Crop Over 2019 Band Launch Season has started off with a bang. Second up to launch, Zulu is no stranger to early launch seasons. We applaud all the bands who are taking the bold step to bring forward Band Launch Season for Crop Over as it is much needed. Zulu has remained consistent with early launches, even launching their themes early, whetting appetites when their Crop Over 2019 theme was released in late 2018. Self styled as ‘the FUN Band’, Zulu has remained energetic and vibrant with its themes and presence and the new theme for Crop Over 2019 ‘Welcome to Paradise’ seems set to be a continuation of that.

The difference with Zulu’s launch is that unlike previous launches, this one will be all digital, taking place virtually. This means everyone will tune in at the same time (7 PM in Barbados, 7 PM ET for the US, 11 PM in the UK) to see Zulu’s costumes strutting down the stage. With a theme like ‘Welcome to Paradise’ there is so much potential for fun and beauty as well as a wide range of beautiful colours. Zulu is poised to have a visually gorgeous band on the road this year with such a lush, abundant, luxurious theme.

What we are interested in, moreso than the costumes, is how Zulu performs this year both on and off the road. It was reported that the band had an internal shakedown after Crop Over 2018, shedding some core members who were instrumental in restoring Zulu back to prominence after 2015, when key stakeholders left the brand and brought it to its knees. Zulu was completely rebuilt from the ground up and came back better than ever, so it remains to be seen if it will continue along this upward trajectory. Fingers crossed.

We do look forward to seeing Zulu launch. We harbour our own doubts about virtual launches because sometimes the best images from a launch happen off-stage when the models are walking through the crowd and when patrons are able to see the costume move on the model but we trust Zulu knows what they are doing.

Will you be tuning in for Zulu International 2019? What do you expect to see?