Barbados Today

Two calypso tents — one old, one new — have combined forces this season to bring Barbadians a “circus” for Crop-Over.

Themed, the Celebration Time Calypso Circus, the tent amalgamating Celebration Time and newcomers the Ragga Soca Superstars, said the product they were bringing for Crop-Over was not just intended to bring all the entertainment of the season into one production, but to create a product worth exporting.

Tent manager of Celebration Time and production manager of the Calypso Circus, Kimtara Clarke, said at a launch at CMC Media Corporation on Harbour Road that they had made a decision this year to bring a blend of culture, the creative industries, which they believed could be exported.

“We have sought to do this through the merging of dance, acrobatics, drama, and of course the showcasing of our talent during the culture of this major festival, Crop-Over. It was our vision with this merging of so many acts of varying talents, that the circus theme would be ideal.

“You can expect clowns, stiltmen, Mother Sallies and more in this year’s production. And of course top-notch calypsonians with exciting offerings for the season,” she said.

She told Barbados TODAY that both Celebration Time, which was under new management this year, and Ragga Soca Superstars, were being managed by PK Event and Media, the company co-owned by Clarke and her husband, Paul.

“When we were asked to take over Celebration Time, there was an influx of persons wanting to get into tents because you probably recognise that Bacchanal Time is not a tent this year and there has been a fall off. So obviously people want to get to competition and the only way to get to competition is the judge in a tent.

“So we decided we would start a new tent which is Ragga Soca Superstars with a focus on ragga soca music and party. So there is no Pic-O-De-Crop in that tent. With that in mind, NCF has requirements as well in terms of how many people have to be judging to bring out a panel so we decided to judge the two tents together. With that in mind we thought to blend the two tents for the entire season and give everybody the opportunity to perform in that tent,” she explained.

The tent would also be streaming for the festival on a pay-per-view basis, she said, mainly aimed at the Diaspora. As such, she said she did not believe it would create any kind of challenge with the numbers coming into the tent.

Clarke said this year there would be five shows, including opening night on June 22, judging on July 3, a show in the north, and a matinee for children, though she noted that the entire tent would be family-friendly for the season. (LB)