Crop Over 2026: The Musical Perspective Of A Bajan Icon

Advertisement

BARBADOS – Continuing our adventures in Barbados, in a previous report, our Denielle Miller introduced some of you to Bashment soca.

This unique genre, created by Bajan artists, embraces the celebratory spirit of Crop Over, along with the distinctive “Boom-Tik-Tik” rhythms of dancehall.

However, not all Bajans have embraced this sound.

In this next report, Our Denielle Miller interviews a soca icon regarding his challenges with acceptance and his perspectives on the evolution of Bajan music.

Those sights and sounds from a fete in Barbados as Edwin Yearwood performed his classic soca track, Sak Pase.

A founding member of the band Krosfyah, Yearwood’s other hit records include Oil Pumpin and Pump Me Up, among others.

His musical influence has spanned over three decades and during my visit to Barbados, I had the chance to meet the Bajan icon.

During our discussion, he opened up about his journey in the music industry.

“For you also have those new artist that look up to you. A lot of time when I scroll on Facebook I see them posting you, and so excited to see you. How does that make you feel knowing that your work does not go unnoticed? It’s a major thing for me cause for a long time I felt as though I was I don’t want to say under appreciated but I felt as thought the respect wasn’t there for what we have done what Krosfayh has done for a long time so when were out coming out and actually saying that they respect us and they’ve been following us and they’ve been influenced by us it makes you feel as if you’ve done something.” – Edwin Yearwood

Since his debut in the entertainment industry, the unique Bajan melodies have evolved into various forms, including Bashment soca.

In my conversations with millennials and Gen Zs on the island, they indicated that not everyone appreciates this genre.

Reportedly pioneered by recording artist Lil Rick in the late 1990s, it has recently gained significant global popularity.

Yearwood expressed his pride in witnessing this transformation of local soca, as new artists are introduced into the industry as a result.

“There’s always a space for new things, that’s how I got into it, when I came into it what I was doing was new fresh so it’s always welcomed it will eventually shape what is to be for Barbados.“

He added that regionally, our cultures need to be supported.

“I think it’s growing, I think it’s to be left alone. I think Trinidad, I think Greneda, I think St.Vincent, those three stand out to me and Dominica to a lesser extent, where they’ve been able to follow their own path their own culture as a result they have their own sound especially Greneda I remember years ago when I started out it was laughed at if you were not Grenadian a lot of people didn’t take Jab jab serious now you don’t even call Carnival you call it Jab Jab.”