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Grand Kadooment returns to the Stadium
8/7/2012
By Kerri Gooding
AFTER a two-year hiatus, the costumed bands of the Grand Kadooment parade yesterday returned to the National Stadium to make their presentations to the judges.
The National Cultural Foundation (NCF) has been in talks with stakeholders to ensure that their wishes for a successful festival are fulfilled, and returning to a presentation stage within the National Stadium is one way that the NCF has showed they listened to the voiced appeals and concerns.
Since the start of the parade was moved to Warrens in 2010, the judging station had been set up on the road outside of the Stadium rather than going onto the track. This was a concern for several band leaders, who had complained of a lack of space to execute elaborate presentations.
Always attempting to be considerate of the stakeholders, acting Communications Specialist at the National Cultural Foundation, Andre Hoyte said, “One of the things that they wanted was to actually be on a stage, so the decision to go come back here was well made. It is a perfect marriage in terms of what we have been trying to achieve.”
As one of the persons who advocated for the return of the stadium element, the Band Designer for Ooutrage, Trevor Chase said, “I was one of the persons who thought that they should’ve never left.”
Most marshals and some revellers were pleased with the return to within the stadium’s walls. Many attributed the glee and relief to feeling more safe and secure as well as appreciating the vibe of the audience in the stands when inside the stadium.
Hazel Dubois of Gwyneth Squires’ band entitled ‘Barbados in Living Colour’, said, “I prefer going through the Stadium. I find I like the atmosphere, when you have the crowd come to see you and get a response from them as opposed to only stares and undesired hassle from unregistered revellers lining the street.”
Praising the return to the stadium, Chase concluded, “We could do a presentation like what we just did [on the stage in the stadium] because we would have the space to do it.”
With this return to the traditional showcase in the stadium, Chase stated he is appreciative of the stakeholder meetings held to date. However, he asserted that the space afforded revellers when the bands go through the stadium was only one vital element that had been missing.
“I believe they [NCF] are trying with the resources they have, but I believe they should stop promising now and show that they are serious about the festival.”
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