Carnival Grooves 2023

CARNIVAL GROOVES AUGUST 2023

16. NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL ROUTE MAP

18. MUSIC

21. EVENTS

24.

26. FOOD

27. DRINK

28.

Model wearing Temptress by Airam Tribe for Notting Hill Carnival 2023.

Photographer René Connage-Durant

This issue of Carnival Grooves was brought to you by: Publisher & Editor Joseph Charles. Sub-Editor Katie Segal. Consulting-Editor Stephen Spark. Layout & Design Joseph Charles & Daniel Boateng. Contributors Dorcas Okeke, Dunstan Crevalle, Katie Segal, Michael La Rose & Stephen Spark. Photography Bampson, Kola Grafix, Peter Hogan & Stephen Spark. The

FEATURE

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL A BRIEF HISTORY

By the end of the Second World War, London was a city that had survived, but was in many ways a drab and wounded place. An associated labour shortage attracted Britain’s colonial Caribbean citizens to increase the volume of the much needed, if not appreciated, working classes; the first large group to arrive were filmed disembarking from HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks in June 1948. Mostly young, they brought with them vibrant colour, energy and a distinctly Caribbean vibe (hear calypsonian Lord Kitchener singing London is the Place for Me as he steps onto British soil).

By the late 1950s, Brixton and Notting Hill had the densest populations of Caribbean people in Britain. Caribbean people had long been encouraged to think of themselves as bona-fide and deserving British citizens, yet anti-immigration feeling grew, alongside unofficial colour bars that made it difficult for new arrivals to find accommodation and employment. Simmering tensions boiled over into the Notting Hill Race Riots in 1958, and then tragically in 1959 a young Antiguan man, Kelso Cochrane, who lived in Notting Hill, was attacked and murdered by a group of white youths.

Using her newspaper, the West Indian Gazette, and persuasive oratory, Trinidadian activist Claudia Jones brought together seemingly disparate groups of immigrants. Crucially, Jones employed the weapons of art and culture, “in the face of the hate from the white racists”. With strong support from like-minded individuals, such as Edric and Pearl Connor, Sam King and actor and activist Paul Robeson, she planned arts and political events. On 30 January 1959, Jones organised an annual fundraising ‘Caribbean Carnival’, which was televised by the BBC and ran for six years until her death.

The outdoor celebration with which most people are familiar dates to late September 1966, when a week-long Notting Hill Fayre took place, organised by community worker Rhaune Laslett. Members of the local community with roots in Africa, the Caribbean,

Cyprus and India helped to make the event a reality. Laslett co-opted as much local talent as she could for opening and closing processions, including Guyanese activist Andre Shervington and well-known Trinidadian jazz pianist and pannist Russell Henderson.

Henderson had played for Claudia Jones’ 1959 event, but in 1966 he, Sterling Betancourt and Ralph Cherrie took steelpan to the streets. Caribbean residents responded enthusiastically, pouring out of their homes to follow the “pan men on de road”. It was this that unquestionably brought the uniquely Caribbean flavour into the 1966 festival, and Caribbean music out onto the streets.

Leslie Palmer, a Trinidadian teacher, served as Director of Notting Hill Carnival from 1973 until 1975. He organised sponsorship for bands, encouraged more steelbands to become involved and brought reggae bands into the carnival, whilst still retaining the magic of traditional masquerade. Palmer is best known for having invited static sound systems into carnival for the first time.

WORDS | MICHAEL LA ROSE + KATIE SEGAL

RHAUNE LASLETT

CLAUDIA JONES

LESLIE PALMER

CALYPSO MONARCH FINAL

THUR 24 AUG

There’s no better way to start the countdown to Carnival than at the beginning – with calypso, the first music of the Caribbean. ACASA’s Calypso Monarch Final takes place at The Tabernacle, Powis Square, on Thursday, 24 August. There’s poignancy amid the celebratory atmosphere this year as we mourn the passing of Shabaka Thompson, who, along with Mighty Tiger (Ashton Moore), was one of the London Calypso Tent’s founders 31 years ago.

With music provided by the amazing ACASA All Stars Band, backing vocals from the Divettes and enthusiastic support from the audience, the final showcase the UK’s calypso talent in all its varied styles. This is as far from formulaic commercial music as you can get, as calypsonians vie for the coveted title of Calypso Monarch through clever storytelling, humour and social commentary.

In order of appearance, you’ll be hearing Musicman, Muffinman, Helena B, Clivus, Alexander D Great, De Admiral, G-String and London’s own ‘Grandmaster’, the 13-times winner Lord Cloak.

PANORAMA

SAT 26 AUG

The annual clash of the UK’s finest steelbands runs from 4pm to midnight on 26 August. The venue is Horniman’s Pleasance, a small park on Kensal Road that becomes an honorary enclave of the Caribbean on Carnival Saturday.

While smoke drifts across the park from the surrounding food stalls, suffusing the air with tempting aromas, steelpan aficionados discuss the likely prospects of the contenders. It’s far more than a music show, for this is a fierce competition that arouses as much passion and partisanship as a football championship.

Each band has its unique style and sound, so even when two bands play the same tune, the performances never sound the same. Like a great chef, the steelband’s arranger adds their signature spice to the musical ingredients.

The seven bands must each play for seven minutes from memory, ie with no sheet music – a feat that astonishes classically trained musicians. The harmony of accuracy, energy and enthusiasm has to be seen as well as heard.

The full line-up, in order of appearance, is Metronomes, Southside Harmonics, Real Steel, Croydon Steel Orchestra, Ebony Steelband (defending champions), Pan Nation and Mangrove Steel Orchestra.

J’OUVERT

SUN 27 AUG

J’Ouvert is one of the great mysteries of Carnival, often spoken about but rarely seen - because you have to get up seriously early to catch it.

The name comes from the French for ‘daybreak’ and in London it begins at 6am. If you’re from outside the area, you’ll either have to set the alarm early and take a night bus, find a friend’s floor to sleep on or, if you have the stamina, spend the night at a fête – there are several that end at 3 - 4am (check socanews.com events).

Get yourself to the top end of Ladbroke Grove, by the junction with Canal Way (near Sainsbury’s), dressed in your most expendable clothing. Because this is going to get messy.

Sound policy is strictly old-school acoustic: no big trucks with stacks of speakers, but steelbands, iron bands, and bottle-and-spoon. Quite how many will turn up is the big unknown: there’s always an uneasy moment when you feel you could be there on your own. But then there’s the thrilling sound of ‘ting, ting, ting’ and a steelband starts to play. It’s relaxed at first, subdued even, and maybe you think, ‘Is that all there is to it’. But suddenly the sharp morning air erupts with colour. Thick splats of paint land all around you, powder, flour, even eggs fly and turn their targets into impressionistic walking, running, chipping, wining works of art.

The joy of J’Ouvert is that it retains an uninhibited freedom that we’ve long lost from our clean and well-ordered lives. It’s a link to our past selves, when fun was unconstrained and, well, just very messy!

CHILDREN’S CARNIVAL

SUN 27 AUG

By the time J’Ouvert finishes (around 8.30 - 9am), it’s time for Children’s Carnival. The kids’ mas bands (costume groups) dominate the first few hours, after which adults in T-shirts take over, playing dutty (‘dirty’) mas, derived from J’Ouvert. Leave yourself plenty of time to reach the carnival zone, because buses are diverted and some Tube stations are closed.

The mas bands start in different places along a vaguely rectangular route (see map, page 16). The masqueraders put on their best display at the judging point on Great Western Road. Inside the route you have static sounds, food stalls, the World Music Stage and quieter spots like Meanwhile Gardens.

If you reach before 11am, you can watch the masqueraders getting ready. They’ll be gathered round their truck, chatting, trying on and tying up bits of costume, checking each other out, posing for pictures, and wandering off to look for food and loos – two major obsessions of every carnival-goer. Of the two, food is the easier to locate, by smoke and smell, as the jerk chicken stalls begin to open up and revellers appraise competing displays of patties and other delights.

On the big truck, the curtain sides are drawn back, the speakers and electrics checked, and soca music, the heartbeat of Carnival, begins to throb and boom out of the speakers. De Carnival now start! We on de road, people!

Brilliantly costumed children, a mass of feathers and frills and excitement, bundles of scarcely repressed energy and anticipation, line up impatiently in their sections. And then the truck begins to move and joins the longest, most colourful, joyous traffic jam on the planet. Come rain or shine, this is Carnival. Mama, dis is mas!

VENTURE DEEPER

Summers burn bright and bold as crowds sway to live music under the stars during the annual St. Kitts Music Festival. December calls for month-long revelry during Sugar Mas, while year-round warm temperatures mean limin’ is always on the schedule, no matter when you arrive. It’s one thing to know St. Kitts. It’s another entirely to truly live it.

ADULTS’ CARNIVAL

MON 28 AUG

For the carnival-lover, the last Monday in August is not the ‘August Bank Holiday’; it is Carnival Day, the climax of the 2023 season. It’s essentially a repeat, on a bigger, louder, brasher scale, of Children’s Day. The route and arrangements are the same, but the mas bands are much bigger, with many hundreds of participants in the largest groups.

However chaotic and wild they may appear, though, it’s not a free-for-all, because everyone has paid for their place – hence the ropes and security. A frontline costume can cost £400-£1000, inclusive of food, drink and goody bag, perhaps an afterparty too. The big party bands are commercial operations using imported costumes, but others stay true to the culture and traditions of Caribbean carnival, creating costumes by hand to illustrate, through mas, the chosen theme. It can be a social commentary, similar to a calypso, on injustice, politics or the environment. It could be historical, or may simply be ‘pretty mas’, expressed in quantities of sequins, beads and glittery fabrics.

As costumes have become skimpier, the behaviour on the road has become wilder. But don’t be fooled: this is licensed rudeness; no one should take what is not freely given. And, as they say, what happens at Carnival, stays at Carnival!

Despite the hyped hysteria, Carnival is as safe as Oxford Street, but a lot more fun, with nicer people and infinitely better dance moves and music. It does get very crowded, so arrive early, buy your food, choose a spot, settle down and enjoy. Avoid the mad jam of Ladbroke Grove after 5.30pm (unless you actually enjoy the ambience of the Tube in rush-hour). Above all, pace yourself: Carnival is a marathon not a sprint. And wear comfortable shoes!

But what to do on Tuesday? Make a resolution that in 2024 you’ll sign up with a steel or mas band. Because that, my friend, is the BEST way to enjoy Carnival!

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL ROUTE MAP.

YOU CAN GET YOUR BOUNTY ON AT ANY OF THE VENUES AND DATES LISTED BELOW

COTTONS - NOTTING HILL GATE 157-159 NOTTING HILL GATE, W11 3LF

Special Bounty Rum Menu 2 weeks leading up to Carnival and serving Takeaway Bounty Rum Punch – Sunday & Monday.

THE HAYDENWESTBOURNE GROVE

65 WESTBOURNE GROVE, W2 4UJ

Serving Takeaway Bounty Rum Punch –Carnival Sunday & Monday.

SILVER HILL INTERIOR CLUB –RUM MEMBERS BAR

123-124 WESTBOURNE PARK ROAD, W2 5QL

Serving up Bounty Rum Punch on Sunday 27th & Monday 28th right round the corner from the judging panel.

RUDIE’S JERK SHACK

Look out for Rudie’s Jerk Shack food stand in the heart of Carnival! We’ll be teaming up with Rudie’s famous jerk chicken, each succulent portion will be doused with a Bounty Spiced Rum Glaze! Located on All Saints Road next to the Rapattack Sound System!

HAWKS NEST - SHEPHERDS BUSH

GOLDHAWK ROAD, SHEPHERD'S BUSH MARKET, W12 8DF

Bounty Rum Punch during Carnival Weekend.

THE LATEST RELEASE FROM VP RECORDS SOCA GOLD 2023 FEATURES 18 HOT TRACKS AND ALL THAT YOU NEED FOR YOUR NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL 2023 PLAYLIST.

WHAT IS SOCA

Calypso reached peak popularity in the 1960s, but by the early 70s a new form of musical expression was needed. The man who provided it was Lord Shorty (aka Ras Shorty I), who in 1973 fused calypso rhythms with Indian instrumentation. Shorty dubbed the new sound ‘sokah’ to represent the ‘soul of calypso’, first using it for Indrani (1973) and his 1974 album Endless Vibrations. The term was misspelt by reporter Ivor Ferreira, and the rest is soca history! Many top calypso artistes made the transition to soca, fusing meaningful lyrics with uptempo beats that got feet moving at a fete or on the road. New fusions emerged: chutney soca, ragga soca, groovy soca, rapso and Dennery segment. Since the jump ’n wave era of the 1990s, lyrics have reduced to commands and choruses (lavways), as you’ll hear in the Road March - the most-played song on the road at Carnival. In the 50 years since Shorty’s sokah experiment, the one constant has been… constant change!

FOR MORE SOCA VISIT

WWW.SOCANEWS.COM.

1. MOOD (ROAD MIXX)

SHAGGY FEAT. KES

2. UPGRADE

FAY-ANN LYONS

3. LOOK BACK

LYRIKAL

4. GYAL LIKE RAIN

FARMER NAPPY FEAT. CHRISTOPHER MARTIN

5. HARD FETE

BUNJI GARLIN

6. PUSH BACK RICKY T

7. MEMORY LYRIKAL

8. DON’T RUN (ROAD MIXX)

SHAGGY FEAT. SKINNY FABULOUS

9. THE AMBUSH

LYRIKAL, LIL NATTY & THUNDA

10. FREAK

IMANI RAY & PATRICE ROBERTS

11. SOMETHING IN THE WATER

NAILAH BLACKMAN

12. THE RETURN

VOICE & ALISON HINDS

13. BOTTLE

BUNJI GARLIN

14. BY D TRUCK

TEMPA

15. QUEENS ORDERS

ALISON HINDS & PATRICE ROBERTS

16. ACTIVATE PREEDY

17. POST HIM ROME

18. NOTHING BETTER

NADIA BATSON X ROMAIN VIRGO

DON’T KNOW WHERE TO GO OR WHAT TO DO FOR NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL 2023?

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 fête or Caribbean -related event, we’ll list it. If you’re a promoter, then to ensure you get listed please send your event details and a copy of your flyer to events@socanews.co.uk

FOR OUR FULL AND UP-TO-DATE EVENT LISTINGS, VISIT SOCANEWS.COM/EVENTS

SOCA EVENTS

WED 23/AUG

DJ SHEP BEATS TOUCH IN

@ Privée, 2 Beauchamp Place, Knightsbridge, SW3 1NG. Time 6pm-12am.

CIRQUE PARTIES SOCA GOLD

@ Bubba Oasis, 57-58 Upper Street, N1 0NY. Time 8pm-1am.

THU 24/AUG

REMEDY EVENTS

AMNESIA CARNIVAL CRUISE – DAY BOAT

@ Tower Millennium Pier, EC3N 4DT. Time 12-5pm.

KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA FESTIVAL NORTH KENSINGTON CARNIVAL PARTY

@ Portobello Green W10 5TD. Time 12-6pm. Price Free.

SCORCH + SHIPWRECKED CLOUD 9

@ Brixton Jamm, 261 Brixton Road, SW9 6LH. Time 3-9pm. Price US$40.

ACASA UK CALYPSO MONARCH FINAL

@ The Tabernacle, 34-35 Powis Square, W11 2AY. Hosted By Coco P. Music By Hyper Spice. Time 7-10pm. Price £5-£10.

BUSSPEPPER PROMOTIONS VIBES WITH VOICEY

@ HERE at Outernet, Charing Cross Road, WC2H 8LH. Featuring Live Voice &, Skinny Fabulous plus more. Time 8pm-2am. Price £40-£60.

FOR MORE EVENTS VISIT

SUNSET THE ULTIMATE CARNIVAL EXPERIENCE

@ Proud Embankment, Waterloo Bridge, 8 Victoria Embankment, WC2R 2AB. Time 10pm-4am. Price £25.

RELEASE D RIDDIM

GLOW UK

@ Fire, 39 Parry Street, SW8 1RT. Time 11-5pm. Price £12-£20.

SPECIALIST ENTERTAINMENT SOCALICIOUS

@ Scala, 275 Pentonville Road, Kings Cross, N1 9NL. Music By Danny D, DJ Bliss, DJ Boots, DJ Bradshaw, DJ Puffy, DJ Tate, Kevin Crown, MC Stiffler & Mr General (UK). Time 11pm-5am. Price £15-£30.

FRI 25/AUG

DJ PRIVATE RYAN SOCA STARTR

@ 26 LEAKE ST., 26 Leake Street, SE1 7NN. Time 8am2pm. Price £35.

THE SOCA VETERAN BIG PEOPLE BOATRIDE

@ Festival Pier, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XZ. Music By Candy Pop, DJ Jiggy, DJ Piper, Martin Jay & Prince Vern. Time 12.30pm. Price £25-£30.

REAL EVENTS

MIDNIGHT MAS

@ Hanworth Park, TW13 6PP. Time 7pm-3am. Price £17

DREAMLAND ENTERTAINMENT KES DREAM CONCERT

@ Troxy, 490 Commercial Road, E1 0HX. Featuring live Kes The Band. Time 7-11pm. Price £67.

DON’T STOP THE BEAT PRODUCTIONS AN EVENING OF SOCA CARNIVAL – LIVE!

@ Theatre Royal Stratford East Bar, Theatre Square, E15 1BN. Featuring live Triniboi Joocie. Time 7-11pm. Price £10-£22.

CARIBBEAN’S IN LONDON ZOUK LOVE LONDON CARNIVAL EDITION: TROPICAL BLOSSOMS

@ Gigi’s Hoxton, 11 Hoxton Square, N1 6NU. Time 9pm4am. Price £15-£30.

D.A CONNECTIONZ TOU TOUNI

@ The Mix Dalston, 588A Kingsland Road, E8 4AH. Time 10pm-4am. Price £15-£20.

VINCY ALLIANCE MAS BAND NO RULES

@ Jungle Bar and Grll, 133 Stockwell Road, SW9 9TN. Music By 2 Kool Kris, DJ Hot Head, DJ King Kofi, DJ Q & DJ Tate. Time 10pm-4am. Price £30-£40.

SOCA FRENZY ACTIVATE – NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL STARTER

@ Scala, 275 Pentonville Road, Kings Cross, N1 9NL. Time 11pm-5am. Price £10-£25.

BUSSPEPPER PROMOTIONS BACCHANAL FRIDAY

@ Electric Brixton, SW2 1RJ. Time 11pm-5am. Price £26£31.

SAT 26/AUG

MINGLEUK MINGLE BREAKFAST FETE

@ Ditton Manor, Ditton Park Manor, Slough, SL3 7JB. Time 10am-4pm. Price £100-£125.

SOCA EVENTS

REAL EVENTS BLUE MAS

@ Kingsbury, NW9 9AT. Time 12-8pm. Price £25-£125.

CANDY MAS GET SOAKED

@ Byron Hall. Hosted By Majah Hype. Featuring live Lyrikal, Lavaman & Asa Bantan. Time 1pm-12am. Price £35.

ABIR OUI FETE

@ 26 LEAKE ST., 26 Leake Street, SE1 7NN. Featuring live Mical Teja & Nailah Blackman. Time 2-9pm. Price £30.

THE UK NATIONAL PANORAMA COMPETITION 2023

@ Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance, W10 3DH. Time 4pm12am. Price £7-£20

CARIBBEAN’S IN LONDON ZOUK LOVE BOAT 2 –CARNIVAL EDITION

@ Temple Pier, Victoria Embankment, WC2R 2PN. Music By DJ Doubi, DJ Gatress & DJ Zoxy. Time 5-10pm. Price £40.

VIBE LDN LTD. SIP ‘N SOCA

@ The Joiner Shoreditch, EC2A 4JH. Time 9pm-2am. Price £5-£15.

BUSSPEPPER PROMOTIONS TRIBE IGNITE LONDON

@ Steel Yard, Allhallows Lane, EC4R 3UE. Time 10pm-4am. Price £20-£25.

PAPARAZZI OLATUNJI’S ENGINE ROOM

@ Ruby Blue, Leicester Square, WC2H 7BP. Featuring live Olatunji. Time 10pm-3am. Price £20.

SUN BAILANTE CARNIVAL ENERGY

@ Beduin Bar, 57 - 57 Charterhouse Street, EC1M 6HA. Time 10pm-4am. Price £22.

GET MAD ENT

SCANDALOUS

SATURDAY

@ 229 The Venue, 229 Great Portland Street, W1W 5PN. Time 10pm-4am. Price £15-£30.

SUN 27/AUG

SUN BAILANTE THE HOT CARNIVAL PARTY

@ Heaven Night Club, 17 Villiers Street, WC2N 6NG. Time 11pm-5am. Price £15-£25.

MON 28/AUG

RELEASE D RIDDIM NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL QUENCHER

@ Scala, 275 Pentonville Road, Kings Cross, N1 9NL. Time 10pm-5am. Price £12-£45.

SAT 02/SEP

TALK YUH TALK KAISO LIME 2023

@ The Tabernacle, 34-35 Powis Square, W11 2AY. Time 7-11pm. Price Free.

DOMILUCIAN PROMOTIONS

A TASTE OF DOMINICA & ST LUCIA – AFTER CARNIVAL PARTY

@ Tereza Joanne, King George V Dock, Woolwich Manor Way, E16 2QY. Time 10pm-3am.

SAT 23/SEP

Q DANCE

@ Oakington Manor School, Oakington Manor Drive, Wembley, HA9 6NF. Time 2-9pm.

MAS BANDS

Mas – from ‘masquerade’ – is the name for the costumes you see on the road at Carnival. Ranging from the more Brasil-inspired ‘bikini and beads’ costumes to some more traditional Caribbean carnival characters, you may not realise that they all have a story behind them. Each band has a theme and sections that pertain to that theme in some way; a section will have several costume permutations, often including a more elaborate ‘frontline’ version which will be apparent from its extravagance.

PRETTY MAS BANDS

Addicted Mas

H.I.M

Airam Tribe

Rise of an Empire

Arawak

Heaven on Earth

Art A Light Revival

Ashanti Kweyol

Ride de Riddim

Bacchanalia UK

Beauty In Chaos

Blossoms Concepts

Fuego

Candy Mas

Flames of Fire

Caribbean Sessions Ming Dynasty

Catona’s Gods & Goddesses Carnival Band

Tarot (Know your Destiny)

Chantimelle Mas

Rise from the Ashes

Chocolate Nation Mas

Candy Land

Cocoyea London

De Spirit

Colours Carnival

Tribal Fantasy

D Riddim Tribe

Wonders

Dragons Cultural Club

Enigma the Land of Wonder

Dynamic Mas

Inferno

Ebony Mas

Ignite

Elevate Cultural Arts

Elimu Paddington Arts

Mas Band

Elimu Phoenix

Exotic Mas

Alchera – The Island of Lost Dreams

Flagz Mas Band

Enchanted

Funatik Mas

Dance of the Phoenix

Gemz Mas International

Asante Safari

Glorious Backstage Arts

Heritage Social Arts and Dance Group

Aztec Gods & Goddesses

Hotwax Carnival Birds of Paradise

Hype Mas

Purity

Inspiration Arts & Trinbago Carnival Club

Invaders Mas

Aurora

Island Mas

Quintessence – Rise of the Elements

Jamaican Twist

Ride de Riddim

Just InCarnival

Flowers of the Amazon

Karnival Mania Into the Mania

Lagniappe

Rise of an Empire

Mahogany Carnival Legacy

Making Carnival Jewels of the Sea

Mangrove Mas Band

Island Treasures

Mas Africa

Amanzi (Water is Life)

Mas Domnik

Sapphire

Masanova

Timeless

M2K Mas

Rise of the Consciousness

Omnia Carnival Shorai ‘The Future’

Onturaj Mas

Rise of an Empire

Pioneers and their Offspring Carnival (Pato)

Reign Mas Band

Jewels of the Kingdom

Rumshop Raw Licquer

Antilles RawLicquer

Soca Massive Fancy

Sailors UK

Then & Now

Soca Saga Boys

Kimana

Socaholic

Aves Birds of the Tropics

Tears Mas Flames of Fire

Tempo Mas

Dawning of a New Era

The Calabash Carnival Club

Gemstones from Outter Space

Tropical Fusion Mas

The Enchanted Forest

Tropical Isles

The Woman King

UCOM

Aves Birds of the Tropics

United Kreyol Mas

Manman Dlo

Urban Touch

Royaute

Utopia Mas UK

Aquarian Dream

Xtreme Carnival Band

Untamed

DUTTY MAS BANDS

ABIR

Bacchanalia UK

Candy Mas

Chocolate Nation Mas

Colours Carnival

Island Mas

Karnival Mania

Lagniappe

Omnia

TT Mudders

UCOM

BRAZILIAN BANDS

Baque de Axe

Batala Mundo London

Dende Nation

Kinetika Bloco

Paraiso School of Samba

The London School of Samba

Tribo Band

FOOD

ROAST CORN

corn on the cob roasted over charcoal

FRIED DUMPLING (aka bake)

dough fried in hot oil

RICE & PEAS

typically a Jamaican dish, this Carnival favourite, usually consists of kidney beans and rice

JERK CHICKEN

it’s all in the seasoning! You can expect to see someone with a half-barrel filled with charcoal, cooking frantically to keep up with demand

CURRY GOAT OR CHICKEN

usually served with rice & peas or roti, the name says it all.

The Notting Hill Carnival experience would not be complete without one of the main ingredients: food! London is such a multi-cultural collection of people, you can always find a wide variety of tantalising delicacies to really get your taste buds watering, wherever you are.

Carnival, however, being mostly a Caribbean and South American affair, sets the stage for a line-up of dishes that range predominantly from those parts of the world. The barbecue grill is an important instrument for most street vendors, as this is how they prepare the simpler and traditional street foods such as burgers and hot dogs, as well as more tantalising imports such as roasted corn on the cob, jerk chicken and fish. Some of the dishes you’ll find at Carnival are:

ROTI (GOAT OR CHICKEN)

a hybrid Caribbean Indian dish, with a pancake-type ‘skin’ wrapped around the curry of your choice and some channa (chickpeas)

FISH CAKES

consists of flour and cod fish, fried in hot oil

PATTIES

seasoned filling - meat, fish or vegetable - in a pastry case

FRIED PLANTAIN

from the banana family, sliced and fried in hot oil; sweet to taste

FESTIVAL

sweet dough-like mixture fried in hot oil to make dumplings

DRINK TOBAGO GOLD

Entrepreneur and certified chocolate-maker Lars Söderström, who calls Tobago home, began to experiment in his kitchen in Arnos Vale to create a liqueur fully inspired by ‘cocoa tea’, with the special addition of rum. Söderström, , ended up creating a new chocolate rum cream liqueur, which he’s named ‘Tobago Gold’.

Tobago Gold has an intense, dark chocolate taste with clear rum notes and an exotic spice finish, smoothed out by a lush, creamy texture. Not overly sweet, the sugar content has been dialled down: along with its high percentage of cocoa, the spices provide a refreshing finish. This is a cream liqueur to be enjoyed neat, best as tasty chocolate shots, and is also a fantastic cocktail ingredient.

After the successful Trinidad & Tobago launch in 2021, Söderström said, “I want to bring a Caribbean flavour with a Carnival spirit to the world – creativity, happiness, inclusiveness and, above all, having fun together.”

Soca artist Jadel, an ambassador for Tobago Gold, said, “It feels great to be working with Tobago Gold. Fans can expect some really creative content from me as I love trying new things, including my own mixology with chocolate rum cream liqueur.” She continued.,“I am so excited that Tobago Gold is on this journey with me, beyond the shores of Trinidad and Tobago, to Notting Hill Carnival and the many carnivals around the world. It will be going everywhere with me.”

Tobago Gold is available in the UK: consumers can find it on Amazon, Master of Malt, Distillers Direct and Drinks Supermarket online stores.

Notting Hill Carnival has long been the biggest weekend of the year in sound men’s diaries, and sound systems have been an integral part of the atmosphere at Carnival since the early days. The footprint of Notting Hill Carnival is peppered with more than 30 sounds, and we have all their locations for you on our annotated map. They have a wide variety of differing music policies, from reggae to RnB, hip hop to electronica, so even if you’re not a soca lover or a masquerader, you’ll still be able to find somewhere you’ll love to be.

For more information, contact the British Association of Sound Systems at www.bassline. org.uk

SOUND SYSTEMS

1. Aba-shan-ti / Southern Row / East Row

2. Arts-A-Light Sound System / Bonchurch Street/ Portobello Road

3. Starlight (formally SSS Audio) / Southern Row corner of Bosworth Road

4. Channel One / Leamington Road Villas/Westbourne Park Rd

5. CMC Matrix (now Trojan) / Not appearing, returns in 2024

6. Different Strokes / St Luke’s Road corner of Lancaster Road

7. Disco Hustlers / Powis Sq.

8. DisYa Jeneration / Powis Terrace

9. 4 Play / West Row nr junction with Kensal Road

10. Platinum Soul Sound / Talbot Road / Sutherland Place

11. Gaz’s Rockin’ Blues / Talbot Road outside the Globe

12. G.I. Roadshow / Adela Street

13. Gladdy Wax Roadshow / adjacent to 304 / 306 Portobello Road

14. Mark Ross Sound System / off Ledbury Road - opposite The Walmer Castle

15. Seduction City / Telford Road nr Lionel Mews

16. High Grade / Oxford Gardens / St. Lawrence Terrace

17. KCC and the Rocking Crew / Wornington Road

18. Killer Watt / St Luke’s Road / Tavistock Road

19. King Tubby’s / Clydesdale Road o/s Clydesdale House

20. Latin Rave Street Jam / o/s 318 Portobello Road

21. Lord Gelly’s/o/s 47 Cambridge Gardens

22. Love TKO / Not appearing, returns in 2024.

23. Mangrove/Volcano Sound/ Faraday Road – off Portobello Road behind the Ladbroke Grove Fire Station

24. Mastermind Roadshow/ Canal Way

25. Metro Glory/Ledbury Road / Westbourne Park Road

26. Nasty Love Mixing Lab/ Colville Gardens

27. People’s Sound System /o/s 11 All Saint’s Road

28. Pineapple Tribe / Not appearing, returns in 2024

29. Rampage / Colville Square

30. Rapattack/o/s 23 All Saint’s Rd.

31. Rough But Sweet / Hazelwood Crescent

32. GT Flex Roadshow / Middle Row/Conlan Street

33. Saxon Sound / St Lawrence Terrace/Chesterton Road

34. Sir Lloyd / 54 Leamington Road Villas / Tavistock Road

35. Sir Valdez/Golborne Road

36. Solution Sound / Ledbury Road/Talbot Road

37. SSP Sound System / Covering for Pineapple Tribe e.g. Southern Row

38. Virgo International / Oxford Gardens junction with Portobello Road

DRINKS