Born to klop: Baruch Entertainers to pay tribute to those they lost
COLOURFUL: Baruch Entertainers kitted out
Claude Jonas is the owner of the Baruch Entertainers. One of the newer troupes, established in 2017, it is also one of the largest, with 1 200 to 1 500 members.
Jonas says the pandemic led to a lot of hardship in their communities: “We have lost lives, people have lost jobs and livelihoods.
During Covid, we did a lot of our activities online, especially with the band and the music side of things, and tried to keep it alive. When we realised we could have a carnival again, we actively started up, while following protocols.
“It is challenging to run a troupe as it is so expensive and inflation is rife, and things like transport and food is a challenge also.
We have tried to make everything as affordable as possible for our people, but suppliers have had to raise their prices.
So we are excited about the value that Hollywoodbets, as a community-focused company, is offering to the culture, to members of troupes, supporters and patrons.
“We as troupe owners understand how important it is to get support like this, to protect the culture and hand it over in a healthy state to our children.”
Jonas says that the street parade is an opportunity to showcase talent and can unlock opportunities: “I think this carnival is going to move us forward in a great way and new opportunities will be presented for raw talent, especially from our youth.
Baruch has always been chorally strong. Our theme for this competition is focused on a tribute to the people we have lost, and we will entertain and showcase our culture.”
Baruch Entertainers won the section 1 title at their first Kaapse Klopse Karnival Association (KKKA) minstrel competition in 2018, and won again and come second once in their three years of competition. “We are looking forward to good sports between the competitors,” he said.
Jonas says that Saturday’s event kicked off the season nicely: “We had a fantastic time at Kenilworth, and it was great to see old faces and enjoy the camaraderie again. You can feel the excitement in the air and we are all buzzing.”