A few weeks ago I was on the island paradise of Barbados. I wrote a travel story about the island itself, and we made a travel video about Barbados. There was a special reason why I was invited to discover Barbados: the Crop Over Festival.

This world-class festival is held on Barbados every year. In 1780, the island of Barbados was the largest producer of sugar in the world. At the end of the sugar cane harvest, inhabitants of the island organized a large festival to celebrate their hard work. And this can be called a festival for sure. We float from one celebration in another. The Crop Over Festival has become the annual highlight of one of the easternmost islands of the Caribbean, with a smash of color, costumes, music, food and unique history. The celebrations range from historical memories and performances such as the Cohobblopot to Foreday morning, in which local residents dance in mud, paint and powder.

We explore Bridgetown market, with hundreds of stalls full of local arts and crafts and local snacks and drinks, while the bands play their live calypso and soca music. My highlight is the Grand Kadooment parade, a dance parade in which partygoers are dressed up in scarce costumes of feathers and beads. And the music… Occasionally I bring those Caribbean spheres at home, listening to the sounds of calypso and soca music again. What an atmosphere, what a wonderful people. I’ve had a blast. One is more colorful than the other, and best of all? Everyone respects each other. Everyone is beautiful. The wells, bellies and buttocks may be seen, please do so. The bigger, the better. And they radiate, proudly being a female. That touches me. We should take an example. Nothing wrong with curves!