By Steve Blackett, General Secretary of the Democratic Labour Party and former Minister of Culture
Several years ago, Gwyneth Squires, a Trinidadian by birth, came to and made Barbados her home. The advent of the Crop Over Festival and the inclusion of masquerade depicted in Kadooment brought her and her amazing talent and vision to the fore.
She readily participated in Kadooment, bringing to the table her expertise and craftsmanship. As a result, and over several decades, many local participants learnt the skills associated with costume making. She became very much one of the matriarchs of Kadooment Day.
The death of Gwyneth Squires was a shock to many Barbadians. Her absence from the Kadooment landscape especially post-COVID-19 pandemic due to illness created a void but we were hopeful for her recovery and resumption of the excellence and depth of research displayed annually in her concepts and portrayal of Barbadian history and culture.
Her passing has certainly left a void in the creative and cultural landscape of Barbados as it relates to masquerade. Gwyneth has made an indelible contribution and enhanced the value of the masquerade of our Crop Over festival for the several decades that she has been involved. She captured many awards over the years in both the Grand Kadooment as well as the Junior Kadooment.
She also lent her skills and expertise to many schools as a judge for their cheerleading competitions at school sports. She not only judged but her critiques were developmental as she gave valuable insights and guidance for visual impact, use and contrast of colour, for future participation.
Gwyneth was committed to the preservation and development of the art form.
Over the years, the creativity and craftsmanship of Kadooment migrated towards more glitz and glamour as producers focused on the commercial aspects; however, Gwyneth stayed true to the authenticity of Barbadian history and culture. She was committed to Barbadian storytelling through masquerade.
Gwyneth was philanthropic as she gave willingly to charities. She also assisted dance groups by donating left-over costumes to enhance their portrayal of the Barbadians in their performances to enhance the tourism product.
Masquerade has been the visual image of Crop Over Festival as many scenes captured would grace the covers and pages of magazines, not only locally but regionally and internationally.
Gwyneth over the years became an activist agitating for more recognition for masquerade as an integral component of the festival that brought much attention to Crop Over on the international market, attracting many visitors to our shores. She along with other band leaders felt that enough attention was not given to the contribution of masquerade to the festival specifically and to GDP in general.
It is with deep appreciation, admiration and respect, that we salute Gwyneth Squires. She was indeed a passionate and committed matriarch of Barbadian masquerade.
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