcore followers. I love Rihanna; she is ALL OVER THE INTERNET AND PEOPLE HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF ACESS TO HER, such as Rihanna's picture gallery, instagram, twitter, facebook etc.