Junior Kadooment bands ready to play mas!

The excitement has been brewing for weeks. And on Saturday, hundreds of junior revellers will pour into the National Botanical Gardens for a can’t-miss spectacle of creativity, culture and colour at the Sunshine Snacks Junior Kadooment.

Twenty-three participating bands will cross the stage to face the judges. The private bands are eagerly-anticipating Saturday’s parade.

The 10 competing for the top prizes this year are Blackbird Productions, Colorz Entertainment, Fifth Element Productions, Hijack, Mystical, Northernmas, Royalty Junior Kadooment Band, The Lend A Hand Community Band, Tri-Star Productions and Xanté while the Nation Library Service will have a band on show but will not compete.

While the 13 bands that form the Sandy Lane Charitable Trust Junior Masquerade Project will judge in that category.

Costume pieces from Mystical.

Charles Miller, bandleader of Tri-Star Productions, said the 50th anniversary of Crop Over will be the focus of their display.
“It is nothing better than celebrating a milestone!” he said.

This will be Tri-Star’s debut appearance even though Miller has had years of experience working with famed designer Betty West. And he can’t wait for July 20.

“I’ve been in it so long that the excitement of seeing something going across the stage – that you had something to do with . . . something that you create. Something that you had some input in. The feeling when you get off of stage is something that you can’t really describe,” he said.

Multi-award winning designer Kevin Small shared his enthusiasm.

Band leader Kevin Small and his team readying themselves for Saturday’s spectacle.

“[We’re bringing] the usual fun and colour and excitement!” he said. “Making you feel like you are on stage with us as well.”

For his 17th year in Junior Kadooment, and the band Fifth Element’s tenth anniversary, he will be using his designs to raise awareness on healthy consumption.

“We’ll be looking at the rise in noncommunicable diseases within our youths and obesity. And sometimes it comes down to a simple snack,” he said of the band’s theme ‘Fruit Snack.’

“If we can get them to see fruits as snacks and a healthier way to also enjoy it, I think it would do our nation good.”

Costume pieces from Fifth Element Band.

Neil Stanley and his Royalty Junior Kadooment Band are excited for 2024 they had their preparations in place since last year.

Their theme surrounds The Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) and will showcase a unique item from each of the 15 nations represented.

 “For St. Lucia we will be featuring the Pitons. For Dominica we would be featuring their national bird which is the sosuhrooh parrot. And so forth,” he said of their third year of participation.

“We are portraying the Caribbean as one. As one unit, one force. And I think that is something we have to push: that unified collectiveness.”

Rashida Burnett took inspiration from childhood dreams to formulate her designs for the band Mystical. 

“My nephew, he wants to be a footballer. My godson, he wants to be a firefighter . . . Every little girl wants to be pretty like Barbie. So I said [let’s use] things that children aspire to be when they are small,” she explained.

Colorz Entertainment’s Bryan Worrell wants to use their second foray into Junior Kadooment to “cause excitement.”

Bryan Worrell (left) of Colorz Entertainment hands over a package to a happy reveller.

“When people see the band it will cause a little stir because it’s going to look different from what you would usually see,” he said.

The theme of the band is driven by a concept of fairytale fantasy and fun, featuring clowns, magical fairies, royal princes and princesses.

“It’s more of a party band vibe than the traditional heritage bands that you would see. We’re doing something that is more of a party,” Worrell said of the band that sold out in three weeks.

Colorz Entertainment Costumes were packaged and ready for collection.

On Crop Over’s golden anniversary, the stage is set for a special Junior Kadooment. The parade promises to produce an unforgettable cultural presentation, which will carry into the after-party and fun zone, and long into the memories of those attending.

Thirteen of these creative bands are schools and various community groups from across the island. These groups will showcase the results of their time spent in The Sandy Lane Charitable Trust Junior Masquerade Project In Association With Abed’s.

This is where they spent weeks learning the art of costume-making and masquerade, under the tutelage of multi hyphenate programme coordinators Suzanne Phillips and Teila Williams, who helped with its structuring from idea to implementation.

Phillips contributed her years of knowledge in costume-making, design and visual arts, while Williams aided in the area of choreography, performance and presentation.

Other notable designers lent their talents to the students as well. Carla Gittens, designer of the brand By Carlori, assisted the Erdiston Special Needs School with their various sections. (PR)