Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has urged the island’s music and cultural industry to safeguard traditional calypso and soca, warning that newer musical styles must not overshadow the genres at the heart of Crop Over.
Speaking at the St Philip Ideas Forum, Mottley praised the creativity and innovation of younger artists but stressed that their success should not come at the expense of the music that has shaped the festival for more than four decades.
She also expressed concern about the limited exposure traditional Crop Over music receives, revealing that she had relied on Spotify to hear many of this year’s releases. Mottley said the state-owned Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) has a responsibility to ensure fair airplay for all genres associated with Crop Over, rather than leaving such decisions solely to DJs.
While acknowledging that the festival must continue to evolve, Mottley said preserving calypso and soca is essential to maintaining Crop Over’s identity. She warned that losing either genre would weaken the festival itself, while emphasising the importance of creating opportunities for emerging artists to develop and succeed.
