An hour before the gates opened to the public for the finale of the Crop Over celebrations marking the inscription of Bridgetown and its Garrison, Charles Fort was a  breath taking site. The set design and layout of chairs would welcome the crowd that snapped up the tickets early in the day causing the NCF to place advertisements on the airwaves apologizing to those seeking desperately to attend the spectacle. The card featured the Mighty Gabby, the Zouave Band of the Barbados Defence Force, The world famous Royal Barbados Police Force Band, Sing Out Barbados and Wilson Hill Folk Chorale, Ife’s Jumbies, Ruk-A-Tuk International, Pinelands Creative Workshop and Dancin’ Africa.

More apologies, this time as the audience stood patiently and excitedly at the entrance as crews worked frantically to replace the chairs that the torrential rains doused and saturated. For a while it seemed that the relentless rains would mar the evening, forcing its cancellation and what a pity that would have been! But the skies cleared, the audience helped too to place the chairs and soon the mesmerizing Zouave Band was marching on to the Square to the delight of everyone. This detachment in its unique attire transported back to the era when the Regiment occupied the Garrison, to defend Barbados from any invasion from the sea. The island has never changed hands among the colonists in all of its years.

Resplendent too was the Royal Barbados Police Force Band and in between Gabby shone with his vocal ability, sweetened by the addition of Pride of Wilson Hill and Sing Out Barbados. Perhaps the most appreciation was shown for the performances that honoured the Landship, with moves ‘out of this world’. The story is told of an old Bajan who returned to the island after serving in Her Majesty’s Naval Forces and created a ‘Landship’ recruiting crews that simulated the actions of the naval seafarers. But the Landship was more. It was iconic, a community pillar that acted to help the people to save and present themselves in a dignified way.

The production showed off Barbados’ talented artistes, some like the stilt walkers who drew gasps from the audience with their acrobatic moves. It was a fitting climax to the celebrations for the inscription of a World Heritage site and as the audiences danced into the night at the end, the anticipation is for more entertaining Folk in 2012.