by Tracy Moore
A little rain could not dampen the spirit of Rise & Rum this morning at the sunrise beach party that kicked off Saturday’s leg of the Barbados Food and Rum Festival at Copacabana Beach Club on Bay Street.
Festival goers capture memories of the morning.
From 4:15 a.m. to just afternoon, Bay Street came alive with music, mouth-watering local flavours, and the camaraderie that has come to define this signature event. Patrons danced barefoot in the sand, plates in hand and glasses raised, celebrating all things Bajan while chefs served bold new bites and cocktails infused with island herbs and fruits.
In an interview with Barbados TODAY, National Cultural Foundation (NCF) Chief Executive Officer and festival producer Carol Roberts said the event was designed to highlight local sourcing and sustainability.
“We very deliberately engaged local small fishermen, as opposed to fish processors all the time, local small farmers. Thanks very much to John Jones, who led that, and to Lee Hinkson, who was one of the fishermen who literally went diving every day to see what his catch would be,” she said.
She continued: “Whatever we caught, whatever we harvested, that’s what you’ll enjoy today. And, of course, the amazing talent of our chefs and mixologists. If you had anything to sip or nibble on today, you would have to admit that the food was amazing. It was our yams, our sweet potatoes, our eddoes, our breadfruit, our red snapper, which is currently plentiful. It was whatever is in season that was used.”
Roberts also reflected on the new organisational model for the festival.
“As you may know, this would have been the first year that the NCF was exclusively responsible for the concept and the execution on the ground, and the BTMI (Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.) exclusively responsible for the international marketing. I think it’s a model that worked extremely well,” she said.
“The BTMI has done, as usual, an amazing job at what their core functions are. And I’d like to think that we at the NCF have done what we’re responsible for, which is producing exciting events, but also making sure that they’re authentic and that they provide as wide an opportunity as possible for members of the creative sector to benefit and to showcase their work,” she added.
HypaSounds takes the stage in style, delivering crowd favourites that kept the energy high.
As the scent of roasted snapper and spiced pork drifted through the morning air, the celebration shifted from culinary indulgence to cultural spectacle. The entertainment line-up showcased soca from morning straight through. Hypasounds opened the showcase, followed by King Bubba, Grateful Co., Mahalia, Tionne Hernandez, Marvay, Fadda Fox and Peter Ram. Leadpipe and Saddis, Porgy & Murda, Lil Rick – celebrating 30 Years – and Mikey with Izzard Vibes carried the crowd through to the close, while the stilt men, Mamma Sally and IssaVybe’s driving soca and percussion added movement and colour along the shoreline.
Minister of Home Affairs and Information Wilfred Abrahams praised the atmosphere and national pride on display.
“It’s a celebration of who we are. We are approaching independence. It is a conclusion of our culture, our cuisine, our drinks, our way of partying. I mean, just look around,” he said.
“In the present party, you have people jumping, you have people on stilts, you have everybody – a melting pot boiling down at once. And, you know what, we are coming to the culmination, and this brings us all together.”
By midday, as the clouds lifted, patrons gave a final toast to Bajan creativity before heading turning their eyes to Liquid Gold, the festival’s grand finale, set for Sunday at the CARIFESTA House.
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