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CONTENTS NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL’S 40TH ANNIVERSARY Editor Stephen Spark Contributing Writers Adanna Austin, Cheryl Barker, Dunstan Creavalle, Fiona McKinson, Fleur Russel, Lynette Ametewee, Martin Jay, Michael La Rose, Pax Nindi, Redhed, Robbie Joseph Administration Tailee Sewell, Jennifer Barrow Contributing Photographers Carl Gabriel, Stephen Spark Layout & Design Joseph Charles, Katie Segal, flyersandleaflets.com Marketing & Sales Dee Cummings Published by Joseph Charles Media, 367 Caledonian Road, London, N7 9DQ Telephone 08700 434 442 Fax 08700 433 872 E-Mail info@josephcharlesmedia.com Website www.josephcharlesmedia.com The views expressed in Carnival Grooves are not necessarily the views of the publisher or the editor. All material contained within this publication is the copyright of Joseph Charles Media. No material, written or photographic, may be reproduced in any way without the written permission of the publisher. No liability will be accepted for any errors which may occur within the magazine.
carnival grooves 2004 4 :: 6 ::
Mahogany Sweeps Splash Feature:The Story of Notting Hill Carnival
14 :: Notting Hill Carnival 2003 Winners
16 :: Participate don’t Spectate 18 :: Surviving Carnival Confunktions
20 ::Carnival People: Clary Salandy
21 :: Feature: Mas and the Meaning of Life
26 ::A to Z your carnival alphabet 31 :: Travel Information 32 ::Carnival Route Map
34 ::Carnival People: Chris Cox 36 ::Feature: Understanding Pan 40 ::Carnival People: Martin Jay 42 ::Soca 44 ::Keeping Carnival Alive 47 ::J’Ouvert 49 ::Events 52 ::Carnival People: Yaa Princess & Totally Talibah
53 ::Charting the future of Calypso, Wordology
54 ::Chaminuka’s UK Carnival World
55 ::Safety on the Streets
SUPPORTED BY
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FEATURE : : :
MAHOGANY >> PHOTOGRAPH STEPHEN SPARK
>> Mahogany sweeps Splash Mahogany Arts made an unprecedented clean sweep on Adults' Day (Sunday 15th August) at the Grand Carnival Splash, winning all four sections of the competition for large costumes. Mahogany's presentation, The Afro-Asian Experience, gained top place in the Male and Female Individual, King and Queen categories; under the Soca News scoring system*, the band scored a perfect 12. The graceful artistry and superb workmanship we have come to expect from Clary Salandy, Michael Ramdeen and their team were complemented by top-rate performances from the masqueraders, notably from the high-stepping zebras who truly seemed possessed by the spirit of the mas they were portraying. Other highlights included Paddington Arts Elimu (Masala, designed by Ali Pretty), which gave us a beautiful, intelligently presented mas, with a wonderful midnight robber, delightfully played. Shademakers impressed, yet again, with the quality and conception of their figures - unlucky, perhaps, to gain only a single point. It's always a pleasure to watch the joie-de-vivre of the enthusiastic youngsters at Beeraahaar (Myth and Reality), who filled the stage with colour and
beads. Dragons’ leopard was painted to perfection and full of feline wariness in her movements, while the big sailor from Genesis was a great hit with the capacity crowd at the palace. The event ran smoothly, starting at 3pm and finishing at 8.30pm after performances from 2003/4 Calypso Monarch Sister Sandra, and the amazing Soca Elvis and his pint-sized sidekick Cyclops. The inimitable Coco P acted as MC for the whole show, keeping his commentary commendably clear and brief. In future, the organisers need to allocate a space by the stage where photographers can stand without blocking anyone else's view. And several visitors commented that they would like to see a separate, noncompetitive post-carnival show of the very best of the year's mas, calypso, steelpan and soca from Notting Hill. In the right venue, and properly promoted, this ought to be a major money-spinner through ticket sales and syndication of television rights worldwide. It would also give a huge boost to wider public awareness and appreciation of carnival artforms in Britain. The question is: does the carnival community have the vision and professionalism to make it happen?
TOP 3 RESULTS Adults' Carnival Splash, Alexandra Palace, 15th August 2004. >>MALE INDIVIDUAL 1. Mahogany (251); 2. Paddington Arts Elimu (242); 3. Shademakers (224)
>>QUEEN 1. Mahogany (252); 2. Yaa Asantewaa (227); 3. Masquerade 2000 (220)
>>FEMALE INDIVIDUAL 1. Mahogany (247); 2. Masquerade 2000 (231); 3. Dragons (228)
>>BAND RESULTS
>>KING 1. Mahogany (261); 2. Paddington Arts Elimu (253); 3. Masquerade 2000 (251)
1. Mahogany - 12 points; 2. Masquerade 2000 - 4 points; 2. Paddington Arts Elimu - 4 points; 4. Yaa Asantewaa 2 points; 5.Dragons - 1 point; 5. Shademakers - 1 point
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* SN scoring system: 3rd place = 1 point, 2nd place = 2 points; 1st place = 3 points
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FEATURE : : :
>> PHOTOGRAPH CARL GABRIEL
the story of
NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL >> MICHAEL LA ROSE
The Notting Hill Carnival has survived "We reach!" : : : I first attended Notting Hill Carnival in 1973.I was 40 years. This fact alone is a testament to jumping up behind Ebony Steelband on the Harrow We were all chipping, my brother, my mother the men and women who have stood up for Road. and my cousins from Brooklyn. It was exciting, it was Caribbean culture and established the carni- intoxicating, it was freedom, it filled us with pride. Carnival was "we ting": Caribbean culture at its most val against fearsome odds. From the start, creative and expressive. As we wined, chipped and up, the inhospitable streets of London were the British establishment was aggressively jumped ours. We looked in the faces of the English spectators saw amazement, confusion, wonder and against this two-day "occupation" of part of and admiration. Yes, we are 40 years old and the history of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Notting Hill Carnival and its future can be summed up (RBKC) and the Borough of Westminster. As in a joke my brother Keith and I make about a rough flight from London to Port-of-Spain: "Boy. Ah doh late as the 1980s, a carnival chairperson air know how we reach, but we reach!" history of Notting Hill Carnival is complex and was invited to the House of Commons and is anThe example of our cultural resistance. Its roots lie in offered limitless amounts of money if the the mass migration of Caribbean people to England in the 1950s to make a better life. This fearless generaNotting Hill Carnival could be re-located to tion brought with them in their heads the fantasy of mas (masquerade) tradition, in their hands Brixton. Yet London's carnival has endured Caribbean the steelpan-beating art, in their blood the pulsating to become a festival of popular culture Caribbean rhythms and dance, on their lips the calypso and in their hearts and souls the organisation, unsurpassed in Europe. commitment and love for Caribbean carnival culture. 6 | Carnival Grooves
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40 YEARS OF the notting hill CARNIVAL . . . Caribbean roots : : :
In Trinidad after the ending of slavery in 1834, ex-slaves acted out the Camboulay (French cannes brulĂŠes - burning cane), a night procession with call-and-response singing, drumming, dancing, stick fighting and the carrying of lighted torches. This procession drew on their African artistic and masquerade traditions and was their commentary on their victory over the slave system. When the white planters abandoned their Mardi Gras carnival straight after Emancipation the ex-slaves claimed this new creative space and transformed it with the Camboulay into the Caribbean carnival. By the 1850s, Trinidad's British colonial authorities regarded the camboulay carnival as dangerous. They attempted first to ban and then to control the festival. Eventually camboulay became restricted to the early darkness at the beginning of the carnival. It became Jouvay (Jour ouvert - start of the day), which incorporates the "old mas", "dutty mas", "jab molassie" and "jab jab" African mas tradition. By 1881, the opposition to the carnival created by the ex-slaves in Trinidad came to a head. Paramilitary police were drafted in from England under the infamous Captain Baker to crush the carnival and take it off the streets of Port-of-Spain. The Jamettes (French diametre - the other side of society), the poor and dispossessed with their band-leaders, organised themselves in opposition. A raging battle exploded on carnival day between the British police and carnivalists. The Jamette's stones, stick-fighters and guerrilla warfare in the narrow streets routed Captain Baker's forces. After the defeat, the British governor promised that no more attempts would be made to ban the carnival if peace was restored and certain regulations were conceded. This deal established carnival in Trinidad forever, and it became the blueprint for Caribbean carnivals globally.
Claudia Jones's carnival : : :
Britain's exposure to Caribbean carnival's cultural and artistic traditions started with the televised recording of Lord Kitchener singing a calypso, "London is the place for me", in 1948, from the deck of troopship SS Empire Windrush as it docked with the first wave of West Indian migrants. A few years later, the Trinidad All Stars Percussion Orchestra (TASPO) was the sensation of the Festival of Britain on the South Bank. Caribbean carnival was introduced to Britain as a response to the 1958 Notting Hill Race Riots and the racial murder of an Antiguan carpenter, Kelso Cochrane, in North Kensington. The West Indian (Caribbean) community in the area was being attacked by racist Teddy Boy gangs, supporters of Oswald Moseley's White
Defence League, from their Latimer Road base. The West Indian community rallied and fought back, eventually gaining the upper hand against the racists. The next response came from Trinidad-born Claudia Jones, a political and cultural activist who edited the West Indian Gazette. She proposed organising a carnival in London. She understood the unifying power of carnival and felt it could be used to show the British population the creativity of Caribbean people as well as to demonstrate they had no intention of being intimidated by racists. The first West Indian Gazette Caribbean Carnival was held in St Pancras Town Hall in 1958, along with a small outdoor procession in Powis Square, North Kensington. The format consisted of a Jouvay presentation choreographed by Alistair Bain, a carnival masquerade competition, including small bands and steelbands. Artists such as the Mighty Sparrow, Elaine Delmar and the Curtis Pierre Trinidad Steelband performed live, with a carnival queen beauty contest organised by Carmen England. The West Indian carnival proved a great success and continued at various venues, including Seymour Hall and Porchester Hall, for seven years until Claudia Jones's death of chronic heart disease in 1964.
Steel on the streets : : :
The North Kensington area in the 1960s was a slum infested with predatory landlords like the infamous Peter Rachman. It was a very multicultural area, with Caribbean, Spanish, Portuguese and Irish living alongside non-conformist white people enjoying the hippie lifestyle of the "swinging sixties". Rhaunie Laslett (Miss Las) was a white social worker who founded the London Free School, an advice centre which gave 24-hour free legal advice and assistance to the local immigrant population. With her numerous Caribbean friends and clients it is hard to believe that Miss Las had not known about Claudia Jones' West Indian carnival. Nevertheless, she famously claimed that a dream of a multitude of people in colourful costume was her impetus for starting the first Notting Hill Carnival. The first Notting Hill Carnival was a multicultural affair with a parade and show. Participants included the New Orleans Marching Band, Ginger Johnson and the Afro-Cuban Band, Irish dancers, Nell Gwynne riding in a horse-drawn orange cart and an inter-pub darts match. But the dynamic element within the parade was a steelband combo comprising Russell Henderson, an accomplished pianist and pan player, ex-TASPO pan soloist Sterling Betancourt, Vernon "Fellows" Williams, CONTINUED >>> Carnival Grooves | 7
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who played percussion, and Ralph Cherry. They had a regular spot, known as the "Sunday School", playing jazz at the Coleherne Pub in Earl's Court. When this band hit the Notting Hill carnival parade, all hell was let loose. Ecstatic Caribbean people abandoned whatever they were doing to come out and jump up. Reports say that people left their dinners burning on the stove or danced with shampoo still wet in their hair. The Caribbean elements of the festival needed no second thought. Caribbean carnival-lovers inundated Rhaunie Laslett with ideas on how to make the one-off carnival "better next year". This sometimes uneasy relationship continued until Laslett gave up leadership of the carnival in 1970, by which time Selwyn Baptiste's Notting Hill Adventure Playground Steelband had joined the Russell Henderson Combo in providing music on the road for 500 revellers. The carnival's Caribbean nature was established. The frst carnivals were memorably recorded by Trinidadian photographer and film-maker Horace Ove.
>> PHOTOGRAPH CARL GABRIEL
Carnival in De Grove : : : There was a new Caribbean leadership for the Notting Hill Carnival in the 1970s, supported by progressive and radical whites. In 1973 a young, dynamic leader, Trinidadian Lesley "Teacher" Palmer, took Notting Hill Carnival to the position of a national festival of popular culture. He recognised the need to develop the masquerade side of the carnival and to attract the young British-born blacks who were more interested in reggae and sound-system culture . Palmer encouraged Lawrence "Stretch" Noel and Mack Copeland, another skilled mas man, to produce costumes. Peter Minshall, a theatre designer from Trinidad was encouraged to make costumes for Metronomes Steelband. There were many more steelbands and soca brass bands participating. Reggae bands, including a young Aswad, and local rock bands made their appearance. Reggae sound systems set up along Acklam Road and in Acklam Hall, and the only two soca sounds at the time, Lord Sam and Shadow HiFi, took part. Palmer had transformed the event: in 1973 an estimated 150,000 people attended Notting Hill Carnival. This success also attracted the attention of the police, because of the presence of so many black youths, and stirred organised opposition among some white residents. By now those clamouring for action by the government to ban the event included the Metropolitan Police, the local MP, RBKC, residents' associations and George Clarke's paper The Golborne. The carnival community responded by forming the Carnival Development Committee (CDC) with a democratic constitution, organisation and elections.
Riot : : : In the run-up to carnival 1975, Chief Superintendent Patterson displayed to an eager press a 500-signature petition demanding that the carnival be stopped or
moved. Residents complaining of noise and the use of their front gardens as toilets threatened to take out a High Court injunction, while the Metropolitan Police spoke of the carnival being a hotbed of pickpocketing. The CDC countered that more arrests took place every Saturday at football matches, pickpocketing was worse in Oxford Street and argued for more public toilets to be provided. carnival went on without incident in 1975. But the whirlwind was about to hit. Patterson was not giving up: "If the carnival were held in the streets this year [1976] we would have to think in terms of not hundreds but thousands [of police]. Police leave might have to be cancelled not just here but throughout the metropolis‌ I am 100% convinced that the carnival has outgrown itself and is no longer suitable for the streets of Notting Hill or any other London streets in its present form." Under its chairman Selwyn Baptiste, the CDC had developed the fantastic Panoramas at Isaac Newton School in Lancaster Road, and the well-attended, profitable Carnival Galas in the Commonwealth Institute. Carnival ended with a Blocorama of all the bands gathered in Powis Square, which provided music for the last lap carnival revellers. The carnival area stretched from Bayswater Road in the south, to Harrow Road in the north, with its epicentre at Portobello Green. It was here at the junction of Portobello Road and the Flyover, "under the bridge", where the steelbands sounded the sweetest and where the wining and wukking-up was most intense. Bands did not follow a set route but crisscrossed the area with their wining masqueraders and crowds of jumping non-costumed followers. Carnival was broadcast live by Alex Pascal on his Black Londoners programme on Radio London. A fledgling soca music industry developed, led by the Jamaican Sonny Roberts and his Orbitone and Tackle record labels. The leading British-based soca artist was Roy Alton from Dominica, whose hits included "Tell them" and "Mas in de Grove". Orbitone also had a massive hit with "Gipsy Love" by Belinda Parker. People came from all over Europe to attend carnival. The carnival diaspora began to fly in from the Caribbean, the USA and Canada. They were not the only ones flocking to Notting Hill Carnival, however. In 1976 blue banks of policemen invaded the street corners like an occupying army. Where in 1975 there had been 300 policemen on duty, carnival 1976 saw 3000. Patterson had made good his threats. He refused stallholders permission to set up stalls and vowed to carry out arrests on those who sold alcohol illegally. The police behaved aggressively and with calculated provocation. There are numerous urban myths about where the trouble started, but the inevitable happened. A full-scale battle broke out between the police and black youths on the streets of Notting Hill. Shocking photographs and film footage showed hundreds of policemen using dustbin lids for protection running from their young black tormenters. The black youths won the fight for control of the streets that day. The Metropolitan Police never forgave the carnival and there has been a heavy police presence ever since. The Notting Hill Carnival was CONTINUED >>> Carnival Grooves | 9
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For the first time 1 million people attended the Notting Hill Carnival... catapulted to the top of the political agenda in Britain. The CDC, under its new chair Race Today editor Darcus Howe, issued a detailed document, The Road Make to Walk on Carnival Day, which gave a powerful answer to carnival's enemies and helped prevent a ban. But the price was a split within the carnival movement, which never recovered its original unity.
Civil war : : : The Community Relations Council (CRC) and RBKC funded a rival carnival organisation, the Carnival Arts Committee (CAC), led by Vijay Ramlall and later Louis Chase. The police publicly supported the CAC. There was civil war in the carnival movement with lifelong friendships shattered or put under strain. An attempt was made to get people to go to another carnival to be held in Finsbury Park, under the leadership of Pastor Rupert Morris. But this diversion failed miserably within two years. The people wanted a real Caribbean carnival on the streets. By the end of the 1970s the CDC was crippled economically and could hardly operate. Eventually it folded, but carnival was still on the streets and the bands had multiplied, with innovative mas from Larry Forde's Sukuya, Lion Youth and Elimu. Cocoyea was taking part in Trinidad mas competitions and the Shortnee from Grenada stamped out their call-and-response chants through a cloud of talcum powder on the streets of the Grove. 10 | Carnival Grooves
Mainstream acceptance : : :
In the early 1980s, Alex Pascal became carnival chairman, aiming to raise the event's profile and acceptability, They worked closely with the police. Still the police continued to push the line that carnival was a public order problem and the media judged it solely on crime figures. As late as 1987 Evening Standard headlines screamed "Ban the Notting Hill Carnival". Yet none of this prevented the carnival growing stronger nor did it discourage new mas and steel bands from forming. Soca got a boost when Cocoyea started promoting fetes for the next generation of carnival people at Swiss Cottage. Cousins Keith Lakhan and Danny Holder (L&H Promotions) established the annual Socalypso festival, bringing in artists from all over the Caribbean. Soca music had even reached the charts, first with Kitchener's "Sugar Bum Bum", then Arrow's "Soca Rhumba", "Hot Hot Hot" and "Long Time", as well as "Lorraine" by Explainer and Director's massive "Sousey" from Barbados. For the first time 1 million people attended the Notting Hill Carnival. Meanwhile, the police, under Paul Condon, sought still greater control of the carnival by restricting the mas and music to a fixed route and blocking off "sterile streets" in the name of public order. The inevitable result was congestion and crushing - a legacy that plagues Notting Hill Carnival to this day. They imposed an 8pm curfew and demanded a seat for a police or Home Office
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Cultural resistance has taken place from slavery in the Caribbean to the streets of London. representative on the carnival organising committee. The CAC refused. In 1988 matters came to a head when a smear campaign was launched in the press about incompetence and corruption in the CAC. This, backed up by a Coopers and Lybrand report, finished the credibility of the Alex Pascal and Victor Critchlow-led CAC committee. Simultaneously, the Mangrove restaurant was raided and Frank Critchlow, its radical owner, arrested. Although not a single allegation was proven, the damage had been done.
Commercialisation : : : In 1989, Claire Holder was elected as the new chairperson of the CAC. She promptly dissolved the organisation and formed the Carnival Enterprise Committee (CEC) to pursue a conservative business enterprise outlook. Now the police felt they could intervene and dictate the actual parade of the bands, setting up barriers across the streets to stop people jumping up behind the bands. The police called it, "The best carnival ever". Carnival supporters disagreed. The Association for a People's Carnival (APC) was formed to challenge the new committee's plans and to educate people about carnival's history and culture. The new leadership often seemed out of step with the consensus of the carnival community. Promises of economic financial development through sponsorship proved hollow, benefiting big businesses but offering little in return for carnivalists. The CEC, rebranded Notting Hill Carnival Ltd (NCL), awarded the annual magazine contract to the Evening Standard, which for so long had campaigned to ban Notting Hill Carnival. Economically, mas and steel bands were left to their own devices and found it hard to survive; several went to the wall. By contrast, the Metropolitan Police had a ÂŁ3 million budget for policing carnival each year. Notting Hill Carnival was still very popular, with 1.5 million turning up on the two days of the festival. But it was hard to tell what they were turning up for. Was it for the now-prolific sound systems whose supporters fed off the unique atmosphere of the carnival but hardly recognised or related to the culture that produced it? They played RnB, jungle, reggae, bashment, house and garage - everything, in fact, except soca or related music. Although the culture was suffering official neglect, carnival's institutions were slowly strengthening. The mas bands reformed their defunct organisation, the British Association of Steelbands was formed, and the soca sounds created the Caribbean Music Association. Joseph "JC" Charles and Robbie Joseph formed Soca News and Pan Podium respectively, Britain's first regular
magazines on carnival, soca, calypso and steelpan music. The Association of British Calypsonians (ABC) developed Europe's first calypso tent at the Yaa Asantewaa Centre. Caribbean carnivals spread to Brixton, Hackney and Walthamstow. Ebony Steelband represented Britain at the World Steelband Festival in Trinidad along with European steelbands developed by Sterling Betancourt. Carnival masquerade and steel orchestras took part in the Millennium celebrations at the Dome and chipped down the Mall in front of Buckingham Palace as part of the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations. There was an ignominious end to the reign of Claire Holder, the longest-serving carnival chairperson. The NCL trustees locked her out of the carnival offices. This internal palace coup is still swathed in confusion and counter claims. When two murders took place at the 2000 carnival the old cycle of bad publicity in the media restarted. A public GLA review of carnival was instituted by Mayor Ken Livingstone, but, disappointingly, the main recommendation was to change the carnival route so that it would become a procession ending in Hyde Park! The 40-year controversial history of the Notting Hill Carnival continues!
Future perfect? : : : Carnival culture is a culture of resistance. When you are wining in a band, jumping to a steelband or laughing at a calypso, remember who went before to make this possible. Cultural resistance has taken place from slavery in the Caribbean to the streets of London. We have produced a festival of popular culture unsurpassed anywhere in Europe. We must promote carnival cultural education, record its history, help carnival to progress and survive. We must want a Notting Hill Carnival and the beauty of our art and culture for our children and children's children.
The Story of Notting Hill Carnival is available in full at www.socanews.com, from where it may be downloaded as a pdf file.
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FEATURE : : :
SISTER SANDRA
>> Notting Hill Carnival 2003 winners CALYPSO MONARCH COMPETITION FINALS 2003 1st >> Sister Sandra 2nd >> Alexander D Great 3rd >> Lord Cloak Panorama Finals 1st >> Mangrove Steelband 2nd >> Ebony Steel Orchestra 3rd >> Glissando Steel Orchestra Soca on 1st >> 2nd >> 3rd >>
D Move - 24/08/03 (first day) Mike Forbes Myxterious Zoomer D
Soca on 1st >> 2nd >> 3rd >>
D Move - 25/08/03 (second day) Soca Massive Mike Forbes Lord Sam
Soca on 1st >> 2nd >> 3rd >>
D Move Overall Winner Soca Massive Mike Forbes Lord Sam
ADULT BAND OF THE YEAR
Best Traditional Bands 1st >> Yaa Asantewaa Carnival Group 2nd >> Paraiso School of Samba 3rd >> Quilombo de Samba Best Fun/Fantasy Bands 1st >> Masquerade 2000 2nd >> Burrokeets UK 3rd >> Phoenix Carnival Club Best Historical Bands 1st >> London School of Samba 2nd >> Invaders Mas Band 3rd >> Flamingo Carnival Arts Best Modern Contemporary Band 1st >> Mahogany Carnival Club 2nd >> Dragons Sporting & Social Club 3rd >> South Connections Carnival Club CHILDREN BANDS OF THE YEAR Traditional 1st >> Caribbean Carnival Club 2nd >> Paddington Schools 3rd >> Jamboulay Carnival Arts
Small 1st >> Positive Productions/Winds of Change 2nd >> Flamboyan Carnival Club 3rd >> Batala
Fun/Fantasy 1st >> Masquerade 2000 2nd >> Children & Parents Carnival Association 3rd >> BeeRaaHaar - Sweet Combination 3rd >> St Clements & St James
Medium 1st >> Quilombo de Samba 2nd >> Phoenix Carnival Band 3rd >> Dragons Sporting & Cultural Club
Historical 1st >> Invaders Mas 2nd >> People of Paradise Art Carnival Group 3rd >> Tropical Isles
Large 1st >> Mahogany Carnival Club 2nd >> Yaa Asantewaa Carnival Group 3rd >> Masquerade 2000
Modern 1st >> 2nd >> 3rd >>
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Contemporary South Connections Carnival Club Mahogany Carnival Club Positive Productions/Winds of Change
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participate don't spectate Every August, Notting Hill Carnival comes and goes like clockwork, or so it seems to the onlooker. Behind the rainbowcoloured costumes bobbing down All Saints Road against the remnants of the summer sun, the pulsating rhythms and catchy lyrics inspiring the movement of your waistline, and those succulent johnny cakes, bbq chicken and island punches mixed with the steely sound of pan are the movement of a thousand fingers belonging to people who dedicate their time, energy and passion to the success of this great festival. In Trinidad, legend has it that as soon as the last band goes across the Savannah judging-point, work starts on next year’s costumes. It is no different here, as volunteers are active throughout the year planning, creating and producing for the annual celebration. The development of the carnival over the past 40 years has facilitated the sharing of expertise, knowledge and skills to ensure that it remains a people’s festival. That means anyone with an interest can participate, regardless of whether they share the Caribbean origins of (most of) its founders. Through mas-making, pan-playing or helping in 101 ways, you too can get involved. >> LYNETTE AMETEWEE
“anyone with an interest can participate”
participate don't spectate 16 | Carnival Grooves
Mas-making If you thought you were not born with a creative eye for design, you can always learn the art of developing a show-stopping masquerade structure. Many organisations, colleges and mas camps teach costume-making. Some courses are nationally accredited, many are flexible and all are easily accessible. Isle of Wight Council offers an accredited NCFE Certificate in Creative Crafts – Carnival at Foundation, Intermediate and, in 2005, Advanced levels. Costume-making becomes a fun, family affair as the courses are suitable for both adults and their children. Londonbased Kinetika runs a “Making of Mas” course for anyone interested in learning carnival skills with a view to entering employment. If your interests are more specific, South London-based South Connections Carnival Club offers “Making Headdresses” and, says Roz Price, “the whole attachment to South Connections offers experiential learning of carnival”.
Mas-making: Isle of Wight Council Arts Unit, tel: 01983 616362, email: carnival@rydedevelopemttrust.org South Connections, tel: 020 7735 2786, email: southconnections@atlas.co.uk NHMBA, 020 7575 3108 and leave a message.
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Pan-playing
Sound systemS
Street traders
In the early days, anyone with an ear for rhythm could beat a steel pan. Even now, once you have an interest in creating good rhythms and a commitment to regular practice, you can join a steel band, develop expertise in this artform and have a chance of participating in carnival competitions. It helps if you are able to read music, but this is not essential. Many steel bands, such as Ebony, Mangrove, Stardust, Glissando, Metronomes and Southside Harmonics, offer free steel pan classes. Although targeted at young people, the classes are open to all. Band members may also have the chance to develop their skills in public and private performances throughout the year
The British Association of Sound Systems (BASS) manages 41 approved static sound system sites. The membership fee entitles sound systems to play everything from calypso, reggae and ragga to garage, hip-hop and samba, to feed the varied musical tastes of carnival-goers. Spaces are limited, so sounds wishing to participate must register for the official waiting list. This is open to sounds regardless of size, popularity and music form. When a member gives up a site, the site is reallocated to the sound system at the top of the waiting list. The BASS Executive provides guidance on site plan development and risk assessment, and at least two members of a sound system must receive stewarding training.
Involvement in carnival is not restricted to the display and procession. You can make a contribution by selling anything from noodles to T-shirts to the throngs of carnival-goers. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Carnival Office has guidelines for aspiring carnival street traders. It is advisable to sign up as early as possible, as there is fierce competition for the limited number of places. Priority is given to traders from the previous year, followed by those on a reserved list on a first-come firstserved basis. All traders must take part in a carnival safety training session.
Steel pan: British Association of Steelbands, website: www.panpodium.com; by clicking on the Bands link you can obtain details of all member steel bands.
Sound systems:
Street trading: Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, website: www.rbkc.gov.uk
British Association of Static Sounds, tel: Ricky Belgrave, 07958 697 175
There is increasing recognition of the roles of active citizenship and local communities as driving forces for regenerating deprived communities. The carnival community is no different, and limited budgets mean that Notting Hill Carnival depends on large helpings of volunteers’ in-kind contributions. Whether you choose to be band steward, DJ, moko jumbie (stilt-walker), float truck driver, drink truck staff, children’s carnival masquerader, queen of the band or event manager, there is a role for you. Not only will you be contributing your skills to benefit Europe’s greatest street festival (and the 50 or so other carnivals around the UK), but you will also be benefiting by learning new skills and gaining invaluable experience.
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FEATURE : : :
>> surviving carnival confunKtions >> WHAT TO WEAR…… Now, carnival is a serious time when it comes to clothes. For those of us playing mas, we don't really have to worry, our costume is provided. For those in a t-shirt band, the main concern is what to wear on the bottom half. When the weather is warm, short, tight shorts are a must, or for the less confident some nice jeans ... tight but not too tight of course as you do need room in your jeans to wine to the ground. Store all money deep down in your brassiere, loose change can be stored in your trainers, or pockets if you're wearing jeans ... don't grumble if you lose some ... it's carnival. Big flags, little flags plenty rags, representing your country is an absolute must every time. >> WHAT'S WITH THAT FOOTWEAR….. Trainers trainers all the way ... (do you know how long that walk is?) It's almost a certainty that your feet will be stepped on at least 100 times during the procession of Notting Hill, not to mention you might lose a shoe if you're sporting flip flops, so open toe shoes or high heels are a nono. >> WATER…..(URGENT MESSAGE…RUM WILL NOT HYDRATE YOU) I understand that this practice is alien to some of you, but it is a good idea to stay well hydrated through the course of the day, as you will not want to embarrass yourself by passing out or vomiting on a nice young lady or man. >> WINE….YES PLEASE Now we are not talking alcohol here. We are talking full waist pelting, hip gyrating, pelvic pulsating, bumper bubbling all round wuk up session … so remember not to leave your snake oil at home ... or limber up before you come. 18 | Carnival Grooves
>> WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE BOY…… The thing about carnival is every man, woman, beast and his dog from all walks of life will literally try to tief a wine, steal a juk, pinch a wuk off of you at some stage. No matter how much you want to get on bad just remember … somebody somewhere would have caught it on film and to your horror your mother would be sitting down with her cup of tea watching the ITV 10 o'clock news carnival special of you and an old man getting down. >> WHERE IS MY MAN / WOMAN… You should not worry yourself about the location of your man, because your man is not your man at carnival, he is everybody else's man… and more than likely he is taking a good wine somewhere, so leave him be. And the same goes for your woman, so don’t go thinking it’s any different ... >> WOW THAT FOOD TASTING NICE….. Make sure you check out the people who you're buying food from. A big queue is always a good sign … cause you would not appreciate going down with a case of bad belly at carnival. >> WHO HAS THE RUM?…. It's nice when all your friends come together and you all purchase plenty drinks for the day… but what happens when the friend carrying the rum goes missing, hmmmm … panic stations. You find yourself running around, halfdrunk, trying not to get sober shouting, "Who has the rum?" Well my advice is to carry your own bottle in your own hand. If you remember all the W's then you are sure to have a safe and memorable carnival …see you there. >> REDHED
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clary salandy >> MAHOGANY DESIGNER What was your first involvement in carnival? I've been involved with Notting Hill since 1982. I started off as an assistant to Arthur Peters, who was at the time working for Cocoyea under Nikki Lyons. Carl Gabriel saw me working there and invited me to become a designer for Stardust. I stayed there for about five years, then I started my own band, Mahogany, in 1989. Our first year at Notting Hill was 1990. Do you have any treasured memories from Notting Hill Carnival? We did really well and got Band of the Year and much more in 1989. It was a really fabulous year for Stardust. Also every year when the band comes together. That first moment of seeing it is always beautifully special. Is there a major obstacle you have encountered over the years or do you have a bad memory of Notting Hill? One thing that has not been good has been the disrespect of carnival as an event by young people who use it as a crime hotspot. It means that there are lots of people and families that could come to carnival but don't, because there is a fear. Who or what has been the greatest influence on Notting Hill? For a very long time we have been influenced by Trinidad yet maintained individuality. There is a style of design that exists in Notting Hill that even Trinidad does not have any longer. Also, the funding structure enables us to put steel pan in the schools and we are
more able to do what the artform really needs rather than what the public who buy the costumes want. What have been your major inspirations in terms of carnival? I think it has been pride in my roots. When I first came to the UK there was a view that carnival was not an artform, that it was just done by "those people over there", who don't know what they are doing. I had an art teacher who made a negative comment and I swore that I was going to prove her wrong. I wanted to prove that carnival is a universal visual language that's extremely dynamic and very worthwhile. When you speak through carnival you speak to every level in society. What changes would you like to see to improve Notting Hill? I'd like to see support for all the artists that make carnival, from mas through to the music. We are so underresourced that to produce anything of quality requires a huge effort. Do you think that the youngsters that get into it are going in the right direction to sustain it for the future? Well, if I have anything to do with it! I think that there is a big shift now through education for young people to have that understanding, and that we are on the brink of a really fabulous future for carnival. We just need to get the ministers and government to support the artists through the year so their creative potential can be fully developed. >> DUNSTAN CREAVALLE
>> FOR MORE ON CLARY VISIT SOCANEWS.COM 20 | Carnival Grooves
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>> CARNIVAL BY MELTON PRIOR, 1888
Mas and the meaning of life >> STEPHEN SPARK
>> Why are we here? That may seem a strange question to ask at carnival. Surely, you'll say, we're here to have a good time – to take a little drink, meet up with friends, admire the costumes, maybe eye-up the passing talent, get on bad to the music and wine up on someone. In short, we're here to party. True, but did you know that you're also carrying on a cultural tradition going back not 40 years, not even 200 years (thank you, Trinidad), but several thousand years? Elsewhere in Carnival Grooves you'll read the story of how Carnival (with a capital C) started in Trinidad, was brought over by enterprising West Indian migrants and took root in the chilly, grimy streets of post-war London, from where it has spread like some glorious, sequin-freckled summer-flowering plant across most of England and Europe. This, though, is the little-known story behind that story, the mas behind the Trinidadian mask. Carnival didn't spring up fully formed in Trinidad; it was introduced from two directions – Europe and Africa – at almost the same time. Trinidad's unique contribution was to bring the two traditions together. Although perhaps, as we shall see, it actually reunited them. When French colonists arrived from about the year 1783, they brought with them their Catholic religion and customs. One of these was Carnival, the merriment and feasting you could enjoy before CONTINUED >>> Carnival Grooves | 21
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>> CARNIVAL BY MELTON PRIOR, 1888
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submitting yourself to the fasting and gloom of Lent. The colonists lived very much as they had done in their native country, complete with fêtes champêtres (country fairs). There was time to have fun, because the pre-Lent period coincided with the quietest part of the sugar cane season. The later British settlers had their own time for madness and mayhem at Christmas and New Year, which is why the traditional Caribbean carnival season stretches from Christmas to Ash Wednesday (February or March) when Lent begins. The British holiday season had its own carnivalesque moment on 5th January: “Twelfth Night” was Christmas Day in the old Roman calendar, a time of music, masquerade, feasting and “the world turned upside down”. Men dressed as women, a servant or young boy was elected master for the day, and the master acted as one of the servants. Fortified by plenty of alcohol, the British could party as hard as anyone! Our word “carnival” comes from the Latin carne vale, “farewell to flesh”. Here “flesh” means both meat (which you denied yourself over the 40 days of Lent) and the pleasures of the flesh – taking in everything from alcohol and dancing to swearing and sex. Human nature being what it is, people tried to cram in as much sin as they could before Mardi Gras (“Fat Tuesday”) turned into Ash Wednesday. The strictly religious took a dim view of all this (they still do). Blame the Romans! They had celebrated the pleasures of over-indulgence in a holiday called Saturnalia, and it was this that the new Christian (Catholic) church had cunningly repackaged, putting a veneer of religious respectability on the old celebration. Different aspects of Saturnalia ended up in Christmas and Carnival, but the recipe for excess was pretty much unchanged. The main feature was freedom from restraint (and in 1834 Trinidad's newly emancipated slaves would instinctively have understood that aspect of their masters' Carnival). Saturn was the Roman god of planting and harvest, whose symbol was a scythe. The Romans were themselves keen repackagers of other people's cultures and borrowed a lot from the Greeks, including their gods. Saturn was a combination of Chronos, the Greek god of time who was armed with a scythe, and the fertility god Kronos, who wielded a sickle. With names and symbols like that, you can see how even ancient Greeks confused the two. Chronos/Kronos with his sickle/scythe is the spitting image of Death, the Grim Reaper (the traditional image of the old year). Kronos was ruler of the world but lost his throne to another son, the powerful bearded figure of Zeus, whose name seems to derive from the word for “life”. So we have “Life” overthrowing “Death”, a recurring theme in both religion and Carnival. The Greeks weren't above borrowing gods, either, and Saturn/Kronos/Chronos seems to have a lot in common with Baal, the fertility god of the area we now know as Jordan and Palestine. Baal (meaning “lord” or “master”) achieved notoriety in the Bible as Beelzebub, the embodiment of evil. Far from being the Saddam Hussein of gods, Baal was probably another symbol of
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the cycle of birth, life and death. His death and resurrection were celebrated in some places with alarming enthusiasm – frantic dancing, music, drinking and debauchery. Sounds like it's Carnival time again… There's even an echo of Jouvert in the way keen Baal worshippers would dance around smeared in ashes and mud. So where did Baal come from? In this, as in so much else, all roads lead to Africa. For “Baal”, read “Osiris”, from the Nile delta. This Egyptian master of the realm of dead also moonlighted as a vegetation god. Death and fertility again. Osiris is also associated with the Greek Dionysos (Bacchus), the god of wine. His followers, dressed in animal skins, whipped themselves into a frenzy, tore live animals to pieces in their bare hands (don't try this at home) and ran around in a dishevelled state muttering mad prophecies. Both men and women ensured “no sort of crime, no kind of immorality was left unattempted”. That's what I call real bacchanal. To complete this world tour and to link the past with the present, we head across Africa to Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Benin. Here the processional festivals have all the ingredients of traditional Caribbean Carnival. Secret societies, such as the Egungun of Nigeria, reinforced the rules of the community through masquerade. The usual format is for masked, costumed figures, often representing the ancestors, to process through the streets accompanied by acrobats, clowns, dancers and drummers, sometimes with pointed messages for people who have behaved badly in the past year. In the Ivory Coast, masqueraders perform daring acrobatics on tall stilts uttering wild screeches - the moko jumbies of Caribbean Carnival. Other common features are animal masks, and body-coverings of raffia, greenery or multi-coloured strips of cloth. These carried through into that other strand of African diaspora mas called Jonkonnu, which sprang up in Jamaica, Bahamas, Bermuda and the southern states of America. The other great African/European carnival collision occurred in South America, from which have developed the massive floats, baterias and samba schools of Brazilian carnival. Even in far-off Mauritius African slaves left an enduring legacy of their culture in the form of calypso-like séga music. The combination of music, masking, movement and message is one that we perpetuate in Notting Hill each August Bank Holiday. The masking hides the identity of the wearer and gives the masquerader licence to mock and criticise the rich and powerful, especially those who abuse their position in society (cue calypso). This once-a-year reversal of power is an essential ingredient of a healthy society. When we wear a mask or costume we take on something of the spirit of that creature or character and we are literally no longer ourselves - a liberating experience, and one that for centuries has made rulers and their enforcers very nervous. It may seem a long way from what we consider “English”, but here too there was once a rich web of
“Carnival is about the very essence of our human nature” Carnival-type traditions before the po-faced Victorians whitewashed them out of history. At Christmastime, outlandishly costumed mummers and guisers, fortified with strong drink, went from door to door performing their curious dramas. Guy Fawkes Night was a rowdy occasion when members of secret “bonfire societies” took over the streets, played mas in animal masks and burnt effigies of those who had broken society's unwritten rules to the sound of “rough music” (a sort of untuned steel band) or sang ribald songs ridiculing their victims. Morris dancers blacked their faces, covered themselves in greenery or wore costumes of multi-coloured strips of cloth. One theory holds that “morris” stems from “moorish” and was a dance imported 500 years ago from the north African conquerors of Spain. The Church constantly battled against these “pagan” practices, but it was the government and the police that finally, and bloodily, stamped out traditional Carnival in England 150 years ago. The tactics they employed in England were identical to those of the colonial government in Trinidad. There was the same battle for control of the streets and the official obsession with preventing “disorder” by changing procession routes and erecting barriers to isolate “performers” from “spectators” (meaningless distinctions in true Carnival). There was the same media condemnation of behaviour at the festivals and the identical desire to turn a vibrant display of “people power” into a harmless parade of prettiness. The difference was that the English festivals died out, whereas Trinidad Carnival survived the battering and eventually thrived. The Spirit of Carnival is resilient, however, and universal, with a multitude of names. It stretches from Puri in India, where a monster “float” is pulled through streets for the “Car festival” of Lord Jagannath (the origin of our word “juggernaut”), to China's familiar dragons and lion dances, to Mauritius, where Shi'a Muslims celebrate Yamsé (aka Muharram or, in Trinidad, Hosay) with drumming, dancing and a procession of elaborate temple-like structures called “ghoons”. Whatever form the festival takes and wherever it occurs in time or place, Carnival is about the very essence of our human nature, reminding us of the inescapable cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth (and all the wonders of science haven't changed that). It provides a way for us to explore the big issues in a way that is both immediate and mysterious, simple yet of such multi-layered complexity as to defeat a band of philosophers. How strange it is to realise that the innocent pleasure of watching a sequinned butterfly costume shimmering its way down Ladbroke Grove on a summer afternoon links us to fertility rites dating from the dawn of civilisation. Carnival Grooves | 23
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carnival for all
The V&A celebrates the last 40 years of the Notting Hill Carnival with an exciting and varied programme of exhibitions, workshops and performance. The V&A celebrates the last 40 years of the Notting Hill Carnival with an exciting and varied programme of exhibitions, workshops and performance. From photography to costume design, from a spectacular parade to talks, there is something for everyone. Carnival For All on the 3rd October is a day full of carnival related events. You can listen to the majestic sound of pan in the Garden and the Grand Entrance, have a carnival inspired face paint, take part in costume making workshops and hear a talk covering the history of the Notting Hill Carnival. Round the day off by watching or joining in with the carnival parade as it winds it's way through the Grand Entrance and Garden, providing a real chance to see some of the best of Notting Hill 2004's costumes at close hand. Fantastic carnival costumes, supported by the Combined Arts Unit at the Arts Council
London Office will be on display from 3rd October till mid December in the Contemporary Textile Gallery at the museum. The Gallery will also hold a photographic exhibition of 40 photographs spanning the five decades of Notting Hill Carnival. The V&A is also interested in collecting photographs and objects relating to the history of carnival for a new online project called Every Object Tells A Story, where everyone can contribute to stories about objects. Visit the museum on 3 October, 13 November and 11 December to take part. A creative fashion workshop linking the V&A textile collection with Carnival will take place on 11 December. Add all of these dates and events to your diary. Not only are they free but they all promise to be fun, entertaining and educational!
For more information call 020 7942 2000 or visit www.vam.ac.uk Victoria and Albert Museum | Cromwell Road | London | SW7 How to reach the V&A: Station: South Kensington | Buses: C1, 14, 74 and 414
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Ayourto Z carnival alphabet A is for Alcohol - this will be in abundance, but you need to keep your wits about you for your health and safety, and that of others.
B is for Band - there will be plenty of these to wine behind, but not at the expense of the masqueraders who have paid for their costumes. C is for Carnival 2004 - what else can I say? Two days
name for costumes. These will be on display in all colours, shapes and forms, and ON all colours, shapes and forms.
N is for Necessities - only bring with you what you really need: travelcard, money for food or drink and your phone for emergencies. Leave the bling at home! O is for Others - respect other people because they
of pure pleasure.
want to have fun too. Respect the residents of Notting Hill, you are guests in their neighbourhood.
D is for Dancing - this will be a good opportunity to try
P is for Party - carnival is one big street party.
out all the latest dance moves, but only in time to the music please!
E is for Everybody - everybody who you have not seen in years will be on the streets of Notting Hill.
F is for Forty - forty years of Notting Hill Carnival, and may it continue for many more years.
G is for Ground - you will be covering lots of this if you
Q is for Queue - there will be lots of these, for the toilet, food, the tube; you name it, there will be queue for it. R is for Rest - take yuh time this year. Some schools are back the same week as Bank Holiday Monday, and you don't want to spend the whole term recovering. S is for Soca - the official music of carnival.
follow the route, so make sure you are wearing your most comfortable shoes. This is not a day for stilettos, or the day to wear new shoes that 'bun' your toe!
T is for Tempo - this is what you will be feeling as you
H is for Happy - happiness is the key to having fun at
U is for Unity - carnival is the chance for all colours, creeds and races to unite with a common aim: to have fun.
carnival. If everybody is happy, carnival runs smoothly.
I is for Imagination - the costumes you will see will all have been born out of the designer's imagination. Remember to give them their space on the road.
J is for Jerk Chicken - you will see this in all sizes, shapes and forms over the two days, because suddenly everybody turn chef. Check out the preparation before buying.
K is for Kiddies - give them their day on Sunday. If the Caribbean can have kiddie's days for kiddies only, then we can too.
L is for Love - carnival only deals in love and peace. Think 'One Love’ (Bob Marley)
M is for Masquerade (Mas) - masquerade is the technical 26 | Carnival Grooves
are surrounded by the sounds of soca and the sweet melody of the steel pans.
V is for a violence-free carnival - we don't want carnival to be remembered for the crime, but for the pretty mas and sweet, sweet music. W is for Waving - waving to your friends and with yuh rag ‌ obviously!
X is for X-ray - this could be in order, when all that wining allows you to discover bones and joints that you didn't even know you had.
Y is for Years - it is worth remembering that Europe's biggest street party is forty years old this year.
Z is for Zest - you will need plenty of this to last the carnival weekend.
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>> ADOPTION AND FOSTERING IN THE ROYAL BOROUGH The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Social Services work to help families to stay together. In exceptional circumstances it may be in the best interests of the child not to live with their family. This can be just for a few days to give the family time to sort out their problems, or for longer periods. If you would consider caring for a child for a short period of time, fostering may be for you. Fostering is about short-term care of children or young people in your own home on a temporary basis whilst their own parents are unable to look after them. Parents and other people close to the children may continue to have contact with them during this time. However, if you are considering a more permanent arrangement then perhaps long-term fostering or adoption is for you. Adoption is a way of providing a permanent home in a new family when it is not possible for children to live with their own family. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea's Family Placement Unit operates as an Adoption Agency, helping to find a new family for children who are unable to live with their own family. Our friendly social workers welcome your enquiries whether they are about adoption or fostering. Alternatively any enquiries can be emailed to Adopt-FosterUs@rbkc.gov.uk Children looking for families We need adoptive parents and foster carers from all racial, cultural and religious backgrounds. Families who reflect the diverse cultural ethnic needs of the children are particularly welcome. Please search our adoption and fostering database to see who is looking for a family. Remember, you do not need to be a couple or well off to adopt. The database and further information on adoption and fostering can be found at www.rbkc.gov.uk/adoptfosterus FUTURE EVENTS AND DROP-IN SESSIONS FOSTERING On the first Wednesday morning of every month, the Royal Borough's Fostering Team has a drop-in facility available to anyone interested in finding out more about fostering. The drop-in sessions take place at Westway Information Centre, 140 Ladbroke Grove, London W10 5ND (nearest tube station Ladbroke Grove). ADOPTION The Royal Borough's Adoption Team has an open evening from 6.30 to 8.30pm on Thursday 4th November. This will take place at Kensington Town Hall, Committee Room 3 and 4, Hornton Street (nearest tube station High Street Kensington). If you would like to discuss either fostering or adoption further, contact us free on 0800 183 2400. 28 | Carnival Grooves
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notting hill Carnival travel information STATIONS IN THE CARNIVAL AREA Please note that for safety reasons some stations may close temporarily if they become overcrowded. It may be worthwhile waiting until the station reopens rather than finding an alternative station. Ladbroke Grove: Station closed on Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday. Latimer Road: On Sunday and Monday the station will close at 2330. Notting Hill Gate: There will be no interchange between the Central and Circle/District lines on either day. On Sunday and Monday the station will be 'way out only' between 1200 and 1900. On Monday the Circle and District lines will not stop from 1200 to 1930. Royal Oak: On Sunday and Monday the station will be 'way out only' between 1100 and 1800. After 1800 the station will close and Hammersmith & City line trains will not stop at this station. Westbourne Park: On Sunday and Monday the station will be 'way out only' between 1100 and 1800. The station will close at 2330. Bayswater: On Monday it may be advisable to use this station as Circle/District line trains will not stop at Notting Hill Gate.
BUS SERVICES Bus routes 7, 12, 18, 23, 27, 28, 31, 36, 52, 70, 94, 148, 295, 316 and 328 all run close to the carnival festivities. Many extra buses will run, especially on Monday evening, to get you home quickly and safely. Two special limited stop bus routes (12X and 36X) will be running between south London and the carnival. Night Buses: N7, N18, N28, N31, N36, N52 & N207 will operate throughout Sunday night and Monday night. Additionally bus routes 6, 15, 187, 205, 220, 274, 436, 705 all operate within a comfortable walking distance. From first bus on Sunday morning, all day Bank Holiday Monday and until about 0300 on Tuesday morning bus routes 7, 23, 27, 28, 31, 52, 70, 295, 316, 328, N28, N31, N36 and N52 will be diverted or disrupted owing to road closures in the carnival area. Routes: 6, 12, 23, 27, 94 and 148 are 24 hour services. Route 6 will operate between Aldwych and Queens Park Station with some journeys continuing to Willesden bus garage via Salusbury Road and Brondesbury Park. Buses will not serve Kensal Rise Station. Route 7: will operate between Harrow Road 'Prince of Wales' and Russell Square. Buses will be diverted via Bishops Bridge Road, Royal Oak and Harrow Road. After 1400 buses towards central London will run via Harrow Road and Edgware Road, instead of Bishops Bridge Road and Paddington; N7 will be diverted via Royal Oak, Harrow Road and Scrubs Lane. Route 23 will operate between Harrow Road ‘Prince of Wales' and Liverpool Street Station. Buses will be diverted via Bishops Bridge Road, Royal Oak and Harrow Road. Between 1400 and midnight buses towards central London will run via Harrow Road and Edgware Road, instead of Bishops Bridge Road and Paddington.
Paddington: Hammersmith & City line On Sunday and Monday it may be advisable to use this station instead of Notting Hill Gate/ Royal Oak as both these stations will have diversions.
Route 27: will be diverted via Bayswater Road, Lancaster Gate and Westbourne Terrace. Additional buses will start from Harrow Road 'Prince of Wales' towards Chalk Farm and Turnham Green.
Other stations near to the carnival area: High Street Kensington, Holland Park, Queensway and Queen’s Park. The carnival finishes at 2100. For your safety, please travel early and leave the area before dark.
Route 31: will operate between Elgin Avenue 'Prince of Wales' and Camden Town.
TUBE SERVICES Sunday 29 August: Stations will be open as on a normal Sunday except those in the carnival area (see above). Normal services will run on all lines. Bank Holiday Monday 30 August:: Stations will be open as on a normal Saturday except Borough, Chancery Lane, Ladbroke Grove, Mornington Crescent and Temple which will all be closed. Normal Saturday services will run on all lines except the Central line where extra trains will run on all sections and the Hammersmith and City line where extra trains will run on some sections. Waterloo & City line: No service. Bus routes 316, 328, N28, N31, 12X and 36X(special limited stop routes), will cover the various parts of this route - check map overleaf for bus stops.
see next page for route map>>
Route 28: will operate between Notting Hill Gate and Wandsworth.
Route 36: after 1400 buses towards south London will run via Harrow Road and Edgware Road, instead of Bishops Bridge Road and Paddington. Route 52: will be diverted from Kilburn Lane via Harrow Road, Edgware Road and Marble Arch to Park Lane and Hyde Park Corner. Towards Willesden buses will operate via Queens Park. An all day shuttle service will also run between Victoria and Notting Hill Gate via the normal route. Route N52: will be diverted via Bayswater Road, Lancaster Gate, Westbourne Terrace, Bishops Bridge Road, Royal Oak and Harrow Road. Route 70: will be diverted via Barlby Road, St.Quintin Avenue, St. Ann's Road, Holland Park Avenue and Notting Hill Gate. Route 187: will be diverted via Harvist Road instead of Kilburn Lane. Route 295: will operate between St. Marks Road, near St. Charles Hospital, and Clapham Junction. Carnival Grooves | 31
>>NOTTING HILL Carnival Route Map
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Map reproduced with the kind permission of Transport for London
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CARNIVAL PEOPLE : : :
cHris cox >>DIRTY DANCING PANNIST Chris started his steelpan career with Stardust Steel Orchestra back in 1984 playing the double guitar pans. Having had formal training in music with the guitar and piano, pan was a further step in his musical career. His first major performance was with Stardust at the 1985 Steelband Panorama held in the Linford Christie Stadium. By winning an internal Stardust competition in 1988 organised by the late Randolph Baptiste, Chris was able to play with the Trinidad All Stars Steel Orchestra in the north zonal finals in Trinidad. In 1990 he was playing the treble guitar for Stardust and the four-pan cello with Glissando. He continued playing the quads for Glissando after he left Stardust in 1992. The following year Chris joined Ebony, which gave him the opportunity to tour Europe and assist in teaching the youth classes; he was also instrumental in the formation of Ebonique. Chris left Ebony in 1996 and returned to Glissando as their manager. In 2000 he went back to Trinidad, where he performed in the National Panorama semi-finals with Bird Song Steel Orchestra. Chris recalled his treasured memories of Notting Hill Carnival: "I enjoyed the family atmosphere, the participation of my age group in the celebrations, the reaction of amazement, the dancing to the band's music by spectators who related to the music." He was taken aback by the reaction of a less peaceful crowd another year: "I remember diving for cover as bottles were being pelted through the band on Westbourne Park. It was every man for himself." Asked about his aspirations for carnival, Chris responded that these stemmed from his personal involvement in steelband music, "Which is a major contributor to carnival". He wants to "Map Notting Hill's progress through the years to become Europe's largest and most successful carnival". He continued, "More support is needed for the disciplines of carnival who introduced this festival to the wider public whose background isn't Caribbean, not just financial but positive promotion, with national and international marketing as well as a planned programme of education on the culture." Chris concluded with his blueprint for securing the future of carnival. "If the young people in our communities are shown the guidance from the older generation, taught their skills, learn and accept this beautiful artform, from its past to the present, then they would have a better understanding of how best to keep our culture alive and how to take it to another level in the future." >> ROBBIE JOSEPH
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FEATURE : : :
EBONY >> PHOTOGRAPH CARL GABRIEL
>> UNDERSTANDING PAN The steel drum, or 'pan' as it is commonly called in Caribbean communities, is recognised as the only acoustic musical instrument invented in the 20th century. Crafted from discarded crude oil drums, the steelpan is a definite pitch, acoustic and percussion instrument. Although it is a Trinidadian icon, the instrument's musical range extends far beyond calypso and soca to span everything from Mozart to Madonna. Steelpan recently made its hip hop debut as an accompaniment on a chart-topping track by American rapper 50 Cent. Pan was first introduced to the UK on the 26 July 1951, when the Trinidad All Stars Percussion Orchestra came to perform in the Festival of Britain at the South Bank complex. These were the pioneers selected to represent Trinidad and Tobago on this inaugural steel pan musical venture in England. The Albany, Coleherne and Furlong Road pubs, as well as the Crucible Nightclub, became renowned for hosting steelpan concerts. The Russ Henderson steelband was the first to play at the Notting Hill Neighbourhood Festival at the invitation of Rhaune Laslett, and the first steelband to participate in Notting Hill Carnival was Nostalgia Steel Orchestra, followed by Melody Makers, Blue Notes and Bay 57. In 1969, Islington Green School started the first school steelband. Five years later the ILEA School Band was formed, and within four years there were more than 50 schools where steelpan music was being taught. In 1978 a steelband organiser with an office in 36 | Carnival Grooves
the GLC was appointed for schools; by 1990 the number of schools offering steelpan music as part of their curriculum had grown to 160. The first London Steelband Panorama competition held in 1978 was won by Paddington Youth Steel Orchestra, led by Zac Hubert. This competition has progressed over the years to become an important icon in Notting Hill Carnival and in the lives of the surrounding communities. In this 40th anniversary year, it is important to recognise that the steelpan was the first form of music played at the Notting Hill Neighbourhood Children's Carnival organised in 1964 by Rhaune Laslett. Her invitation to the Russ Henderson Steelband saw Russ Henderson, Sterling Betancourt and Mervyn Constantine perform at this inaugural event, out of which grew Europe's largest carnival. To cater to the need to honour supremacy of skill and artistry among steelpan musicians, Notting Hill Panorama is staged on Carnival Saturday evening, initiating the festival's open-air activities. Steelbands from across the UK engage in a fierce musical battle for the coveted title of Champions of Steel. Up to 12 steel orchestras, each consisting of between 50 and 75 players, spend four to six weeks of long, irregular hours learning an arrangement of a musical piece. Each band performs for about ten minutes interpreting and extending an original melody. When fully exploited, the musical arrangements are varied,
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interesting and challenging. The structure of a typical arrangement includes an introduction, statement of the melody, harmonic and melodic developments, changes of key, changes of rhythm, modulations, improvisations and a finale. The headiest victory for a pannist is to be part of a band that wins a Panorama, and this is pursued in a manner best described as obsessive. Since Zack Herbert's Paddington Youth Steel Orchestra won the inaugural Notting Hill Panorama in 1978, the competition has grown in leaps and bounds. World-renowned pan arrangers such as Len "Boogsie" Sharpe, Ken "Professor" Philmore, Anise "Halfers" Hadeed, Rudy "Two Lef" Smith and Clarence Morris are engaged in an attempt to ensure victory. This fierce competitiveness, combined with the skills of top Trinidadian arrangers, served to enhance the music and to develop UK and European pannists to Trinidadian standards. But why be content just to read about this unique event when you can experience it yourself? Come on down to Horniman's Pleasance on 28th August and enjoy the wealth of steelpan music on offer. >> ROBBIE JOSEPH
british association of steelbands The British Association of Steelbands (BAS) was established in December 1995 to represent British steelbands and to further the musical, artistic, educational and social aspects of this art. The organisation is funded by Arts Council of England, and its annual programme of events includes Pan Explosion (a competition to encourage young people in composing, arranging and playing steelpan music), Pan in Leicester Square, Pan in the Parks, Trafalgar Square Pan Jamboree, Pan in the V&A Museum, National Panorama competition, Pan on the Road for Notting Hill Carnival and the end-of-year Steelpan Awards Dinner. The organisation: • is run by an elected management committee. Membership is open to all steelbands in Britain, to individual members and other interested parties • assists with the provision of training in arranging, playing/performing, management, administration, marketing, publicity and fund-raising • provides information on all aspects of steelbands and steelpans • promotes the history, culture and music of this art • organises concerts, festivals,productions, shows etc • acts as a booking agency • provides general advice and support to steelbands and interested parties Carnival Grooves | 37
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CARNIVAL PEOPLE : : :
Martin Jay >>HAPPY BIRTHDAY NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL I was born in 1970 just on the outskirts of the carnival route on the Harrow Road, and have seen many different faces of carnival. I have a picture of my cousin and I when I was five years old standing on Portnall Road borrowing bits of our families' costumes and trying them on and playing we own mas without any music at all. At that time carnival was just an occasion where I got to see huge amounts of my family as they all passed through by Aunty Dorothy to take a little drink, be it alcohol or soup depending on what their body required. My next vivid memory is from 1977, the year of the Notting Hill Carnival riots. I thought that the excitement was great - people running and shouting. I had no idea, at that moment when my father and I were standing just off Ladbroke Grove, how serious and sad this event actually was. Two consecutive years of different excitement and I still hadn't seen a band or heard any music. Two years later I really got to understand what mas was. My dad had found a convenient spot on Ladbroke Grove for us to stand and every so often a truck would pass, music would be playing and people with and without costumes would be dancing. All of a sudden a truck passed and Mum said "Look, there's your cousins!". Both Sandra and Val were sitting on a truck dressed as ringmasters. I wanted to be on that truck. We followed the band and I had my first carnival chip. All I could see was people in front of me and the road down by my feet. That didn't bother me; I was jumping up in carnival singing "I'm going home one day tomorrow - I'm gonna see my baby back home". This was the second best thing that could happen to me; the best would be if I was on that truck with my cousins. On starting secondary school I was allowed to go 40 | Carnival Grooves
carnival on my own, free to roam and experience the streets at my pace, and that's what I did. My school friends and I would go and check out all the sound systems and look for girls. Two years of carnival without paying attention to the mas on the road made me realise that different people got very different enjoyments from this colossal street party. The turning point came when my school friend Valentine Tudor invited me to play mas and get involved with his family's band, Flyover Carnival Club. I played in Notting Hill, Liverpool and Birmingham that year, and I had a ball - I had succeeded in doing what I had seen my cousins do. I was complete…or so I thought. By the time I was 16 DJing had become quite a hobby for me, and by carnival 1989 I was playing soca music on a local station called WLR. I met Smokey Joe that summer, and for the first time experienced Panorama and the big outdoor event, Socalypso. Each year I would learn a little more and gain more appreciation for the efforts that were put in by mas bands, steel bands and organisers to make this event what it is. This is the part that freaks me out. Hundreds of thousands of people just do not have a clue about what it takes to make carnival happen. The reality is that without the mas element it would not be a carnival. It just cannot exist without the costumes and the steel bands and the Caribbean culture, no matter how cosmopolitan they try and make it. As I get ready to prepare my music truck for 2004 I thank the people that fought to get this off the ground before I was even born. I'm also thankful to those people that, year in, year out, continue the struggle and give up their lives to contribute to one of the best carnivals in the world. I'm proud to be a part of it.
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soca : : :
KNYCKY CORDNER
TRACK 1.
Top 20 Soca Chart
Bonnie and Clyde
ARTISTS
ALBUM
COUNTRY
Destra Garcia
Laventille
Trinidad
2.
Insane (Craziness)
Machel Montano
Xtatik Parade
Trinidad
3.
Look D Band Coming
Shurwayne Winchester
Press Play
Trinidad UK
4.
Bubblenut Road Mix
Kerwin Du Bois / Machel
Enigmatic Vibrations
5.
Soca Train
Maximus Dan
Promo
Trinidad
6.
No War (remix)
Machel Montano
Xtatik Parade
Trinidad
7.
Bachelor Road Mix
Scrunter
Scrunter
Trinidad
8.
Up in The Air
Destra
Laventille
Trinidad
9.
Bumpa catch a fire
Timmy
D’Soca Zone (4th jump)
Barbados
10. Clear D Way
Fay-Ann & Super Blue
Father
Trinidad
11. Rush
Burning Flames
Venom
Antigua
12. Get On Bad
Onika & Bunji
Graceful Vengeance
Trinidad
13. Warrior Cry
Bunji Garlin
Graceful Vengeance
Trinidad
14. Come Beta
Destra & S. Winchester
Laventille
Trinidad
15. Wine and bend over
Shal Marshal
Promo
Trinidad
16. Mash Up and Buy Back
Lil Rick
More Hype
Barbados
17. One Day
Imij & Co.
Imij & Co. Everywhere
Trinidad
18. You Never Know
Rupee
Thisisrupee.com
Barbados
19. Go Ahead
Michelle Sylvester
Lif Up Yuh Leg An Trample
Trinidad
20. Welcome to the Fete
Daddy Chess
Welcome to the Fete
Dominica
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Soca : : : Soca is a modern form of calypso, or kaiso, with an up-tempo beat. It has been credited to the late Lord Shorty, aka Ras Shorty I or Garfield Blackman; he blended Indian rhythms (using particularly the dholak, tabla and dhantal) with traditional calypso music, thus combining the musical traditions of the two major ethnic groups of Trinidad and Tobago. The result was a new, energetic musical hybrid called soca.
soca gold 2004
Thunderbird riddim
FULLY LOADED
Various Artists
Various Artists
Shadow
There are some strong songs on this 18 track set, which includes party favourites like Bunji and Onika's Get On Bad, Dawg E Slaughter's Trample and Iwer George's Turn Around, and also the monumental Maximus Dan track Soca Train. Flo PG reworks an old zouk classic, Woo Midebar; Vincentian Luta's big song from Vincy Mas 2003, Busy Tone, makes an appearance, as does the non-radio-friendly Adesh Samaroo track Caroni Close Down. This album has been skilfully compiled, with thought towards giving the consumer a well balanced meal; there are big hits mixed together with late starters, and a couple of obscure songs thrown in as well. If you haven't bought any new music recently then (shame on you) this will be an essential purchase. If, however, you are up to date on your music then it is likely that you may be purchasing this album for just a couple of obscure, but very good songs. >>MARTIN JAY
This ragga soca riddim is produced by soca artist KMC (Ken Marlon Charles). The lead single is Come Here To Live, by KMC himself. The chorus says it all with, "I come here to live me ain't come here to die no way", and is catchy enough to have partygoers shouting it out. Also riding the riddim is Machel Montano's No War, a great tune, but my favourite on this cd is Denise "Saucy Wow" Belfon's Bust Dem Up. Aggressive and upbeat, the tornado waisted superwoman delivers the goods with another radio ready, jet powered hook, using the melody of 7O's disco hit Gonna Get Along Without by Viola Wills. Other popular soca artists riding the thunderbird riddim, though creating less of an impact, are Maximus Dan with Dem High and Tony Prescott with Round and Round. Although the various artists on the riddim have done a great job, the riddim itself is too dry. On balance, however, this album is well worth adding to your collection. >>FLEUR RUSSELL
Winston Bailey is the Shadow, and the soca music of The Shadow is a phenomenon. In 1974 he won his first Road March with Bassman, and despite his continued high standard of music throughout the last three decades the Road March has only come his way on one other occasion, and that was in 2001 with Stranger. So here we are, 30 years on from his first Road March, and Shadow's album Fully Loaded is exactly that, fully loaded with awesome lyrics, original arrangements and timeless tunes that Shadow has become renowned for producing. Horner Man Crying and Whap Cocoyea were huge tunes at Trinidad Carnival earlier this year, though my personal favourite is a deep song called No War. The way that Shadow has the ability to make his lyrics have a conversation with the instruments in the arrangement is just spellbinding - and that’s also the only way to describe this album. >>MARTIN JAY
where to find more soca : : : There are a growing number of soca shows making our airwaves sing. If you'd like to hear more of these sweet sounds after carnival, and you're in London, you can tune into The Caribbean Affair on Choice 96.9 FM, Sunday evenings from 7 until 10pm, or to Supreme 99.8FM for Caribbean Vibes on a Saturday from 12 to 2 pm. Your fingers can also do the tapping, as www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra will lead you to their online show; there are many other websites based around the Caribbean and the rest of the world which are playing our favourite music. And if you're ready to go and purchase your very own soca CDs, there's Websters Records, S61 in Shepherds Bush Market, London W12 and Tan Tan Records at 10a Northwold Road, London, N16, among others - so no excuses. A quick visit to www.socanews.com will furnish you with an updated list of other shows, online and on the air. Happy listening! Carnival Grooves | 43
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FEATURE : : :
>> KEEPING CARNIVAL ALIVE Even in its 40th birthday year, Notting Hill Carnival is undergoing the usual debate about its chances of survival for another year. However, if its future sometimes seems uncertain, its past may be in safer hands. Various London organisations and individuals are keeping its original Caribbean spirit very much alive by creating collections and archives that cherish the history and legacy of the event all year round. One of these is Middlesex University, which aims to educate today's generation about the socio-economic context of carnival's early years. It runs degrees in Caribbean studies that have historical, theatrical and creative carnival-related options. Middlesex University has also built up a valuable audio-visual collection of carnival images and a unique archive of press reports. For one month beginning on 12th November, visitors to The Tabernacle, in Powis Square, will be able to explore the history of Notting Hill Carnival in recorded form. Entitled Mas & Mayhem, the exhibition, produced by Kensington & Chelsea Community History Group and supported by the Arts Council and Heritage Lottery Fund, showcases carnival's oral history. Next year, the exhibition will move to another venue in London and then tour other cities around the British Isles. The aim of the project is to promote the history of Notting Hill Carnival to a wider public. The organisers hope to get the public as involved as widely as possible. Project director Sue Mcalpine said, "We have been collecting the oral history of carnival over the last two years
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and now have a collection of almost a hundred recordings going back almost 50 years, ranging from pioneers of carnival to rioters. Mas & Mayhem is a unique way of bringing these carnival memories alive. "It is not the story of Notting Hill Carnival, it is not our story of Notting Hill Carnival - it is a presentation of stories and memories from different perspectives and slants like coloured threads that are woven into a tapestry. The exhibition will be interpreted by a group of young actors who will explore this exciting fusion of live physical theatre, spoken word and visual art. "We are paying homage to those pioneers and activists who created carnival in this country and struggled to keep its spirit alive. We dedicate Mas & Mayhem to those who came before us and those who are no longer with us." The oral collections are preserved in the North Kensington Community Archive, which is accessible to the public by appointment. As part of Black History Month, the Victoria and Albert Museum is having an event in October called Black British Style. This is the first exhibition in the UK to explore the style and fashion of Black people in Britain and their impact on British culture over the past 50 years. It focuses on the styles of celebrities and migrants, explaining how the Black British population have drawn from international styles to create their own identity. Such events breathe life into carnival. >> FIONA MCKINSON
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FEATURE : : :
>> j’ouvert Hordes of devils and demons dripping in blue or black paint line the streets of Port of Spain and heckle spectators as they chip down the street to the sound of sweet pan. Mud is strewn over bodies and a constant drool of mockery is made of the social and political situation in the country and beyond. The Jab Molassie is restrained by a chain or rope as he moves to the beat of a tin drum. Adorned with horns, a pitchfork, red paint and a menacing look, he taunts the audience and tries his best to scare them. A Midnight Robber, whose origin dates back to the African Speech band of slaves, takes centre stage in his oversized hat, with either sword or gun and a coffin for the collection of coins, and proclaims his greatness and magnificence while mimicking the words and tone of the slave masters. This is J'Ouvert. The beginning of carnival, literally the 'opening of the day'. In Trinidad, it starts at 4 am after Dimanche Gras and culminates a few hours after sunrise. This traditional mas, or 'ole mas' as it is also called, has its origin in the 1780s carnival of the French settlers in the Caribbean. A combination of costumery, oration and choreography were adopted and transformed into a selection of carnival characters mixed with history and personality to create what we now know as J'Ouvert. The Dame Lorraine displays her costume while exaggerating her breasts and butt. She is accompanied by the original string music, which is an important part of her ensemble. The Burroquite is costumed waist down as a donkey made of wire or bamboo, decorated in satin and coloured paper. The Pierrot Grenade, whose oration is similar to that of the Midnight Robber, is dressed in multicoloured rags and carries a bullpistle and a long carriage whip to draw attention to his comedic speeches. In 1989 and 1990 Notting Hill had the pleasure of experiencing J'Ouvert for the first time, and will this year see it again after a five-year hiatus. Carded to start at
6am on Carnival Sunday, 29th August, this will be a stark contrast to the familiar big, colourful masquerades. J'Ouvert will bring out the mud, oil, paint, and most notably the steel bands, in celebration of this year's theme of "Freedom and Justice", marking 170 years since the abolition of slavery in Trinidad and Tobago and the 40th anniversary of Notting Hill Carnival. Pepe Francis, the co-ordinator of this year's J'Ouvert celebrations, says: "I have been trying to get J'Ouvert back on track for the past five years, because J'Ouvert is a tradition and an essential part of T&T Carnival." This year, expect to see men and women coated in mud, paint and black oil accompanied by a contingent of steel bands. In an effort to follow the traditional Trinidad J'Ouvert music of steel pan and biscuit tin, it was decided that only steel bands would be allowed to accompany the bands on the road. So if it's amplified soca sounds you're after, you'll have to wait a few hours. The J'Ouvert spirit has been evident among the 'pretty mas' of mainstream carnival in recent years. Revellers have had the pleasure of experiencing sweet chocolate mas, organised by Pure Lime and Cocoyea, where chocolate was substituted for mud and revellers paraded on Carnival Sunday drenched in chocolate and intoxicated with Trini rum. Another band, T&T Mudders, was formed in 1995 to bring the mud and madness to the streets of Notting Hill every Carnival Sunday, and they have now ventured into body paints to carry on the theme of colour in the carnival celebrations. Without them, carnival would not be the same. This year promises to be an outstanding event and achievement for Notting Hill Carnival. The sweet sound of pan will accompany most of the J'Ouvert masqueraders through the streets of Notting Hill, and Pepe hopes to make J'Ouvert a fixture at Notting Hill Carnival for many years to come. >> ADANNA AUSTIN Carnival Grooves | 47
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soca : : :
>>EVENTS Friday 20th August ABC
LONDON CALYPSO TENT 2004 CALYPSO MONARCH SEMI FINALS @ Yaa Asantewaa Arts Centre, 1 Chippenham Mews, London, W9. Featuring Live: The Explainer, Soca Elvis, Cyclops, Sheynenne Hazell (Trinidad), plus 10 other artists battling for a place in the finals. MC: Coco P. Price: £7.50 adv, door £8, conc. £7. Time: doors open 7pm, showtime 8pm, no admission after 11pm. Tel: 020 7286 1656
Saturday 21st August XI Parishes
THE ULTIMATE CARNIVAL EXTRAVAGANZA @ Tudor Rose, The Green, Southall, Middlesex. Featuring Live: Denise Belfon (Trinidad), Tallpree (Grenada) & Red Plastic Bag (Barbados). Music by: Martin Jay, DJ Roughneck & DJ Bajie. Price: £17 no bfee, matd. Time: 10pm-sunrise. Tel: 07941 939 174
Tuesday 24th August British Library
FREE SUMMER MUSIC ON THE PIAZZA
@ The British Library Piazza, 96 Euston Road (next door to St Pancras station). Featuring Live: SW Storm and Island Fury. Time: 12.30pm-1.30pm.
Thursday 26th August ABC
LONDON CALYPSO TENT 2004 CALYPSO MONARCH FINALS @ Yaa Asantewaa Arts Centre, 1 Chippenham Mews, London, W9. Featuring Live: The Explainer, Soca Elvis, Cyclops, Sheynenne Hazell (Trinidad), reigning monarch Sister Sandra and 5 finalists. MC: Coco P. Price: £7.50 adv, door £8, conc. £7. Time: doors open 7pm, show time 8pm, no admission after 11pm. Tel: 020 7286 1656
Notting Hill Carnival Friday 27th August ABC
LONDON CALYPSO TENT 2004 CLOSING NIGHT @ Yaa Asantewaa Arts Centre, 1 Chippenham Mews, London, W9. Featuring Live: The Explainer, Soca Elvis, Cyclops, Sheynenne Hazell (Trinidad), Sister Sandra, Admiral
Jack, Lord Cloak, The Mighty Tiger, Alexander D Great, Cleopatra, Peace and Love (London) plus a host of others. MC: Coco Payol Price: £7.50 adv, door £8, conc. £7. Time: doors open 7pm, show time 8pm, no admission after 11pm. Tel: 020 7286 1656 Specialists Entertainment
SOCALICIOUS - PROMOTING THE WORLD’S BEST SOCA DJS @ Tudor Rose, The Green, Southall, Middlesex. Featuring Live: DJ Spice (New York), Simply Smooth (Grenada), Jugglers Sound System (Trinidad), Foreign Bass Production (New York) & Ishmael D Demolition Man (Trinidad). Music by: Zoomer D & Soca Mafia. Price: £15 adv, matd. Time: 9pm-6am. Tel: 020 8843 2132 PoisonUK
70 DEGREES THE ALTERNATIVE CONCEPT @ Forum, 9-11 Highgate Road, Kentish Town, NW5. Featuring Live: Machel Montano & Xtatik Road Marching Band, Rupee, Maximus Dan, Timmy, Shal Marshal & Surprise Guest. MC: DJ Slic (1Xtra BBC). Music by: Martin Jay & DJ Markee. Price: £20 adv., matd. Time: doors open 10pm, showtime 10.30pm-2am. Tel: 020 7609 4545 PoisonUK
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soca : : : @ SE One Club, Weston Street, London, SE1. Price: £8. Time: 2.30am-7am. Tel: 020 7609 4545
Notting Hill Carnival Saturday 28th August BAS
PANORAMA CHAMPIONSHIPS @ Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance, Kensal Road, W10. Price: Free. Time: 7pm-around midnight. Panorama is the annual steel band competition, where the finest of pan in the UK may be heard, and the best bands will be vying for that top spot. There will also be guest bands to entertain the audience. BWIA Ebony
CARNIVAL SATURDAY IN THE PANYARD @ Ebony Panyard, Acklam Play Centre, 6 Acklam Road, Ladbroke Grove, W10. Music by: Martin Jay, Mike Forbes, Gold Finger Freddy & DJ Makili. Price: £7. Time: 10pmlate. Tel: 020 8960 6424 BWIA Cocoyea
CARNIVAL SATURDAY BY DE BRIDGE @ The Ion Bar & Cafe, 161-165 Ladbroke Grove, London W10. Featuring Live: The Explainer. Music by: Mike Forbes, Martin Jay, Che in de mix plus guest DJS. Price: £10, tickets only. Tel: 07956 223 247 DUKA, RC, DONA
MAS DOMNIK UK 2004 CARNIVAL JAM @ Ocean, 270 Mare Street, Hackney, E8. Featuring Live: Swingin’ Stars, Dice, Hunter & Daddy Chess (Dominica). MC: Feminine Touch & Ziro D. Music by: DJ Cut, Equation Roadshow & DJ Vern. Price: £22 adv, door £27. Time: 10pm-4am. Tel: 020 8925 2025
Notting Hill Carnival Sunday 29th August JOUVERT MORNING Time: 6am. J'Ouvert is the traditional opening of carnival, and entails playing 'dirty mas', which means being covered in paint, mud, oil or, in Notting Hill, chocolate, all to the rhythms of the steel drums. J'Ouvert will be from 610am on Sunday 29th August, starting on Westbourne Grove, W11. Go and enjoy the dirt!
CHILDREN'S DAY Time: 11am. Carnival Sunday is children's day, so you can bring your whole family along to enjoy the colourful costumes, music, food and atmosphere. The festivities start at around 10am, and will finish fairly early at 4-5pm. Sexy D & Giro
DE AFTER CARNIVAL AFFAIR @ Emerald Centre, 263 Hammersmith Broadway, W6. Music by: Super D, Giro & Ranx, E.Q, Killer Squad & Tiny T. Price: a cockle and good behaviour. Time: 10pm-late. Tel: 07958 788 577 / 07904 269 284
Notting Hill Carnival Monday 30th August ADULTS DAY Time: 11am Carnival Monday is the main carnival day, when the mas bands come out in all their brilliant colours and spectacular costumes, changing the face and feel of London as we know it. The sights, sounds and smells must be experienced to be believed - and you can really experience them to the fullest by signing up with one of the bands yourself and taking part. Starts at 10am, and only finishes when the last truck playing sweet calypso is well on its way home!
Saturday 11th September TNT HIGH COMMISSIONER
HIGH COMMISSION LONDON AWARDS GALA, DINNER & DANCE 2004 @ Royal Garden Hotel, 2-24 Kensington High Street, London, W8. Featuring Live: Ronnie Mc Intosh backed by SW Storm, Shiv Shakti and Tobago Crusoe. Price: £65. Time: Awards & dinner 7-10pm; dance: 10pm-1am . Tel: 020 7245 9351
Saturday 18th September RAINBOW PRODUCTIONS
THE NO.1 CALYPSO TENT FROM BARBADOS @ The Mean Time Night Club (next to the Millennium Dome). Featuring Live: Madd with Bacchanal Time Calypso Tent, Mac Fingal, TC & Destra. Price: £17 inc. bfee, £20 door. Time: dusk till dawn. Tel: 07793 584 418 or 07906 147 240
CARIVOG INTERNATIONAL
MISS TRINIDAD & TOBAGO UK 2004 CULTURAL SHOWCASE AND GRAND FINAL @ The Porchester Hall, 45 Porchester Road, Bayswater, London, W2. Price: £30 adv. Time: 6pm - until late. Tel: 020 8480 7523
Sunday 19th September THE EIGHT ANNUAL HACKNEY MARE DE GRAS 2004 Starting at Ridley Road, Dalston, London, E8. Time: 12-6pm. Tel: 020 7254 9632
Every Friday Apache Promotions
APACHE SOCA FRIDAYS @ Spyral Bar & Night Club, 56 Bondway Street, Vauxhall, SW8. Music By: Apache, Dex, Ryo & Kevo. DJs on rotation: Martin Jay, Rebel D, Vinny Ranks, Lex Hardrive, King Hyper & Allan Brando. Price: £5 with flyer, matd. Time: 10pm6am. Tel: 07958 679 672
Every 1st Friday De Baldhead Grenadian
SOCA JUMBIE @ Fus Club, 84 Camberwell Church Street, London SE5. Music By: Martin Jay, Shakatak & Mike Forbes. Price: £5 b4 11.30pm, £7 thereafter. Time: 10pm-late. Tel: 07976 255 965
Every Tuesday UNDER DE BRIDGE @ The Ion Bar & Cafe, 161-165 Ladbroke Grove, London W10. Music by: DJs on rotation: Mike Forbes, Martin Jay & BWIA Smokey Joe. Price: Free. Time: 7-12pm. Tel: 020 8960 1702
Every Last Sunday Freedom Promotions
SOCA SUNDAY IN LONDON @ Bee Gees Club, 71 Shacklewell Lane, Dalston, E8. Music by: Soca Saga Boys, DJ Damian, Dadee Samson, DJ Vern, DJ Tyrone plus guest DJs on rotation. Price: £5. Time: 5pm-12.30am. Tel: 07944 470 522 Soca News are looking for an event reviewer, someone to give our readers a run-down of soca events that we include in our listings. If you are interested, email info@socanews.com
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CARNIVAL PEOPLE : : :
YAA PRINCESS & TOTALLY TALIBAH >> CALYPSO FAMILY We talked to Totally Talibah (Jamaican-born calypsonian Talibah Roberts) and her daughter Yaa Princess (Britishborn calypsonian Helema Bryant). What was your first experience of carnival? TT: It was ending up in Powis Square after following some carnival revellers who were going past my house. For many years after that I helped my mother, who was selling food in carnival. Then one July evening I went down to Yaa Asantewaa to see what was happening and I've been coming ever since. I remember seeing Tiger perform and thinking, he's going to win, and he did. YP: I first got involved playing mas when I was nine years old [she is now 20]. I started off playing mas with Yaa Asantewaa, doing the section costumes, then progressed into wearing individual. I started singing calypso at the same time. What is your treasured memory of Carnival? TT: The first time when my daughter, Yaa Princess, won the Junior Monarch and also when she won the Children's Queen with her costume. That same year I won Monarch of the Tent (which is voted for by the audience). YP: When I won the Junior Monarch (age 12). As part of the prize I got the opportunity to perform in Trinidad. What has been the biggest obstacle or worst memory of carnival? TT: It has to be the politics and money issues of carnival. It's always about who controls things. YP: It was my last year wearing an individual costume in the children's category at the Dome. Just before I was about to go on stage my costume snapped in half! What changes would you like to see at Notting Hill Carnival? TT: I would like there to be a media drive that actually sings the praises of carnival and educates the wider public about the history and the different disciplines involved. I feel that, as it stands, for two days a year many people witness a great spectacle without understanding the culture behind it. I don't think people can fully appreciate it without knowing the background. YP: I would like to see wider exposure for calypsonians so that a broader range of people can get to hear the music. Do you think the future of Notting Hill Carnival is bright? TT: Because of the passion we all have, carnival will happen no matter what, one way or the other. We will always find a way! YP: Definitely! There's a Junior Calypso Monarch competition every year that brings through more youngsters, and if you look at the amount of children playing mas from an early age, all the signs are positive.>> DUNSTAN CREAVALLE
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wordology standard A long pole to which is attached decorative paraphernalia. Part of some mas costumes, normally carried in the hand, this originates from the standards of historical portrayals.
mud mas
Charting the future of calypso Ask the man in the street to name a contemporary calypsonian, and blank looks are guaranteed. With no mainstream radio airplay and no support from bigmoney promoters, that's hardly surprising. In a fair world, perhaps Lord Cloak and Sister Sandra would be household names, but for now their fan base is rather more limited. So if you want to catch the elite band of artists who specialise in "the first music of the Caribbean", you'll have to head to Paddington's Yaa Asantewaa Centre, where Europe's pioneer calypso tent takes place annually on the five Fridays before Notting Hill Carnival. The "tent" is not some kind of marquee but a former artificial limb factory in which calypsonians compete against each other for the coveted title of London Calypso Monarch in a friendly, distinctively Caribbean atmosphere. The British successors to the African griots, who celebrated and mocked the mightiest in the land with their sharp wit, have to get the audience on their side with their verbal dexterity, timing and delivery. You can also see some of them at the Powis Square stage on the two days of Carnival. Over the past 40 years, the components of Caribbean carnival have embedded themselves in British culture. Mas bands (costume groups) take part in carnivals all over the country; steel bands are familiar in schools and festivals; even soca is edging into the wider consciousness. Until now, though, calypso has stayed in the background. That may be changing. Thanks to the work of the Association of British Calypsonians (ABC), a new generation is learning about the creative possibilities of writing and singing calypsoes about what matters most to them. As an artform, it was there centuries before rap or performance poetry. Youngsters are finding this unique combination of social commentary and entertainment is as valid today as it was long ago in the Caribbean and Africa. Who knows, we may yet see a calypso, penned and performed by a British-born calypsonian, at Number 1 in the national charts…
A J'Ouvert portrayal of 'earth people' covered in mud. Extremists carry frogs, worms and ickies. See page 47 for more.
moko jumbies of African origin; a cult figure dancing on stilts as high as 15ft(4.7m). The stilts used to be painted in strikes and his large hat was made from Torchon, dried wild cucumber.
mas' camp the location where costumes are made and registrations taken for membership of a band.
mas' man/woman a man or woman who is involved in carnival either as a bandleader, helper or reveller.
King and Queen of Carnival The costumes, both male and female, which are judged the most outstanding.
jump up The dance or movement made by masqueraders, at carnival on the streets or at fetes, to the rhythm of the calypso/ soca. The action is normally vibrant, with swaying hip movements, extended arms and a look of ecstasy on the face.
las' lap The final movements of carnival festivities, when masqueraders shuffle in the streets or at dances; then at midnight on Carnival Tuesday it is all over.
Band of the Year The coveted award given to the best carnival band for that year, chosen by a panel of judges and always subject to bias, objections, and carnival bacchanal.
J’Ouvert. Jouvert, Jouvay, Jour Ouvert, Jour O'vert This is French for daybreak, literally the ‘opening of the day’. Mud demons, blue devils and ol' (dirty) mas players rule the pre-dawn darkness. See page 47 for more. Carnival Grooves | 53
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KILIMANJARO IN BROUHA >> PHOTOGRAPH PAX NINDI
>>Chaminuka's UK Carnival World If you type the word "carnival" on a typical internet search engine you can get more than a million results. Four years ago you would have found just 800. The rapid rise in carnival sites has taken place because carnivals are realising the World Wide Web's benefits for marketing and publicity. The problem for the searcher is that much of this information is not what you want. You need to narrow down your search by adding key search words such as "masquerade" or "procession". In a recent search that reduced the options to around 39,500 results. The results vary according to which search engine (Yahoo, Google, Altavista etc) you use. A narroweddown search on Yahoo gave me10,700 results for the UK, 18,600 for the USA, only 21 in Mexico and none in Colombia. Bear in mind that these results change every day as new websites open and some disappear. Last month, the Arts Council England's carnival website carnivalnet.org.uk came first on a list of the top ten carnival websites. Based on the different carnival 54 | Carnival Grooves
disciplines, this site carries information on UK carnival groups and regional carnival events. Naturally enough, perhaps, it is dominated by Notting Hill Carnival mas bands. Other useful information is included on calypso, sound systems, steelpan, carnival facts, funding, education and international links The site is user-friendly and free for carnival organisations to upload their information. There are links and information on international and UK carnival events. As Notting Hill Carnival hits 40 years and the English Bridgwater Carnival celebrates its 400th birthday next year, information on UK carnivals is in demand. While technology takes over in collection and collating of information, carnivalists now have an opportunity to research and meet collaborators without leaving their mas camp. Despite the beauty of new technology, the only way to experience carnival is in person. But where to go and what to choose? Here the internet can help give you a flavour of the different styles of carnival
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celebrated around the country, from South American to Caribbean, and from Asian mela to traditional English. In the UK most of the English carnivals take place in villages or are linked with a city's Lord Mayor parade, such as Norwich Carnival. The main focus in Bridgwater Carnival is the building of floats illuminated with thousands of light bulbs. Kendal Torchlight is another example of an English style carnival held in a small town, in this case in the Lake District of northwest England. Caribbean carnivals, by contrast, are mostly found in major cities and larger urban areas, as are the South American (samba) carnivals. For the past few years the main samba processions and gatherings have been in Brighton, under the banner "Samba Encounter", organised through the Carnival Collective as part of the Brighton Festival. This offers a chance to see most of the big samba groups such as the Liverpool, London and Manchester schools of samba, which also take part in other carnival events. In London, Paraiso School of Samba, Quilombo do Samba and the London School of Samba have been important participants at Notting Hill Carnival for several years. The Caribbean carnivals in major cities such as Leeds, Luton, Birmingham and Liverpool are becoming larger and stronger each year, as local participants are supplemented by visiting carnival groups. If you go to Leeds Carnival you are bound to come across Professor Black with his Birmingham troupes and if you visit Manchester you will see Mr Aurtour Francis and his Leeds costumes and bands. Luton Carnival is another event that is growing bigger each year and has ambitious plans for an Arts Council-funded national carnival centre. Luton is dominated by Rampage, a carnival club that never misses a chance to appear in carnivals around the country. The mas bands from Notting Hill are the busiest in terms of taking part within and outside UK. Yaa Asantewaa and Shademakers were the cream of the German carnival in Bielfelde this year, while Mahogany transformed the Asian and Afrikan games in India and Kinetika created the first-ever Caribbean-style carnival in Kolkata. Collaboration between clubs is a successful feature of modern carnival. For example, south London-based Phoenix has encouraged other clubs such as PATO and Trinidad and Tobago CC to participate in carnival in Denmark. Leicester Carnival has a history of taking part in Rotterdam Carnival, while Norwich Carnival members make an annual visit to their partners Tobago Carnival. In Brazil, Paraiso has a fraternal relationship with Estacio De Sa in Brazil, and Liverpool School of Samba continues its relationship with Maguire Samba School. Back home, the illuminated carnival in Bridgwater is to collaborate with London's Nostalgia Steel Orchestra, and Manchester School of Samba and Masquerade 2000 are to tour other regional carnivals. Carnivalists from London and other parts of England have taken their costumes to carnivals in Northern Ireland, Scotland, France, South Afrika and even Oman and Japan. In the first few years of the 21st century, Carnival is becoming as universal and widespread as the World Wide Web.
safety on the streets Every year the papers recite a list of people injured at carnival. The real story is how few are hurt. More than a million of us - many intoxicated with alcohol, music or Tanty Merle's strange-tasting but addictive patties - cram into narrow roads in close contact with vast trucks, broken bottles, unwieldy costumes and towering speaker stacks. This relative lack of accidents is no accident. There is a huge reservoir of experience at Notting Hill, and organisers, police and emergency services work hard to ensure our safety. There's no room for complacency, though: one slip-up could give the health and safety commissars the perfect excuse to turn our vibrant, living carnival into just another dreary parade. If you are a mas or steel band leader or a carnival or festival organiser, it's no use hiding your head in the sand - health and safety rules are here to stay and you need to deal with them. So read the advice, take precautions and produce a risk assessment (see www.socanews.com) The main guidance is The event safety guide (ÂŁ20, ISBN 0-71762453-6), known as "the Purple Book", published by the Health & Safety Executive, together with Managing crowds safely (ÂŁ17.50, ISBN 0-71761834-X). Both concentrate on static events and are of only limited practical use for carnivals, which have special needs and issues. More immediately relevant, and recommended reading for all carnival organisers and band-leaders, is Safety guidance for street arts, carnival processions and large-scale performances, published by the Independent Street Arts Network (ISAN). This attractive little book covers organisation, venues, audiences and performers' requirements and includes a short chapter on carnivals. The sections likely to be of greatest interest are the case studies and example risk assessment. It is available from SAMS Books, www.sams-arts.co.uk, tel 01883 345 011, price ÂŁ10 (ISBN 0-9544892-1-7). Safety is everyone's business, so don't just look out for yourself, but help those around you to enjoy carnival by staying out of danger. Carnival Grooves | 55
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carnival arts directory: : : MAS BANDS t=theme, d=designer, p=price, tel=telephone, e=email, w=website
Arawak t d p tel e w
Festival 40 Years & Beyond Mike Antoine £90 - £120 020 7736 3903 info@arawakinc.com www.arawakinc.com
B Dark Inspirations Costume Band t d p tel
Spirits of our Ancestors Shaun Carrington £45 - £55 07958 625 474
Beeraahaar Sweet Combination t d p tel e
Myth and Reality David Grant, Christine Oree contributions 020 8809 4325 mv@hackneyvoluntryaction.org.uk
Burrokeets UK t Savage tel 020 8807 9563 e burrokeets@hotmail.com
BWIA Cocoyea t d p tel e w
River Lime Chris Santos & Gregory Medina £30-65 07956 223 247 info@cocoyea.net www.cocoyea.net
Calabash Carnival Club t d p tel e
Fantasy of the Olde Carl Gabriel £25 children; £65 adults 07961 427 392 joanjoseph4@aol.com
Caribbean Carnival Club t d p tel
Carnival through the Ages Antony Sylvester £40, £20 & £15 020 8960 6246
Children and Parents Association t Mas in Numbers d Danny Parnell & Sharlotte Woolford p £5 - £10
Dragons t d p tel e w
Rainforest 'The Nation' Robert Miller £25-80 07801 678 230 peterandrewsc@aol.com www.dragonsscc.co.uk
Flamboyan Carnival Band t Descendents of Atlantis d Larry Forde p under 12: £10; 13-19: £20; adults: £50 tel 020 8969 4603 e inezg60@aol.com
Flamingo Carnival Club t d p tel e
Essence of the Caribbean Lydia £25 - £65 07803 541 104 flamingo_arts@hotmail.com
Fox Carnival Band t d p tel e w
Happy Fish Mas The children £12 registration fee 07779 600 450 lizzie.linden@virgin.net www.foxcarnival.com
Fusion Community t d p tel e
Mayan Legends 2 Helen Isitt £30 07752 312 672 hopeton.walker@btopenworld.com
Genesis Mas Band t Sailors in dis Time d Symone Williams-Watson, Kevin Williams p £65 - £75 (adults) tel 07838 198 037 e mrswatson13@hotmail.com
Glorious Backstage Arts t d p tel e
Urban Fairies Global Nation £10 - £15 020 7609 7377 global-nation@hotmail.com
Heritage Social Arts and Dance t Peace and Love d Charmaine Charles p £25
tel 07966 393 369 w www.mysite.freeserve.com/ heritage_carnival
Hibiscus Dance Group t e
Clowns of the World cecilia452@hotmail.com
Homerton Palace Carnival Band t d p tel e
Arabian Nights Liza Bittlespoon £20 020 8533 0227 chatspalace@hotmail.com
Inspiration Arts e
inspirationarts@hotmail.com
Invaders Mas Band t d p e
De Bird Cage Mitchel £35 - £90 jahcum@aol.com
ISIS Carnival Band t d p tel e w
Singer of Songs Jean Prime £35 - £50 07956 634 023 info@isiscc.co.uk www.isiscc.co.uk
Itchi Baba t d p tel
It's Carnival Richard Martinez £30 07958 184 969
Jamboulay Carnival Arts t Our Heritage d Jamboulay Design Team p Children:£15 - £25, Adults: £45 - £65 tel 07958 317 012 e jamboulay@hotmail.com
Jun Mo Generations t d p tel e
Mythical Gods Cindy £30 - £70 020 8809 0070 jmgenerations@hotmail.com; cindy-jumo@hotmail.com
Kuumba Carnival Band t Queen Nzinga Rule d Debby Enoe p £25 - £60 Carnival Grooves | 57
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CARNIVAL ARTS DIRECTORY : : :
tel 020 8478 8100 e info@kuumbacarnivalband.co.uk
La Trinity t d p tel
Fire and Water Shoba Broad no charge 07956 141 078
Lighthouse Players t d p tel e
Mas Mama Mas Ruthven £35 - £50 020 7792 1574 rroberts@artsed.co.uk
Mahogany Carnival t d p tel e w
Afro-Asian Experience Clary Salandy £25 - £50 020 8961 4446 costumes@mahoganycarnival.com www.mahoganycarnival.com
Mangrove Mas Band t Look De Band Commin d Dawn,Rudi Roberts, Clive Phillips, J. Kidhan p £35 - £50 tel 020 7565 7890 e mangrove_mas@yahoo.com w www.mangrovesteelband.com
Mas O Rama t d p tel e
Dewdrops Errol Romily / Carol Gaspard £25 - £60 01708 526416 masorama@hotmail.com
Masquerade 2000 t e
Mosaic m2k2004@hotmail.com
Nostalgia Steel band and Carnival Club t d p tel e
Olde Black Joe Beatrice Elokbi £40 07944 349 253 I.mcalman@uel.ac.uk
Paddington Arts Elimu t Din Shuru Masala d Kinetika tel 020 7033 9929
Paddington School Carnival Band t Blow Yaa Horn d Yaa Collective 58 | Carnival Grooves
p £35 tel 020 7286 1656 e admin@yaasantewaa.com
Paraiso School of Samba t
Venice to Rio to London
People of Paradise t d p tel
Some Kind of Freedom Ivonne Oloko £25 - £30 020 7249 8640
Peoples World t d p tel e
Cimarrons - Pirates from the Howe £26 children; £41 adults 07956 346 308 ssturgeon@candi.ac.uk
Perpetual Odyssey t d p tel
Respect Da Peace Natasha Wiggins/Cassandra £20 children; £30 adults 07956 864 055
Phoenix Carnival Costume Band t d p tel e
Past and Present Monty Ward £35, £40, £90 07944 612 522 (Juliette) monty@phoenix-arts. freeserve.co.uk
Pioneers and their Offspring t e
The Past... The Present and Into The Future digital -primiere@yahoo.com
Poison UK t d p tel e w
Retromania Individual Section £45-70 020 7609 4545 info@poisonuk.com www.poisonuk.com
Positive Production t d p tel e
Winds of Change Paul Streetly Costumes hired to members 01273 681 234 info@positiveproductions.co.uk
Quilomo de Samba t Cahe Roderides p £15 (includes drinks and t-shirts) tel 020 7602 8469 e quilombo@quilombo.net
Ruff Diamond t d p tel e
Celebration Kerry-Ann Mohammed £20-70 07969 765 226 yvonne1511@hotmail.com
Shademakers t d p tel e
Odyssey: The Primal Instinct Paul McLaren £25 0521 29 04 23 Shademakers.McLaren@tonline.de
South Connections t d p tel e
Chini (sugar) part of Din Shuru Kinetika Arts £30 - £65 020 7735 2786 southconnections@atlas.co.uk
St Clement & St James Carnival t d p tel e
Mythical Creatures Claire O'Leary Free, ages 8 - 18 020 7221 8810 zoe@clementjames.co.uk
Stardust t d e w
Rennaisance, Being Reborn Rhonda Baptiste stardustmas@hotmail.com www.stardustmas.org.uk
Streetheat e
rbilliam@devon.gov.uk
T n T Mudders t e
Look de Band Coming ttcandy1@yahoo.co.uk
Tabernacle Children's Costume Band t
Up to the times - let the music play…1964-2004 e anniewinston.findlay@ntlworld.com
Trinidad Tobago Carnival Club t d p tel e
Spirit Dances Bogart £32 - £75 07710 228 376 ttcarnivalclub@aol.com
Tropical Isles t d p tel
Aspirations and Inspirations Marva Antoine no charge 020 7254 0062
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Tropicana Dance School t d p tel e
Salsa Zinia no charge 020 8455 6580 tropicanasalsa@hotmail.com
Twelfth Century Productions t Cavalcade d Ashton Charles
Unity -The Peoples Mas Band t d p tel e
Commotion in de Mas Ruth Collins £20 - £40 020 7655 4500 bandleader@unitymas.org.uk
Yaa Asantewaa Carnival Group t d p tel e
Blow Yaa Horn Yaa Collective £65 020 7286 1656 admin@yaaasantewaa.com
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CMC/Matrix m drum & bass l All Saints Road opp Pelican PH
Confusion M soulful house, garage l St Luke's Road facing Lancaster Road
Different Strokes m reggae, R&B, revival, hip-hop, soca l Anderson Street
Disya Jeneration m across the board l Powis Terrace o/s no.12 (stall o/s no.19)
Gaz's Rockin' Blues m classic ska, revival, New Orleans R&B l Talbot Road o/s no.103
Gladys Wax Road Show m roots & culture, reggae, ska l Portobello Road adjacent to 304/306
SOUND SYSTEMS
Good Times
4 Play
King Tubby's
m=music type, l=location
m across the board l West Row near junction with Kensal Road
Aba Shanti (Monday only) m roots, rock, reggae, dub l East Row (junction with Southern Row)
Bass By Any Means Necessary m funk, soul, salsa, Brazilian, soca, Latin l Ledbury Road j/w Lonsdale Road
G I Roadshow m reggae, bashment, salsa, R&B l Adela Street
Channel One m strictly roots & culture l Leamington Road Villas o/s 176 Westbourne Park Road
m funky house, disco, classics, rare groove, hip-hop, jazz, reggae l Southern Row/ West Row (on precinct) m reggae, dancehall, bashment, R&B l Clydesdale Road o/s Clydesdale House
Jah Observer m roots & culture l Ledbury Road j/w Talbot Road
KCC & the Rocking Crew m US house (old & new), house anthems l Wornington Road
Killer Watt m across the board l St Luke's Road o/s Metro Club
Latin Rave Street Jam m Latin, salsa l Portobello Road o/s no 335
Level Vibes
m uplifting house, 70's 80's soul/funk l Oxford Gardens facing St Lawrence Terrace
Lord Gellys m reggae, R&B, soca l Cambridge Gardens o/s No.47
Love TKO m reggae, R&B, soca, hip-hop l Golborne Road
Mangrove Sound m soca l All Saint's Road o/s no.3
Mastermind Roadshow m upfront R&B, hiphop, soul, Old Skool, reggae l Canal Way (Canalside House)
Mellotone m soul, ragga, R&B, revival l Telford Road near junction with Lionel Mews
Metro Glory Muzik Express m ragga, R&B, hip-hop, house, garage, jungle, roots l Ledbury Road j/w Westbourne Park Road
Midnight Express 747 m reggae, soca, soul l Middle Row
G.T. Flex m R&B, soul, ragga, revival, Old Skool l Aldridge Road Villas j/w Westbourne Park Road
Nasty Love Mixing Lab m ragga, dancehall, R&B, hip-hop l Colville Gardens (middle)
Rampage m across the board l Colville Gardens j/w Colville Terrace o/s no.1 Colville Square
Rapattack m soul, funk, R&B, hip- hop, garage, Old Skool 70s 80s classics, rare groove l All Saint's Road o/s no.23 Carnival Grooves | 59
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CARNIVAL ARTS DIRECTORY : : :
Rough But Sweet m reggae, R&B, revival, Lovers, garage l Conlan Street/East Row
Sancho Panza m funky house l Middle Row
Saxon Sound m ragga, reggae l St Lawrence Terrace north of j/w Cherston Rd
Scenario m R&B reggae, hiphop & classic garage l Bonchurch Road j/w Portobello Rd
Sir Lloyd m R&B, reggae l Tavistock Road/Leamington Road Villas o/s no.54
Sir Valdez m R&B, hip-hop, ragga l Golborne Road on precinct at back of Prince Arthur
Special FX m dancehall, R&B, revival, rare groove l Tavistock Road opp. no.13
Studio One System M R&B, reggae, dancehall, garage, hip-hop, soca L Powis Square (eastside)
Sufferers m ragga, R&B, hip-hop, soca l All Saint's Road o/s no.11
The Funbunch m R&B, hip-hop, garage, boogie l Talbot Road j/w Sutherland Place
Virgo International m reggae, bashment, soca, hip-hop, R&B, garage l Outside People's Theatre, facing across Oxford Gardens
STEEL BANDS b=band leader, t=telephone, e=email, w=website
CROYDON STEEL ORCHESTRA b t e
Paul Dowie 07956 147 582 paul@croydonsteelorchestra.co.uk
EBONY STEELBAND b t e w
Pepe Francis 020 8960 6424 services@ebony.org.uk www.ebony.org.uk
ECLIPSE STEEL ORCHESTRA t
07947 632 910
FOREST GATE YOUTH STEEL b t e
Felix Joseph 07808 847 974 felixsteelpan@yahoo.co.uk
LONDON ALL STARS b t
Frank Junior 020 7737 1825
MAESTRO STEEL ORCHESTRA t
0121 440 8429
MANGROVE STEEL BAND t e
020 7565 7820 mangrovesteelband@hotmail.com
METRONOMES STEEL ORCHESTRA b t e
Eversley Miller 020 8960 4299 metronomesorches@hotmail.com
PANTASIA STEEL ORCHESTRA b t e
Pauline Williams 020 8376 9787 panlass@blueyonder.co.uk
PANTONIC STEEL ORCHESTRA t
020 8340 0862
PLASHET SCHOOL STEEL BAND t
020 8471 2418
RAINBOW STAR ORCHESTRA t
01225 331952
REAL STEEL ORCHESTRA b t e
Dave Perrette 01752 207881 realsteel@soundhouse.co.uk
SKYE & LOCHLASH YMMS t e
01478 612111 mdo@slymm.org
SOUNDS OF STEEL t
023 9236 4399
SOUTHSIDE HARMONICS b t
Julian Gibbs 07958 303 274
STARDUST STEEL ORCHESTRA b t e w
Adrian / Tara Baptiste 020 8740 0381 info@stardustmasandpan.com www.stardustmasandpan.com
STEELASOPHICAL t 01494 463 869 w www.steelasophical.com
NORTH STARS STEEL BAND b t e w
Kelvin Benjamin 01484 535495 info@northstars.org.uk www.northstars.org.uk
NOSTALGIA STEEL b t e
Sterling Betancourt 020 8986 2441 l.mccalman@uel.ac.uk
to advertise here call 08700 434 442
PAN NECKTAR STEELBAND t e
01985 446895 colin.desvignes@ic24.net
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Soca News job opportunities EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Based in Islington your main responsibilities will be to generate editorial content for Soca News magazine and socanews.com from a variety of sources, often working outside of typical office hours, to produce copy to strict deadlines. ref. jcm-EA
GRAPHIC DESIGNER We are seeking an enthusiastic Designer to join our small team, assisting in the design and production of leaflets, magazines and websites. You should have experience of using all of the following packages: Quark Xpress, Adobe Photoshop 6 upwards, Adobe Illustrator, Dreamweaver and Flash plus other graphic packages. ref. jcm-GD To apply for any of the above, please send a cv and a covering letter quoting the job reference to: Joseph Charles Media, 367 Caledonian Road, London, N7 9DQ. Email info@josephcharlesmedia.com Deadline is Tuesday 31 August 2004
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