Soca News | June 2018

SOCANEWS F ree

i126/ JUNE 2018 ISSN 1464-7087

socanews.com

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CONTENTS JUNE 2018 | ISSUE 126

SOCA PEOPLE 33. LUTENANTS

HEADING TO PARADISE

14. FEATURE

UK GOVERNMENT

ROCKED BY WINDRUSH STORM

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ADVERTORIAL 20. ACKEE

A CARIBBEAN DELIGHT

FOR VEGANS WORLDWIDE

FEATURES

REGULAR

18. WINDRUSH EVENTS

07. NEWS

30. CARNIVAL VILLAGE AND THE NEW CARNIVAL

23. EVENTS

36. CHILDREN’S

CARNIVAL DAY IN HACKNEY

REVIEW

COMPANY

CARNIVAL 26. UK CARNIVAL

CALENDAR

VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE

SOCANEWS.COM

WHEN AND WHERE TO FETE

12. LUTON

INTERNATIONAL

CARNIVAL 2018

GET LISTED If you’re a carnival organiser, promoter, mas band, steelband, soca sound, community group or other participant who’s feeling left out because we didn’t mention your event, or if you’d like to advertise in the magazine or online, the remedy is in your hands. Get in touch! Give us a call on 0333 012 4643

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EDITOR’S LETTER I think we can safely say that the majority of the 2018 Notting Hill Carnival band launches have now taken place, with maybe just a few stragglers left to do their thing. After work limes have begun, and Carnival Season is in full swing.

Each year there is some sort of bacchanal surrounding Notting Hill Carnival, and it usually kicks off around July. However, this year it began much earlier, when the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea put out to tender and awarded their annual carnival funding to Carnival Village Trust, leaving LNHCET, the previous guardians of this massive street festival, out in the cold. What’s done is done; now, we hope this new stewardship will be successful and facilitate a fantastic 2018 carnival for everyone. Stay tuned!

COVER IMAGE Costume: Abíọlá Designer: Melissa Simon-Hartman Presentation: Afro Deities Band: Legion Mas Model: Hassan Reese MUA’s: Bryony O’Dame & Karen

Salandy, assisted by

Tiana Raya Escoffery Photography: Fiona Compton

PUBLISHER & EDITOR Joseph Charles jc@socanews.com CREATIVE Joseph Charles SUB EDITOR Katie Segal katie@socanews.com CONSULTING EDITOR Stephen Spark stephen@socanews.com

We always encourage our readers to find a band and ‘play ah mas’.

Nothing’s changed there: we firmly believe that if you want to really experience Carnival then by far the best way to do it is in costume.

There are over sixty bands to choose from, each offering the participant something different.

We’re always happy to hear from our readers, so feel free to email news@socanews.com, and we’ll get back to you.

YOURS IN SOCA. Joseph Charles EDITOR

SALES & ADVERTISING sales@socanews.com WORDS Ionie Benjamin, Joseph Charles, Katie Segal, Stephen Spark PICTURES Angela Chappell, Cris Collins, Bampson, pax Nindi, Peter Hogan, Rudolpho Louisy, Stephen Spark, Toby Laurent Belson

PUBLISHED BY Joseph Charles Publishing 86-90 Paul Street London, EC2A 4NE TELEPHONE + 44 (0) 333 012 4643 EMAIL info@socanews.com WEBSITE www.socanews.com

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT Debbie Melchor

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The views expressed in Soca News are not necessarily the views of the editor or the publisher. All material contained within this publication is the copyright of Soca News. 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. © 2018 Soca News. All rights reserved.

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news

Community shines a green light for Grenfell

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t 12.54am on 14 June a dozen tower blocks in and around North Kensington will go green to commemorate the moment a year ago that fire was reported in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower.

The lighting scheme is intended as a display of solidarity by neighbouring residents’ and tenants’ associations. The buildings will be lit up between dusk and midnight each night from 14 to 17 June.

The public inquiry into the fire is in progress and has already heard some harrowing testimony, but it’s generally agreed that the source was a small electrical fire in a fridge-freezer in a fourth-floor flat.

The fire then ‘escaped’ up the outside of the building because the poorly designed and badly fitted exterior cladding provided both combustible materials and a wind tunnel effect. It took fire-fighters 60 hours to fully extinguish the blaze.

Official figures state that 72 people lost their lives as a result of the fire and a further 70 were injured - although many believe the total to have been higher. As well as being traumatised by the disaster, all the survivors lost their homes and their possessions.

The Grenfell Tower fire was very much a community tragedy, and also affected many involved with Notting Hill Carnival. Many London carnivalists have friends, colleagues and neighbours who were directly impacted by the tragedy; some, sadly, have lost people close to them.

The silence in memory of Grenfell on Carnival Sunday and Monday last year was a dignified and disciplined show of solidarity, proving that carnivalgoers can stop to show respect even at the height of the bacchanal. Each band’s music was also switched off as it reached the closest point on the route to the blackened tower. Many participants and revellers wore green, or green accessories, and the ‘Green for Grenfell’ theme could be seen on trucks, posters and hoardings along the route.

North Kensington and elements of Notting Hill form a close community, which overlaps with the London Carnival community, so the organisers of this ‘memorial in light’ hope that people will rally round to support the project.

• Donations can be made via: https://www. gofundme.com/green-for-grenfell-illuminations

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news

Nailah Blackman nominated for BET award

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ailah Blackman has been nominated for a BET Viewers’ Choice Award in the category of Best New International Act. In a statement, Nailah said, “I’m the only Caribbean artist representing in this category.

I am not just doing this for my homeland, Trinidad and Tobago, but this is for the wider Caribbean.

And, most importantly, I’m doing this for SOKAH/ SOCA MUSIC!” The 20-year-old songstress, who is the granddaughter of the acknowledged founder of soca, Ras Shorty I (Garfield Blackman), has had a meteoric rise within the soca industry. She first came to our attention in 2017, performing on the track Work Out, a collaboration with Kees Dieffenthaller.

If you would like to support Nailah in her fight to bag an award, you can vote for her via the following link, http://www.betintl.co.uk, using #IPICKNAILAHB18. The closing date is Tuesday 19 June.

FOR MORE NEWS VISIT

SOCANEWS.COM/NEWS 8 SN JUNE 2018

The theatrical life of Claudia Jones

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hilst the historical specifics are widely debated, Claudia Jones is heralded by most as one of the instigators or founders of Notting Hill Carnival. Now you can see a depiction of her life portrayed and celebrated as part of the Catalyst Festival, an event produced by MA students from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.

Described as “Blurring the lines of time, politics, and race”, this 50 minute piece of theatre was written by Tiannah Viechweg. Tiannah, who’s from London, studied at The Poor School, Identity School of Acting and Oxford University.

Carnival Queen is her writing debut.

Carnival Queen is showing at Theatre503, 503 Battersea Park Road, London SW11 3BW, on 3 and 6 June at 7pm. You can book tickets, which each cost £6, at theatre503.com.

Cottons goes Arty

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ottons Restaurant in Notting Hill Gate have been doing more than just firing up the grills and providing a taste of the Caribbean.

Over the past few months they’ve been on the lookout for UK-based Caribbean artists to display their art, and it’s now on show in the restaurant.

One such artist, and the curator of the exhibition series, is Barbados-born Kellie Every; her abstract paintings will be on show at the restaurant from Thursday 17 May until Sunday 24 June.

Photography by Alyssa Kirton from Barbados follows, from Monday 25 June to Sunday 29 July.

After that, a joint show from 30 July until 26 August will feature two photographers, Laura & Seraphina Matthew, representing St Vincent & The Grenadines and Dominica.

If you would like to get your work showcased at Cottons then it’s not too late; the deadline for submissions is Tuesday 31 July. Please email jo@ rhumshack.co.uk.

Cottons Restaurant is located at 157-159 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3LF. For more information please visit www.cottons-restaurant.co.uk.

FOR MORE NEWS VISIT

SOCANEWS.COM/NEWS

Barbados has a new Prime Minister

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arbados Labour Party (BLP) leader Mia Mottley is the new Prime Minister of Barbados.

The BLP won nearly three-quarters of the popular vote and took all 30 seats available in the House of Assembly on 25 May – the first time this has been achieved in the country. It was a crushing defeat for the Democratic Labour Party (DLP).

The 52-year-old lawyer thereby becomes the first female prime minister of Barbados, joining the likes of Eugenia Charles (Dominica, 1980-95), Janet Jagan (Guyana, 1997-99), Portia Simpson-Miller (Jamaica, 2006-07, 2012-16) and Kamla PersadBissessar (Trinidad and Tobago, 2010-15).

Mottley’s political roots go deep; her grandfather, Ernest Deighton Mottley, became the first Mayor of Bridgetown in 1959 and her father and uncle were also both involved in politics.

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news

Small Island Unity ready for Rotterdam and London

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indward Islands mas band Small Island Unity expects to have between 200 and 250 masqueraders portraying ‘Hurricane Season’ at Zomercarnaval in Rotterdam, and then at Notting Hill Carnival. The main sections are Hurricane Categories 1 to 5, plus children and a fun mas T-shirt section called ‘Looters’. After the devastation of last year’s hurricanes the topic might seem a tad insensitive, but they reckon the best way to deal with trauma is to confront it head-on in mas and music. And what’s the point of carnival if it can’t be controversial?

For those whose pockets can’t stretch to purchase of a full costume, the band has introduced a rental option – an innovative move. They’re also working to redress the imbalance between female and male masqueraders by insisting that ‘Real men play mas!’

That’s a slogan that other bands would do well to copy, if mas is to have a future.

FOR MORE NEWS VISIT

SOCANEWS.COM/NEWS 10 SN JUNE 2018

No facial recognition software in Notting Hill

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he Met have recently announced that they won’t be using facial recognition software at the 2018 Notting Hill Carnival, in contrast to the two previous years when they ignored pressure from civil liberties campaign groups Big Brother Watch and Liberty.

This is just one of the many policing methodologies that has been trialled at Carnival over the years; the large-scale event has been seen as a free testing ground for technology and tactics.

Police in England and Wales are now facing legal challenges over the use of the software, which has an extremely high error rate, especially with non-white and female faces. They haven’t explained why they’ve made the decision not to use the technology in Notting Hill this August, but it’s definitely a plus for carnival-goers and carnivalists’ liberty – and, after all, carnival is all about freedom.

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review

Luton International Carnival 2018 review

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WORDS | ANGELA CHAPPELL

he 2018 UK carnival season began in style on 27 May, with Luton International Carnival celebrating its 42nd year. Commissioned by Luton Borough Council in partnership with UK Centre for Carnival Arts (UKCCA) and Luton Culture, this has become a significant event in the town’s cultural calendar.

Artistic Director Clary Salandy has been making her mark on the event since 2014, and Luton International Carnival is now an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) for 2018 to 2022. The event’s international focus was portrayed by local community troupes representing carnival arts from the Caribbean, Latin America, South Asia and Poland, with two steelbands mixing in with local radio and sound systems.

Local schools took part this year, alongside Luton Town Football Club, Luton Tigers, Bedfordshire Police and the Fire Brigade. Local Samaritans and 12 SN JUNE 2018

sickle cell anaemia charities produced fantastic floats with support from UKCCA, and Luton’s own Rampage Mas made a welcome appearance.

Visiting carnival bands included Hughbon Condor’s band from Leeds and the East Midlands Caribbean Carnival Arts Network’s ‘Flight of Fancy’ touring work. The latter was one of the five Arts Council England NPO mas bands playing at Luton Carnival, the others being Paraiso and Mahogany from London, City Arts, also from the Midlands, and New Carnival Company from the Isle of Wight.

One of the highlights was the inclusion in the parade of differently able people. The New Carnival Company had collaborated with Embaixadores da Alegria from Rio, the largest inclusive and disability led carnival group in the world, to form Alegria Samba School and produce a costumed band of butterflies and insects.

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feature

UK Government rocked by Windrush storm A ‘hostile’ immigration policy has wrecked lives, forced the resignation of the home secretary and further tarnished Britain’s reputation abroad.

As the Windrush Generation scandal continues to unfold, Stephen Spark digs deep into its roots.

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WORDS | STEPHEN SPARK

t the launch last year of the Windrush70 project, the overall feeling was of celebration. There was a sense that the pioneering migrants to Britain from the Caribbean were finally being recognised and getting their long overdue time in the spotlight. Nor was it confined to the older generation: commemorating the 70 years since the ship Empire Windrush docked in Tilbury was a way of recognising the wider contribution made to UK society and culture by all those of Caribbean – and

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by extension those of African and Asian – heritage.

Britain wouldn’t, and couldn’t, be the country it is now without that contribution. In some quarters there was a touch of satisfaction, even smugness, that, well, things hadn’t worked out so badly after all, had they?

Perhaps we overlooked then that the coming year, 2018, would mark the 50th anniversary of something far less palatable – Conservative MP Enoch Powell’s ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech delivered in Birmingham on 20 April 1968. That speech needs to be understood

in the context of the fear, violence and racial division that existed 50 years ago: race riots and violent protests against the Vietnam War in the USA, student riots in Paris and the very real prospect of nuclear war.

The atmosphere in Britain then was sad, grey and frightened. Ultimately, though, Powell’s prophecy – borrowed from Roman poet Virgil’s Aeneid – of “much blood” proved false. What Powell would have thought of a mixed-race American divorcée marrying into the royal family is anyone’s guess – no doubt he’d have given us a suitably depressing classical quotation to sum up his forebodings!

After being sacked for inflaming racial tensions, Powell sank into political obscurity, but his words had a massive impact. A Gallup poll found that 74% of the population supported his views. The speech stoked fear of immigration to such an extent that new laws were passed to attempt to stem the flow of immigrants.

Arguably the most significant of these was the Immigration Act 1971, which took effect on the day that Britain joined the European Economic Community, the forerunner of the European Union, on 1 January 1973. Whilst it took away many of the rights of Commonwealth citizens, it gave favoured immigration status to EEC citizens. Crucially, the right to live in the UK was now determined by birth or parentage, not nationality; possession of a British passport by itself counted for nothing. However, there was a concession and perhaps it was one that too few understood or took advantage of at the time: Commonwealth citizens who had lived in Britain for at least five years before 1 January 1973 could register for the right of abode (equivalent to today’s ‘indefinite leave to remain’). They had the right to do this, but were not required to do so. And in retrospect, perhaps that was a pity.

UNDESIRABLE ALIENS The first ‘modern’ immigration law was the 1905 Aliens Act, which was passed in a panic over the ‘wrong type of immigrant’ – meaning poor, unskilled, possibly criminal... and Jewish. New arrivals had to show proof that they could support themselves and their dependants. Rules were tightened up, understandably, during the First World War, and again in the Second World War – when the ‘wrong kind’ (German spies) were simply executed – but otherwise the main concern was to keep out Communist and Anarchist agitators. Apart from refugees fleeing Nazi persecution, immigration

was on a very small scale; for most people it was just too expensive.

The first sign that a new wind was blowing came with the arrival in Liverpool on 31 March 1947 of RMS Ormonde, a ship belonging to Orient Line that had been chartered by the Ministry of Transport to take emigrants to Australia. On its return journey it brought 108 immigrants from Jamaica, Bermuda and Trinidad & Tobago who had taken advantage of a cheap fare to Britain at a time of economic depression in the Caribbean. On 21 December that year, Allan Wilmot – the 92-year-old guest of honour at the Windrush70 launch – was one of several Caribbean ex-servicemen who was on the Almanzora when it docked in Southampton. This ship, too, was intended to take people out of the country to a sunny new life in Australia rather than bringing West Indian migrants in to cold, smoky, austerity Britain. Six months later, Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury.

The real movement, though, didn’t begin until the mid-1950s when a labour shortage prompted companies and state bodies such as the NHS, the Post Office, British Railways and London Transport to recruit directly from the Caribbean and the Punjab. For a while, this free flow of people suited the government, but the welcome on the streets was a lot cooler. The ‘No Blacks, No Irish, No Dogs’ signs in front windows were no urban myth, and the Notting Hill Riots of late August 1958 highlighted the tensions of the times. Claudia Jones, of course, had the best possible riposte to the Teddy boys and the Mosleyite bullies – an annual showcase for Caribbean creative talent. The genes of her indoor ‘Caribbean Carnivals’ have been carried through to Notting Hill Carnival.

Jones achieved a lot in her short life, but even her persuasiveness couldn’t overcome the popular calls for curbs on immigration from the ‘new’ (i.e. nonwhite) Commonwealth. The first attempt was the Commonwealth Immigration Act 1962, although its most noticeable effect was to create work for document-forgers. Then came ‘Rivers of Blood’, the tougher 1968 Commonwealth Immigration Act (chiefly aimed at East African Indians) and the 1971 Act. Parallel with these were successive Race Relations Acts, in 1965, 1968 and 1971, which attempted to address some of the worst abuses in employment and housing.

HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT For the past 40 years the focus of the fear of immigration has moved from the Caribbean to the Indian Sub-

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continent, South East Asia, Eastern Europe and lately Syria and Afghanistan. Until recently, the ‘Windrush Generation’ seemed relatively secure in retirement.

That was until Theresa May, as home secretary, introduced a new policy in 2010. In her own words, “The aim is to create, here in Britain, a really hostile environment for illegal immigrants.” The ‘hostility’ is expressed by demanding of pretty much everyone documentary evidence that they have a right to be in the country, to work, to claim benefits and to use the health service.

Employers, doctors, bank workers, landlords and even charity workers have been forced to become de facto immigration officers, demanding to see proof of address, birth and marriage certificates and passports.

Those without the right paperwork must, the reasoning goes, be illegal. Failure to produce the right certificate might not just stop you getting a job; it could, and has, resulted in deportation.

The legislation has unpleasant echoes of South Africa’s infamous Pass Laws – particularly as it emerged this year that the Home Office had set targets for forced removals. On 29 April, home secretary Amber Rudd resigned after admitting she had misled Parliament by denying there were any targets. On 16 May, new home secretary Sajid Javid revealed that more than 63 people may have been wrongly deported from Britain because they lacked evidence of their right to stay. They lacked that evidence because, when they got off the boat in Southampton or Liverpool or Tilbury, they never needed it and were never asked for it until now. Today, after more than half a century of residing peacefully in Britain, the chances of obtaining that evidence are slim – especially as the vital landing cards recording their arrival are said to have been shredded.

The results have been devastating, with people saying they have been left homeless and jobless, one denied cancer treatment, another on the verge of committing suicide. And, underlying it all, there is a deep sense of hurt and betrayal that those who have done so much for so long have been treated so badly.

Sajid Javid, like London Mayor Sadiq Khan, is of Pakistani origin; both men’s fathers were bus drivers who might easily have faced the sort of strangulation by red tape that has ensnared the Windrush Generation.

Javid said of the scandal: “It immediately impacted me. I’m a second-generation migrant. My parents came to this country, just like the Windrush Generation.... When I heard about the Windrush issue I thought, ‘That could be my mum, it could be my dad,

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MATTHEW RYDER QC MAYOR’S OFF AND ALLAN WILMOTT EX-SOUTHSIDERS AT THE LAUNCH OF THE WINDRUSH70 PROJECT

it could be my uncle, it could be me.’” Unsurprisingly, he has sought to distance himself from the ‘hostile’ rhetoric: “I don’t like the phrase hostile… I think it is a phrase that is unhelpful and it doesn’t represent our values as a country.”

The prime minister apologised to Caribbean leaders at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April, saying: “We are genuinely sorry for any anxiety that has been caused. Those who arrived from the Caribbean before 1973 and lived here permanently without significant periods of time away in the last 30 years have the right to remain in the UK.” It is hardly likely to be enough to save her credibility as evidence mounts that she presided over exactly the sort of ‘send them home’ policy that Enoch Powell advocated in his speech half a century ago.

Wanda Nation presents London’s first open-air Windrush Festival on 23 & 24 June 2018 to celebrate 70 years of the Windrush generation in the UK. Bringing together Caribbean, African & Creole-speaking communities, it celebrates the unique spirit of Black culture in London. The festival will take place in the iconic and historical Crystal Palace Park with its breath-taking views across South London & Kent.

Join the festivities as around 15,000 Londoners descend for two long, hot days of summer and enjoy the sights, sounds, tastes and cultural vibes of a rich, diverse community. It’s more than just a party. The Radiate Windrush Festival has been curated to present an experience of black culture through workshops, arts, crafts, music, dance and language, and will host the largest ever Community Engagement Forum discussing issues affecting youth and family.

• • • • • • • • • •

Performances & live appearances Caribbean, African & Creole Cuisine Music from sound systems & guest DJs Talk Zone with Community Forum Market Village with arts, crafts, food stalls & bars Workshops with taster sessions of dance, music & languages Children’s Zone with fire truck & sports activities Wellness Zone Five Borough Peace Wall (Bromley, Croydon, Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham) Large scale Windrush memorial mural

MORE INFORMATION AND TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE: Radiate Windrush Festival 2018 www.radiatefestival.com | info@radiatefestival.com +44(0)20 8123 7492 | +44(0)7944 214 692

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feature

Windrush Events

The Windrush anniversary is being marked across the country in diverse ways. We’ve listed just some of them here.

1/June - 21/Oct

Exhibition, Entrance Hall, The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB. Works from Caribbean writers such as Una Marson, J J Thomas, Andrea Levy, Benjamin Zephania, plus Caribbean music from jazz to calypso. Free.

5/June

What’s next for the Windrush generation?

7pm–8.30pm, The Tabernacle, London W11 2AY. Guardian-sponsored debate by journalists and activists. £20 + £1.56 booking fee.

8/June

Musical legacies from the Windrush: Allan Wilmott and the Southlanders, Black Cultural Archive, Brixton. The sprightly 92 year old shares his memories. £5.

19/June

Remembering Sam King MBE, St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey, London, SW1P 3JX. Talks and calypso celebrating Jamaican-born Mayor of Southwark, Windrush Foundation cofounder and co-organiser (with Claudia Jones) of the annual indoor ‘Caribbean carnivals’ 1959-1964.

22/June

Spirit of Windrush: Contributions to Multicultural Britain, Westminster Abbey. Thanksgiving service for 2,200 people, to include musical work by Shirley Thompson, MBE.

23/June

Windrush 70 Years On, Black Cultural Archives, Brixton. A day of activities, including music (classic reggae, lovers’ rock, ska and hip hop), poetry, arts and crafts and talks. Free. Plus Windrush 70 panel discussion £5.

23/June

A Charmed Life, Wolverhampton Art Gallery.

Film screening and Q&A with Patrick Vernon OBE. Free, but limited places.

23-24/June

9/June

Film showing + Streets Paved With Gold, Kush Films with British Urban Film Festival, Regent Street Cinema, 309 Regent St, London W1B 2UW. Powerful short films about the Windrush era and modern migration, plus live theatrical performance. £12.

Radiate Windrush, Crystal Palace Park, London SE19 2GA, 12pm. Windrush-inspired celebration of Black communities in Britain, with live music, sound systems, cultural workshops, Caribbean, African and Creole food, arts and crafts, community talks. Free, but must register at https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/radiate-windrushfestival-registration-42795050147.

9/June - 29/July

5/July

Windrush 70, Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Lichfield St, Wolverhampton. Exhibition of photographs by Nick Hedges; paintings by Jamaican-born Sylbert Bolton; video and memorabilia. Free.

12/June

Windrush 70 Awards presentation, Manchester Central. For health workers past and present who have made an exceptional contribution to Britain’s National Health Service, which was founded two weeks after the Windrush docked at Tilbury.

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Exhibition talk – Windrush 70, 6.30pm, The Library, Willesden Green. Q&A session with curator Shasti Lowston.

13/Aug

Travel the High Seas – Windrush 70 Creative Family Workshop, 2 4pm, Kilburn Library.

Children can learn about the arrival of Empire Windrush and create a colourful scene.

For more information visit socanews.com/ windrush-events

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ADVERTORIAL

ackee

A CARIBBEAN DELIGHT FOR VEGANS WORLDWIDE

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s plant-based diets and lifestyles become more widespread, and the depth of vegan and vegetarian cooking becomes better understood, people are expanding their horizons to include new and exciting international dishes. Ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica, and has been gaining popularity the world over due to its incredible flavour, versatility and increasing availability thanks to companies such as the UK’s Tropical Sun.

Due to the need for careful preparation and preservation the fruit is generally not sold fresh, but is tinned in salt water for maximum flavour. Some of the best ackee available is from Tropical Sun, who grow it in Jamaica and hand-process is to guarantee the highest standards. Available in 280g and 540g tins, it can be found in independent Caribbean and Asian grocers nationwide and in select Asda, Morrison’s and Co-op stores. Give it a try!

Whilst Jamaicans traditionally cook ackee with saltfish mixed with vegetables and spices, ackee cooked without the saltfish also makes for a delicious vegan meal option. ‘Mac n ’kees’, with ackee used as an alternative to cheese, makes for another tasty vegan meal.

Visit TropicalSunFoods.com to find out more about Tropical Sun and to explore their full range of products.

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ACKEE CAN BE SERVED AS A VEGAN MEAL OPTION ACKEE FRUIT TREE

LADIES AT WORK IN THE TROPICAL SUN FACTORY, JAMAICA

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NEW MUSIC

Natia returns with a sexy, groovy & pop twist of soca for 2018.

As a perfect collaboration between genres, You Like It is sure to be a favourite around the world.

DOWNLOAD NOW Produced by - Socachild 360 @ Riddim Up Productions Written by - Natasha Forrester & Darren Skerritt

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events

Don’t know where to go, or what to do?

Our events listing is all you need to keep you in the know. We cover predominately London, but whenever or wherever we hear about a soca fete or caribbean related event, we’ll list it. If you’re a promoter, then to ensure you get listed please send us your event details and a print copy of your flyer to events@socanews.com.

For full event listings, please visit socanews.com/events. For Windrush related events see page 18

SAT 9 JUNE

SUN 10 JUNE

GRENADA VOLUNTARY HOSPITAL COMMITTEE

THESOCIALINA EVENTS

BOAT CRUISE PARTY

@ Festival Pier, Belvedere Road, DE1 8XZ. Time 7pm-1am. Price £35.

PRESTON CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL

ONE PARK - 10 SOUND SYSTEMS

CARIBBEAN SUNDAY

@ The Piano Works, 113-117 Farringdon Road, EC1R 3BX. Time 5.30pm-1am. Price £6 & £15.

SAT 16 JUNE BUSSPEPPER

BRUNCHPEPPER

@ Moor Park, Preston, PR1 6AY. Time 12-9pm.

@ Tropicana Beach Club, Parker Street, WC2B 5pw. Time 11am5pm. Price £10, £35 & £40.

MILK N HONEY PRODUCTION

FRI 22 JUNE

MIDNIGHT GROOVERS OUT OF THE NATURE ISLAND OF DOMINICA

@ The Royal Lounge, 397 High Road, HA9 6AA. Time 8pm-4am.

Price £35.

SHIPWRECKED CARNIVAL

LAVA - THE SUMMER SERIES @ Sway, 61-65 Great Queen Street, WC2B 5BZ. Time 7pm3am. Price Free before 9pm.

SOCA MADHOUSE

NESSA PREPPY & MERZY

@ 229 The Venue, 229 Great Portland Street, W1W 5PN. Featuring Live Nessa Preppy & Merzy. DJs DJ Cally V, DJ CJay, Flagz Sound & Twin T. Time 11pm-3am. Price £10 & £15.

SAT 23 JUNE WANDA NATION

RADIATE WINDRUSH FESTIVAL 2018

@ Crystal Palace Park, SE19 2GA. Time 12-9pm. Info 020 8123 7492.

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events

FOR A FULL EVENT LISTING

SOCANEWS.COM/EVENTS SUMMER CREW UK

SUMMER SOLSTICE

@ Lincoln Arms Pub, 155 Percival Road, Enfield, EN1 1QT. Time 4pm-1am. Price £15, £20 & £25; includes all-day buffet & limited premium complimentary drinks. Info 07414 025 556 CARIBBEAN SESSIONS

SUMMER JAM (LUMINOUS EDITION)

@ The Griff Inn Bar, BLSA Building, Stepney Way, E1 2AE. DJs DJ CJay, Danny D, D.Tee & DJ Drew. Time 10.30pm-4am. Price Free, £10, £15. motd.

SUN 24 JUNE WANDA NATION

RADIATE WINDRUSH FESTIVAL 2018

@ Crystal Palace Park, SE19 2GA. Time 12-9pm. Info 020 8123 7492.

CARIBBEE

LIME IN D PARK 2018

@ Blagdons Cricket Club, Beverley Way, New Malden, Surrey, KT3 4PU. Time 1pm-8am. Price Free admission.

NUTMEG & MACE SPICE

FISHERMAN’S BIRTHDAY

@ The Old Lyonian Sports & Social Club, 74 Pinner View, Harrow, HA1 4QF. DJs DJ Bones, Satixfaxion & Release D Riddim.

Time 12-7.30pm. Price £2 kids, £5 adults.

MON 25 - TUE 26 JUNE CARIB ART

CARIBART EXHIBITION - MY SUGAR ISLAND @ The High Commission for the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, 42 Belgrave Square, SW1X 8NT. Time 1-4pm.

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SAT 30 JUNE

by Mountview drama school MA students.

CARNIVAL ARTS WORKSHOPS

FRI 06 JULY

DECORATIVE FOOTWEAR

@ Yaa Centre, 1 Chippenham Mews, W9 2AN. Put your best foot forward with Tia Rochester and The Goddess Experience.

Providing learning opportunities and expert guidance to customise shoes, boots and sandals. Time 1-4pm. Price £5 MINGLE UK

JAM JOUVERT

@ Cranford Community College High Street, Hounslow TW5 9PD. Featuring Live Iwer George & Lavaman. Time 2-8pm. Price £25, £30 & £40.

SHIPWRECKED CARNIVAL

RUM & REGGAE

@ Foundation Bar, 5 Langley Street, WC2H 9JA. Featuring Live Gappy Ranks. DJs Jamie Rodigan, DJ Jah Eyez, DJ Boots, DJ Markee & DJ Cinderella. Time 9pm-3am. Price £25. Info 07990 587 333

SUN 01 JULY DYNAMIC SOUNDS

TRINI PARK LIME

@ Lee Valley Athletics Centre, Lee Valley Leisure Complex, 61 Meridian Way, Edmonton, N9 0AR. Time 12-9pm. Price £5 (adults), Under 16s free.

Licensed bar, food stalls, music, free car park.

TUE 03, THUR 06 JULY CATALYST FESTIVAL 2018

CARNIVAL QUEEN

@ Theatre503, 503 Battersea Park Road, SW11 3BW. Play about the life of Claudia Jones, a pioneer of Notting Hill Carnival,

SHIPWRECKED CARNIVAL

LAVA - THE SUMMER SERIES @ Sway, 61-65 Great Queen Street, WC2B 5BZ. Time 7pm3am. Price Free before 9pm.

SAT 7 JULY TALK YUH TALK IN ASSOC. WITH CARNIVAL VILLAGE TRUST

KAISO LIME

@ The Tabernacle, 34-35 Powis Square, W11 2AY. Time 7pm.

Price Free entry.

FORBES ENTERTAINMENT

CHUTNEY KINGDOM

@ The Luxurious Starlight Suite, 282-300 Lea Bridge Road, E10 7LD. Featuring Live Raymond Ramnarine & Renuka (Dil-ENadan) & Terry Gajraj. Time 9pm-2am. Price £15 & £20.

BUSSPEPPER

WINING WONDERLAND @ The Alice, 133 Houndsditch, EC3A 7BX. Time 10pm-4am.

Price £10, £15 & £20.

SUN 08 JULY BARBADOS CULTURAL ORGANISATION

CRICKET EXTRAVAGANZA

@ Blagdons Cricket Club, Beverley Way, New Malden, Surrey, KT3 4PU. Time 10am-4pm. Price £3 children (3-16) & £10 adults.

SUN 29 JULY PREZZY PRODUCTIONS

THE ANNUAL BEACH LIME

@ Boscombe Pier, 2494 Undercliff Dr, Bournemouth, BH5 1BN. Time 8am. Price £20 kids, £40 adults. Info 07950 699 807

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feature carnival

UK CARNIVAL CALENDAR SOCANEWS.COM/CARNIVALS JUNE 2018 9 JUNE NORTHAMPTON CARNIVAL NORTHAMPTON 10 JUNE PRESTON CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL PRESTON 23 JUNE SHEFFIELD CARNIVAL SHEFFIELD 30 JUNE DEIGHTON CARNIVAL HUDDERSFIELD

JULY 2018 1 JUL COWLEY ROAD OXFORD 7 JULY BROUHAHA INTERNATIONAL LIVERPOOL 7 JULY ST PAULS BRISTOL 13-14 JULY BRAZILICA CARNIVAL LIVERPOOL 14 JULY ACTON CARNIVAL ACTON, LONDON 15 JULY DERBY CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL DERBY 16 JULY HUDDERSFIELD CARNIVAL HUDDERSFIELD The list has been compiled using information supplied by carnival organisers. Whilst every attempt has been made to check the details, there can be last minute changes to dates, timings and routes so please do check before pitching up.

Soca News does not take responsibility for any inaccuracies or omissions in the guide.

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feature

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MATTHEW PHILLIP

Carnival Village and the new carnival company WORDS | JOSEPH CHARLES

Notting Hill Carnival, that magnificent juggernaut that comes around every last Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday in August, is almost upon us. In a scenario that played out like an episode of fantasy drama Game of Thrones, the (Kensington & Chelsea) council became Kingmaker. On 26 February, they awarded their 2018 Notting Hill Carnival funding to Carnival Village Trust.

We needed a couple questions answered so decided to talk to Matthew Phillip, from Carnival Village.

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In February, Carnival Village was awarded the contract by RBKC to run Notting Hill Carnival. How have things gone so far?

We have really had to hit the ground running. But not without ‘listening and looking’. So listening to the local community, the carnival arenas and relevant bodies. And looking at ways for us all to work together to produce yet another successful NHC; Europe’s largest street event. Perhaps what the wider public don’t know is that this is still very much a grassroots event, albeit on a world stage. It’s quite unique in that sense. And we have been busy working with our collaborators to create a solid team to develop strategies to achieve all that is set out in our bid - which you can find on our website www.carnivalvillage.org.uk What does Carnival Village believe it can bring to the successful running of Carnival - that has not been achieved in its history thus far?

Carnival is always a huge success - and each year it gets bigger and bigger. And, of course, with that success comes new challenges. We plan to harness what has gone before and to build on that success by identifying those new challenges and putting strategies in place to tackle them. One of our main priorities is to reinvigorate Children’s Day; we have 10 new children’s bands this year.

There has been a fervour of social media activity since the council’s decision was made. Has meant that you’ve had to change your plans or approach in any way?

No, our approach has always been to listen to the Carnival and wider community; we’re a community organisation.

You’ve set up a new company specifically to run Carnival. What is it called, how is it structured and who are the company officials?

It’s called Notting Hill Carnival Ltd. We have a main board, which is made up on CVT Trustees and appointed Trustees. As I’m sure you’re aware we advertised for board members and members of the Advisory Council, which reflects all the Arts Disciplines and local community; we have also advertised for an administration assistant. We had a fantastic response to all of these areas.

Carnival Village asked mas bands to register with them directly. Can you tell us why you did that as opposed to going through the established representative body (CAMF), and whether you think this could have potential to negatively impact the mas bands because it removes their group representation?

It has always been the case that the organisers of Notting Hill Carnival register bands directly, in consultation with the arenas. As the organisers of Notting Hill Carnival 2018, we feel it is important to engage directly with all of the performance units; it’s the opportunity for everyone to have their voice heard. We have invited all of the Arts Disciplines to sit on our Advisory Council, we have yet to hear back from the board executives themselves, although we have had representation from their members.

What is the vision of Carnival Village Trust for Notting Hill Carnival, looking forward?

Our vision is for a successful, safe and spectacular Carnival. The priority is that NHC’s up to one million attendees have the time of their lives. We are committed to working with stakeholders to ensure carnival runs like a finely tuned machine. Whilst carnival is steeped in tradition, NHC’s organisers have always been open to experimenting with new and novel ideas. We will be doing the same. That said... One element we would like to revisit is the tradition of ‘Children’s Day’. We strongly feel that the Sunday should be returned to our children, and we are taking steps to create a better platform with a view to increasing children’s participation. It’s important that the tradition of mas is passed down to our young ones. They are the future of carnival.

ADVISORY COUNCIL CHAIR: Ansel Wong Sonny Blacks Debi Gardner Allyson Williams Fiona Hawthorne Debra Ann Eden Katie Segal Clive Phillip Linett Kamala NHC BOARD CHAIR: Ian Comfort Imani DouglasWalker Ansel Wong Haroun Shah Pamela Baker Notting Hill Carnival takes place on the last weekend in August for 2018 that’s Sun 26 & Mon 27 August 2018

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soca people

Lutenants heading to Paradise WORDS | JOSEPH CHARLES

The Lutenants have, I believe produced some of the best soca tracks in the UK, but they’ve been off the scene for a little while.

However, the month of May sees them release a brand new track, called Paradise. Here’s what they had to say when I got in touch.

Where have you guys been? It seems like an age since we last heard from you.

We took a hiatus from music to focus on personal lives and to rediscover our love for music.

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For a little while you had split up. What happened, and what brought you back together as a duo?

I guess you could say we decided to stop doing music, mainly due to frustration, but the return was because we love making music and couldn’t deny that we missed the creative processes of making feel-good music.

What would you say, if someone asked, ‘Who are the Lutenants, and what defines you?’

Lutenants are a UK based melodic duo with heavy influences from the Caribbean, US and African market. What defines Lutenants is the ability to merge different genres, while encapsulating a great concept with smooth harmonies.

Which islands do you represent?

We feel strongly connected to the UK, as this is our home and where we garner our influences, but individually, Volcano represents the island of Dominica and Freshh represents the island of Saint Lucia.

Ok, so I know this may be going back a few years but I really liked your work back in 2012/2013 with tracks such as Waterfall and Betray. I think your new track, Paradise, is a departure from that sound. Why the change?

Thank you! We pride ourselves on our versatility as artists in any genre, and we feel that with us as artists living in the UK, our current sound fits in with the emerging UK market, as well as being a sound we love to create.

What’s the meaning behind the song Paradise?

The meaning behind Paradise is just an affirmation that your goal can be achieved if you work hard for it. Paradise is a metaphor for any achievement you desire, and which you need to work for. Once you start working towards it, you start to feel like you’re closer to attaining your goal.

Can we look forward to more tracks in the lead up to Notting Hill Carnival 2018? Or are you making music for any time of the year?

We have another single planned for later on in the year. We love NHC, but it will not dictate how and when we release music - now, or in the future.

What do you think about the state of soca music here in the UK? Do you think it’s getting better?

There is a real buzz from the artists this year, which is super exciting. More than ten tracks have already been released for 2018, so the artists are doing their part to maintain interest and build momentum.

I’d like to thank the Lutenants for taking time out to speak to us.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

Thank you so much Soca News for supporting us in various ways over the years, especially by providing us with a platform to perform in the UK Soca Monarch Competitions.

Finally, how can fans connect with you?

They can connect with us through our multiple social media platforms: instagram/lutenants, YouTube | youtube.com/lutenantstv & facebook. com/lutenants

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feature

Children’s carnival day in Hackney

H

WORDS | PAX NINDI

ackney Carnival is getting better and better. The leaders have been listening to the local community and implementing programmes to strengthen the event and build trust with its local community, artists and stakeholders.

Thanks to investment from Hackney Council and funding by the Arts Council, Hackney Carnival will be working with five local schools and five local carnival groups to present the first Hackney Children’s Carnival Day on Sunday 15 July in Dalston Square.

Hackney Carnival’s creative director, Pax Nindi, who has been directing the event for more than four years, commented with excitement: “I have always wanted to involve schools in what is being dubbed UK’s fastest-growing carnival, especially

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as the schools have always expressed interest in being involved fully. Unfortunately, the date we do the carnival falls in the period that schools are on holiday, so we put some energy into fundraising to host a day when schools can also participate. We are so pleased the local schools and the Hackney community now have their own Children’s Day, strictly for children and young people to celebrate carnival in this borough before the main carnival on Sunday 9 September.

Hackney Carnival groups working with the schools this year are Tropical Isles Mas Band, Brazilian group Taru, African music and dance Group BLEMA, Pan Vibrations and Dimensions Dance Group.

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