OVER 10 000 costumed revellers will take the National Stadium by storm on Kadooment morning Monday, creating the largest turnout of masqueraders in the history of Crop-Over.
According to Grand Kadooment co-ordinator Ashanti Trotman, this number was the largest he has seen in his 16 years of working with the festival; while chairman of the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) Al Gilkes, who was part of the committee that started the festival 31 years ago, said it would arguably be the biggest mas'.
Costumed bands yesterday reported they were for the most part sold out, including Baje International and Power X 4 which each boasted over 1 500 revellers.
"It's remarkable really. Bands have been selling out within a week of being launched, which is unusual. The response has been fabulous. Maybe because it was controversial and low-keyed last year and people now probably want to make up for that," said Kathy Davis, organiser with Power X 4.
Perennial winner Gwyneth Squires also noted she had to make more costumes than originally planned, since her numbers had risen to 522 for her band Paradise Lost.
Stating the turnout had resulted from a combination of factors, Gilkes said people who were turned off last year now seemed to be turned on.
"The large turnouts at fêtes have been unbelievable, plus a lot of Trinis and Jamaicans have joined bands as a result of the Follow Me To Crop-Over campaign. People used to attend mainly NCF-sponsored events but are now going to everything," he said.
Gilkes also noted that younger "party animals", whom he dubbed the Crop-Over generation, had been born after the festival started and therefore saw
it as their own.
Trotman said about half of the 22 bands contained over 450 revellers, which itself showed increases in individual bands.
Noting that they should assemble by the stadium's Nova Scotia Gate at 7:30 a.m. Monday for the nine o' clock start, Trotman urged non-costumed revellers not to intrude into the bands.
"Intrusion can result in you being fined $5 000 or confined," he stated.
The order of bands is: Walk Holy, Blue Box Cart, Extreme Island Safari, Bajan Events, Evolution/Cable & Wireless, Paradise Lost, Refugees, Power X 4, Radical, Berger Boyz, Campus Unity, Bajana, Plan B Production, Wednesday 2000, De St Andrew Bashment Crew, Renegades, Triple Force, Blue Ice Entertainment, Baje International, Outrage, Vision 20/20, Legend of Rachel Pringle, and One Big Family.
rickyjordan@nationnews.com
