He won it in 2013, and 2014 and this year Ian Webster entered the stage with an entourage of angels, began to ‘Pray for the Souls’ and the divine message of this second song again earned him Barbados’ 2017 Pic-O-De-Crop title.
Webster who goes under the pseudonym, iWeb, paid musical tribute to those who died on the roads of Barbados, to grieving relatives of the departed, in the process tugging at heart strings of the judges along with the audience who packed Kensington Oval Saturday night for this premier of the Crop Over season’s musical competitions.
Resplendent, along with his back-up angels, in all-white and wings to give a celestial touch befitting a messenger iWeb delivered a message of concern for the plague of uncertainty of life that this year beset the highways and byways of the island.
As of Aug. 7 Barbados registered 16 deaths on the road owing to vehicular accidents for the year, compared to 10 in all of 2016.
Accompanied by a versatile beat that allowed for an up tempo or slow rendition, he delivered in an unhurried melody in the style of a man with a message that he wants all to hear and clearly understand.
“Another accident… you get a call that change your life… suddenly misery… de car hit she an roll.
“Who can console a parent out of control. She daughter 15 years old, she will never come home. Death got a hold of a young life … another gone while we pray for de soul,” were the telling words in parts of the lyrics.
In that deliberate air of a messenger who wants the message to sink in the first time around, iWeb rounded on drink and driving, and smoke and driving, and the common practice of youngsters one-wheeled motorbike stunts on the roads, wheelies.
“Yu say that you love to smoke and the rum… cars make to race and motor cycles for wheelieing but do you ever consider the life that you put at risk when you on de road getting ignorant and recklessness?”
“Driver can’t you see your quest for speed will inject you in grief?”
Drivers of small public transport busses did not escape attention either.
“Ah see how you hustling just to feed yu family, but transporting passengers safely you always neglecting. To get a two dollar racing your colleague side by side.
“Around de corner bus coming the three of you collide.”
“Pray for de souls, we pray for the souls,” was iWeb’s common refrain.
His first song in this final of two appearances per performer was, ‘Salesman’ and iWeb hauled in a total 108 points to beat into second place veteran Edwin Yearwood with 100 points.
In the process he dethroned the 2016 Queen, Aziza.
Donella was third with 89 points and Chrystal placed fourth with 68 points.
