by GERCINE CARTER

Though a record 25 bands participated in yesterday's Rotherley Construction Grand Kadooment at the National Stadium, there were smaller numbers and lacklustre stage presentations.

Some bandleaders blamed hard economic times for the fall-off in numbers.

Popular bands like Refugees only managed to field 450 masqueraders, and while bandleader Roger Miller said he was "feeling good" about his costumes, he admitted finding difficulty in attracting more people to the band due to the economic situation.

Similar sentiments were expressed by veteran designer Betty West, whose band has always been one of the main attractions at Kadooment. She said this year she was forced to reduce the price of costumes at the last moment, in the end coming up with only 450 revellers for her band, Ah Feeling So.

Some bandleaders even resorted to incentives such as discounts on costumes, and "wear now, pay later" schemes to accommodate regulars faced with payment challenges.

Rising costs did not, however, deter the 1 500 who thronged Power X Four's Y Barbados depicting the heritage, fauna, serenity, sunset, reefs and pride of Barbados. Neither did it affect Baje International who still managed to put a band of 1 400 on the road.

The parade started promptly at 8:30 a.m. and the Blue Box Cart made their customary early entry, crossing the stage while a mere handful of patrons watched from the stands.

Those numbers grew slowly, and by midday it was an impressive crowd that appeared not to be fired up by the activity on the track, merely responding with moderate applause to the energetic performances of some bands.

Not even the prompting of MC Margaret Allman-Goddard could evoke a lively response to the tributes paid to outstanding Barbadians, as some bands featured sections recognising the contribution of national figures such as Dame Nita Barrow, and National Heroes Errol Walton Barrow and Sir Garfield Sobers.

Nonetheless it did not prevent some revellers from putting down energetic performances, neither could it detract from the vibrant colour and imaginative execution of themes by designers who recognised Barbados' heritage, its tourism and its ancestry in costumes described by Minister of Community Development and Culture, Steve Blackett, as being "of a high standard".

They were impressive enough to make first-timers like Vision 20/20 want "to come hard next year".

Yesterday's parade of bands flowed smoothly and Louis Sealy, who was in charge of co-ordinating security for the National Cultural Foundation, said the whole event at the stadium went "extremely well".

Former NCF chairman Ian Estwick, watching from the stands, would only say, "I am impressed".

Speaking from the venue operating centre, the command post for all agencies involved in Kadooment Day activities, Sealy said, "it speaks to the co-operation between the police, the Department of Emergency Management, the Barbados Defence Force, the bandleaders and everyone else who participated in meetings before Crop-Over".