Barbados’ iconic annual Crop Over festival reached its thrilling climax this week with the Grand Kadooment street parade, and it was an 83-year-old veteran of the celebration who walked away with the most prestigious industry honors, capping a turbulent, against-all-odds journey to the route. Betty West, the veteran bandleader and costume designer whose name has been inextricably linked to Crop Over for decades, led her entry *ICONS of Crop Over* to a clean sweep of top awards, including the coveted Best Festival Designer – The Robert Weekes Award, Best Presentation – Heritage, Best Band on the Road – The George Dear Award, and Small Band of the Year – Heritage. Yet what audiences and award judges saw as a flawless, triumphant procession was the end product of a months-long battle against financial strain, low registration numbers, and last-minute uncertainty that tested even West’s legendary grit.
In an interview with Barbados TODAY immediately following the parade, the designer opened up about the constant anxiety that plagued her in the lead-up to this year’s event. “Challenging is the only word to describe it,” West said. “God has been by my side through this whole thing – I’ve never prayed so much in my life. I was terrified. We barely had any funding, and masquerader sign-ups were almost non-existent. It was a truly frightening situation. I shed more than a few tears, but I’ve never been one to walk away from a fight.”
West originally registered her band in the large category, planning to field a 300-person ensemble that would fill out all her carefully designed costume sections. When sign-ups failed to pick up at the expected pace, she made the difficult call two weeks before the parade to switch her entry to the small band category – a decision she says was rooted in her commitment to upholding the festival’s standards and her own reputation for excellence. “I’m not the sort of person who cuts corners. I entered this competition wanting to win fair and square, and I refused to risk disqualification by staying in the large band category when I didn’t have the numbers to meet the requirements,” she explained.
The last-minute switch meant West and her small, loyal skeleton crew pulled all-nighters to adjust costumes and get the entire band parade-ready. West herself was still finishing costume accessories at 3 a.m. on the morning of the parade, and none of the core team got any sleep before lining up on the route. “These people love me, and I love them back. They put in endless hours, working through the night to get everything done on time. We have total mutual respect, that’s what keeps this organization running so well,” she said, adding that she owed a special debt of gratitude to her niece Makayla, who stepped up to recruit and train the dance ensemble for the *Fancy Sailors* section, a tribute to West’s late friend and long-time rival Gwyneth Squires.
West’s *ICONS of Crop Over* entry was far more than a competitive parade performance: it was a love letter to all the pioneering Crop Over creators who came before her, including Squires, Winston Jordan, Reggie Cave, Roseann Lewis, Robert Weekes and Renee Ratcliffe. “Each of these people helped me become the designer I am today, and they all helped turn Grand Kadooment into the incredible cultural spectacle it is now. We owed them this tribute,” she said.
Despite the exhausting fight to put on this year’s entry, West shows no signs of stepping away from the festival she loves any time soon – though she is already laying the groundwork for the next generation to carry on her legacy. She has already begun mentoring a young creator she calls Angel and other emerging designers, teaching them the craft of costume design and how to run a successful festival band as a sustainable business. She says her willingness to learn from the new generation has been key to her continued success, breaking the myth that older creators cannot embrace fresh perspectives. “A lot of people think when you reach a certain age, you stop listening to young people. But I always ask for their input, and they often have brilliant ideas I would never have thought of. This is a team effort, full stop,” West said.
Looking ahead to Grand Kadooment 2025, West is already planning ahead to avoid the funding and registration challenges she faced this year, saying she will start securing sponsorships as early as next month and kick off costume design work in November.