CARNAVAL
CARNAVAL
 
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The Notting Hill CARNIVAL
 The 2006 42nd annual Notting Hill Carnival may no longer be Europe's biggest street party but it still London's greatest and the hope of many for expressing an inclusive multicultural vision of a town that wishes tv  o be known as a great global host.   Expect a much less crowded festival that will joyfully attempt to combine and unite all da people in a creative celebration of the harmony and diversity of 21st century London.  Come to jump in unity

'
 Set All Free  is the  theme of the 43rd  Notting Hill Carnival 2007

Plan your trip to experience the palpable electricity of the community getting ready for the Carnival in August as it explodes on the weekend defined by the end of summer Bank Holiday on the last Monday in August.  Visit our London  Carnival   page as the aforum has gone archival while we strive to add the latest news to self-updating links at the bottom of our often updated London Image Server T update on the historic evolution of the Carnival on  Mayor Ken Livingstone's who continues to share a vision of a bigger brighter Carnival  spreading out in the month of August with a growing presense at   Hyde Park

 Notting Hill Carnival groups remind you it is the journey to Carnaval day that provides the greater reward. So find a group to join in and keep the notorious crowds on the other side of the barricades and out of your mas camp.  Come join in this New European spectacle of exuberance and joy. Rediscover London's peak annual energy point in the famous Notting Hill neighborhood. 
Web Guides for Carnival  




Notting Hill Carnival by portowebbo.co.uk 
This extensive local on-line guide offers year-round coverage of the Carnival and has on occasion published views opposing views regarding the future of the Carnival

bbc.co.uk/london/carnival/ || Search their site for "Notting Hill Carnival" (find over 100)|| google search (find over 2000 )
 BBC London will be broadcasting exclusive scenes fromBBC ONLINE the Notting Hill Carnival on Sunday  (family day) and Monday (main parade). 

Guardian Unlimited   Search their archives by google  (600+)||Row erupts over 2003 Carnival  by guardian.co.uk|| 2001 is their best home page  ||1999

   socanews.com
Spreading Our Culture Around
Britain's only publication devoted to Caribbean music and culture. UK wide Carnival coverage  and exclusive insight into the stars of Caribbean Carnival.   Socanews is funny about retiring its content quickly and sometimes has none, like for the first half of Aug-2004
Official Web Sites 

nottinghillcarnival.biz/

Carnival Official 2006 Guide
 "the council" Royal Borough Kensington & Chelsea || "carnival" on rbkc.gov.uk by google

bullet . print a Map of 2006 Carnival attractions [PDF file] (File size 2.2Mb)
bullet Public Toilets  provide 266 Chemical toilets and 5 pissoir/urinal type toilets for male visitors.   This is triple the number from when the Council took over in 2001
bullet *
Sound Systems
All sound systems are authorized by the council in conjunctions with the British Association of Sound Systems (Bass). The 40 or so sound systems will be shut down promptly at 7pm
Download and print a Map of the 2006 Sound Systems [PDF file] (File size 1.1Mb)
bullet Parade & Security The Council now grants permits to about 70 bands with floats and/or mobile sound systems in the main procession.... The police do close down the procession by 9.00pm on the Monday.  Over 5000 police and other security are deployed on each of the 2 Carnival days. The Metropolitan Police use 80 CCTV cameras to give the force a "birds-eye view" over the whole route 2006 Road Closures and Parking Controls.

The Rest

thisislondon.co.uk || Search their site for Notting Hill Carnival by google
the former long-time star of Carnaval.com's web-guide ( 1996-2001) has removed access to its archives and no longer says much about de Carnival  either.

TimeOut-London timeout.com  use their search || google them for "notting hill carnival"  Despite publishing a thick annual guides to the Notting Hill Carnival  there's very little on-line Carnival presence and it does not last long anyway. 
Archives
 Carnival 2004

Route Map
Download

Official Sites

Download
London Notting Hill Carnival LTD (LNHC)

Download
nhmba
Bands
Download
Pan Podium
Download
Calypso
Download
Sound Systems
Download
Royal borough of Kensington & Chelsea
Download
Mayor of London

Events Carnaval is as much a season and a feeling as an event. Find your countdown events here. 
bullet [F] EVENTS Guides for London 
bullet [F] LATIN Salsa in London & the UK
bullet Event Links [F] Brazil in London 
bullet [F] UK ANNUAL Events PARADES & Festivals 
bullet [F] MUSIC NightLife, DJ's & Promoters 


 
Official Events See  See carnaval.com/london
Saturday 
& Sunday
before Carnival weekend:  

Grand Costume Gala
At  Alexandra Palace Getting there
11am-5pm: MAS CAMP with free workshops in costume making, mask making, demonstrations and exhibition. Create your own costume and be part of the show. Tickets available on the door

Thursday 

before Carnival weekend:   		Calypso Finals
 [F] London Calypso Contest
Bank holiday weekend begins
 Carnival Saturday

 

 Steelpan Panorama  
 Panorama has moved for 2007 toDownload
Hyde Park,
Starting 7.00pm
10 steelbands from all over Britain competing for the title of the London 
Carnival Sunday  6am Jouvert  until 9.00pm
Kids  Parade & Festival 
  
Carnival Monday  Always the last Monday in August.
 Noon until 9.00pm
Adult parade Parade & Festival 
The Stars of Carnival
Carnival is the people's celebration and it is important that anyone can be a star. The Notting Hill Carnival Stars number in the thousands. Visually the color and spectacle of the BANDS will be where most focus their camera.
The music vibrations from well over 100 sources will pump the energy level of the million plus bodies to a level which puts Notting Hill at the top of annual celebrations in Europe. Besides three large stages and 45 sound systems scattered throughout the neighborhood you'll also find Soca and Steelpan bands "parading on the road." On Carnival Saturday come watch the Steelband's Panorama one of the largest Steelband competitions outside of the motherland of Trinidad. These are local bands. Don't miss the Calypso music, song with story, usually composed by the venerable performers themselves for the current Carnival season.
Soca is the product many generations of research in how best to make the hips sway and de feet jump. Soca was born relatively recently, leading many Carnavalists to hope that this West Indian dance music out of Trinidad will take the baton from London's techno scene before the millennium gets here.
While Notting Hill may have gone from a West Indian artist neighborhood with connections to Pink Floyd, Hendrix and Bob Marley, to one of London's most favored by those in the public eye with native celebs like  Robbie Williams. Joseph Fiennes:, Stella McCartney, Geri Halliwell, and Claudia Schiffer.

Awards

[F] 2006 Adult Mas Band & Panorama Awards

[F] 2005 Carnival Awards  
[F] 2004 London Carnival Awards
[F] 2005 Adult Bands Awards
[F] 2003 Mas Band Awards
[F] 2003 Panorama Champion is Mangrove
[F] 2002 Notting Carnival Awards


[F] 2001 Notting Hill Carnival Awards
[F] Awards Carnival 2000
[F] 1999 Notting Hill Carnival Awards
[F] 1999 Notting Hill Carnival Gala Costume Awards
 [F] 1998 Notting Hill Carnival Awards inc- Olympia Costumes [F] 1997 Carnival Awards

Parade Route
Map of Carnival Route 2007  our low K pop-up version its nicely printable when available
In 2007  London Mayor Ken Livingstone succeeded in moving his reconstituted parade committee to top position in planning the Carnival but the much discussed route changes remain just that as you can expect to find parade revelers in the same spaces for 2007. However the Hype Park expansion in 2007 should be seen as just the first stage of letting the Carnival grow as relieving the congestion in the Notting Hill.
As the Mayor's attention turns to getting ready for the 2012 London Olympic Games the science of celebration should bring lots of new opportunities to the Carnival Community.
Flickr Photo Awards

We love flickr & youTube  and spent many hours sorting so bring you an edited "best of experience" Keep clicking thru to visit the galleries of Notting Hill Carnival's "most interesting" photographers
Download

 
Parading Bands


The three-mile route through the west of the city will be surrounded by a Carnival which organizers claim is second only  Rio de Janeiro's legendary spectacle of color and spirit. Notting Hill Carnival is unchallenged as Europe's largest annual street festival. Monday brings out the best in the bands making Sunday a little less crowded if you want to bring the whole family. Communities from the Caribbean, Africa, South America, Afghanistan, Kurdistan, Bangladesh and the Philippines will be represented. London Carnival Bands on the Web || 2006 || 2005 MAS BANDS || 2002  || 2001  || 2000  || 1999 || 1998
Over 60 representing more than a million hours of costume making and a growing number of web sites 

Notting Hill Mas Bands Association

Arawakinc.com

PoisinUK ….share the excitement when Poison hits the streets of Notting Hill in Full Bloom. ........

at www.ovalhouse.com 
South Connections Carnival band has been in existence since 1985 and has some 250 members. The band has always supported innovative costume design, and has worked in the past with Niki Lyons, Keith Khan, Ali Zaidi and Clary Salandy. 
For 2002 the band's theme is  Massala Dougla "one people one race" (a spicy mix of people) designed by Ray Allan Mahabir

www.cocoyea.net 
St Annes Nursery,
194 Freston Road North Kensington, London, W10 6TT

www.yaaasant.demon.co.ukYaa Asantewaa Arts and Community Centre Bandleader: Shabaka Thompson Designer: Nadella Benjamin
Tel: 020 7286 1656

Beeraahaar Sweet Combination
http://beeraahaar.smartchange.org/ workshops for children during school holidays. In these workshops the children participate in design and dance lessons.Once a month we have a lunch meeting for elderly members which is primarily for story telling and social interaction.
 

  
bands by itzcaribbean.com

carnival_3.gif
 

carnivalnet.org.uk    
data collected by the England Arts Council and used to promote festival arts throughout the empire
Samba Schools
 Brazil in UK Fotos || [F] Brazil in London 
Brazilian Culture is on the move in London and Samba Schools are at the forefront of infecting the culture with the rhythms. Learn more about the percussion instruments in a Bateria here or head over to our SAMBISTA Network in aforum pages which features the best contributions from the Sambista mailing list but needs a volunteer to freshen it up 

Champion of the 2003 and 2004
 Notting Hill Carnival

Quilombo do Samba

 

  

 LondonSchoolofSamba.co.uk  at aforum
The London School of Samba at batucada.co.uk
This venerable (1984) original continues to lead the way. Their bateria (percussion orchestra) will include many of the top players from all over Europe. Affiliated with the great G.R.E.S. Mocidade of Rio.
SambaLondon.co.uk Dance Web 
mega LSS pics but not official site

ParaisoSamba.co.uk   
In 2005 Paraiso was declared champion of the Notting Hill Carnival, Paraiso was founded in early 2002 by Mestre Esteves da Silva and Henrique da Silva, with a group of passionate sambistas who enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to create a British samba school true to samba's Rio roots. Paraíso's symbol is a phoenix rising from a pandeiro (large tambourine). The phoenix represents strength in the form of a bird rising from the ashes to give new hope.

 RhythmsofResistance.co.uk/ 
Only Music Can Save Us Now
formed as part of the UK Earth First action against the IMF in Prague in September 2000
uksamba.Org 
 The UK Samba Association has released a 2005 compilation CD of UK Samba artists,
 "Ilhas do Ritmos"
We were born to unite; to join in community with the human race. Launched 23May2003 
sambistas.org.uk Samba bands  of Zabumba.
Download
jungledrums
events, links, yellow pages, NEWS magaz8he
 Download
Brazilian London Embassy

brazilian.org.uk
Dance Soca-Samba-Salsa

Yaa Asantewaa Arts and Community Centre ||MultiMap
 the home of Black Arts in London The Community Centre.in North Westminster funded exclusively for arts activities. (No dance classes listed at website)

Samba
[F] Brazil Events in London in aforum 
There's plenty featuring both the local and immigrant population. Visit our compilation page to optimize your
Lambadanews.co.uk/   
Lots of hot stuff & often updated
London's Clubs 
covering Brazilian  Dance in London (last update Oct02)

Salsa
Latin-dance and Ball-room dance can merge in the UK as Mr. Wonderful's Directory demonstrates
 
www.salsa.co.uk is presenting the UK International Salsa Congress Sept 20-22 2002 A festival of dance

Samba-Salsa frame menu  || What's new
This is one of our most popular pages featuring global and music links 
 [F] LATIN Salsa in London & the UK

 
"Come on, push yourself! Push those hips forwards, girl!" the teacher shouts. 
To benefit from a Carnival work-out, you need to push the boundaries of modesty as well as your body parts"
Axe (Ahh-shay)
The spirit in the music that makes people want to dance
Steelpan
Steelband Panorama opens the festival at 6pm on Carnival Saturday  and has moved beginning in 2007 from Horniman's Pleasance. to Speaker's Corner at Hyde Park.
There will be nine pan bands competing in the 2007 competition with a special guestfrom  Rotterdam Summer Carnival. This is the other great Caribbean Carnival in Europe which competes with Notting Hill for title of Europe's largest 

UK Steelpan Web Guide
Including directory sites & booking agencies The more visual version as well as archives
[F] UK Steel Pan Groups and the PANORAMA
 [F] Steelpan Network 

Home Pan Jumbie
pan-jumbie.com/linksUK.htm
fresh from 2005 update with e-mail & contact info for de many without websites.

Carnival at the Tabernacle
 DownloadThe vibrant steelpan youth program and UK center for Steel Pan was based at the Tabernacle Arts Centre. Since May of 2005 the facility has been sorely missed by the Caribbean and  multicultural arts community  Plans to fully reopen the multi-cultural arts center at Powis Square have still not been announced. [more by nottinghilltv]
  

[Lion]Ebony.org.uk
Europe's premiere steel band... Ebony Steelband has won the Panorama Competition at Notting Hill Carnival more than any other band and often tours the world for competitions and youth exchange proprams.  Founded in '68 they also offer accredited courses in music arts

 

BAS British Association of Steelbands

British Association
of Steelbands

panpodium.com is the official web site.
Pepe Francis, chairman of the British Association,
History by .panpodium.com

calypsociation.com 
Pan European Committee
Created in May 1999, Pan European is a committee of steelband representatives from within the  European Pan European's aim and objective is to unify all the energies of the Movement under one banner and to offer opportunities and challenges through programmes of information, artistic exchange, education and social insertion through music.
Contact : Barthélémy Fougea :
produced the first  European Steelpan Festival who united at Parc de la Villette, Paris, France in May,2000. where 13 bands from 7 countries participated Calyposociation promotes throughout France and teaches steelpan  to over 120 students in Paris.

Calypso

They are consummate storytellers who stand alone on stage and have to hold the crowd's attention. Like rap, a later and very different way of overlaying the rhythms of real language on to music 

[F] London Calypso Contest  ||UK Calypso in our image server 2005 News || 2004 news
Music of Trinidad & Tobago || Soca-Calypso
Two of many our link sections for Caribbean Carnival Music 

LondonCalypsoTent.co.uk 
produced by The  ABC (Association of British  Calypsonians )

Wen'd is the reigning monarch from 2004 Download
Mentored by Winston Henry aka “Explainer”, Wen’D delivered “My Kind Ah Man” with poise, pride and dignity”. “My Kind Ah Man” soon became the women’s anthem. Along with her social commentary “The Internet”, Wen’D regained her Calypso Monarch title she had previously won in 2001. Wen’D will be recording her 2nd album in 2005 as she prepares to defend her title.

Fridays  in August 
Doors open 7pm, Showtime 8pm sharp. Contact to confirm 
The Tent opens on 26th July and thereafter runs every Friday up concluding at Royal Opera House on Saturday 17th August. The Finals in 2005 are held on Carnival Thursday
more

 Errol Brown aka Lord Cloak is generally the one to beat with far more titles than anyone else. The regular cast includes Lord Cloak, Cleopatra, Sister Sandra, Totally Talibah, Mr International, Admiral Jack, Helena B, Iguana, Sheldon Skeete and Mighty Explorer

Calypso Contest has been held since '92  at Yaa Asantewaa Arts and Community Centre  in the St Charles Catholic Sixth Form of North Westminster . This is London's only officially recognized Combined Black Arts and Community Centre. It is an internationally renowned and prize-winning artistic landmark 

The Yaa Asantewaa Arts and Community Centre, 
1 Chippenham Mews, W9.2AN 
MultiMap Tube: Westbourne Park (just off the Harrow Road)Tel: 020 7286 1656.
 

Download 

 

Due to the banning of drums during the era of slavery Trinidadian music did not maintain the vigorous drumming traditions that survived elsewhere - notably in Brazil and Cuba. Instead the emphasis was more on the melodic and lyrical side although, needless to say, it still retained a strong rhythmical element. Calypso grew out of the songs that were sung during carnival.
 
 by ECHO PARK WORLD HEADQUARTERS Two classics ‘Atilla’s Kaiso’ and The Roaring Lion’s ‘Calypso From France To Trinidad’ are insightfully reviewed along with two others by  Peter Ridsdale.

 

 Calypso, Calypsonian, & Calypso tent
"The music took another turn in the early 1970s when calypsonian Lord Shorty created a more up-tempo beat, which he dubbed "Sokah", now spelled soca. It has proved an astonishingly versatile music, able to incorporate elements of other styles, so that now we have ragga-soca, and Indian-influenced chutney-soca, and even soca mixed with jungle, lambada, salsa and country and western! Common to all, is an infectious danceable rhythm and often still those scandalous lyrics. "
Chutney A fusion of traditional Indian percussion and style of singing and Calypso. The chutney artist writes lyrics in either Hindi or English and then lays it on top of beats that come from soca and Hindi film songs. Some of the current chutney artists are Rikki Jai, Adesh Samaroo and Terry Gajraj. The acknowledged father of soca was Lord Shorty (né Garfield Blackman), whose 1963 recording of "Cloak and Dagger" started the trend
Parang played in Trinidad and Tobago during the Christmas season. It is typically played with Cuarto cuatro (a four-string small guitar), maracas (locally known as shak-shaks), and is often sung in Spanish
Rapso trinidad dialect rap with smooth calypso melody and bold lyric  
Ragga soca Ragga soca: A fusion of Jamaican Dancehall style Reggae and Soca  
Soca_music  Soca is a dance music which is a mix of Trinidad's calypso and Indian music and rhythms, especially chutney music -- it is not, as is often said, a fusion of soul and calypso. It combines the melodic lilting sound of calypso with an insistent percussion  
 

MUSIC on Stage

Mayor Ken Livingstone returns Live performances to the Carnival along with the long sought Hyde Park beach head with an exciting cultural exchange called Caribbean Showcase.

  Meanwhile the Powis Square Stage across from the formerkiss.jpg (19173 bytes) Tabernacle has become a popular place to enjoy local music artists Powis Square map

2007 is the 7th year of the local authorities banning live music on the stages except for above. However the Mayor  has succeeded in turning Hyde Park near the speaker's corner into a major Carnival venue beginning with the Panorams on Saturday night and flowing into Jouvert morning. 

Download
3 Day of Carnival
in Hyde Park
25-27 August 2007
Sat 7-11pm
 Sun-Mon
12 noon to 7pm
Hyde Park London

Hyde Park Map

Sound Systems & the DJ's

www.carnaval.com/london/dj
2006 sound systems on our video & photo page
Best bet list for 2007
[F] SOUND SYSTEMS at Notting Hill Carnival DJ fotos [F] 2005
  [F] 2004 [F] 2003   [F] SOUND Systems || 15 Perennial Sound Teams 2002 ||1997    [F] MUSIC NightLife, DJ's & Calypso 
While the extravagant mas costumes in the parading bands are the featured star of Notting Hill Carnival, the events huge number of massive sound systems is the power behind the throne of Europe's largest annual Street festival.97lon064.jpg (19044 bytes)
The development of Sound Systems has been quite phenomenal since their inception in the seventies. Sound Systems form the core of contemporary youth culture. Most genres of popular youth culture owe much of their evolution to Sound Systems. Notting Carnival has every conceivable form of contemporary music and the best sound systems in the world, just ask any DJ.
Fusing the famous London club scene with Carnival, the DJ's play their favorite tunes, expanding beyond the usual Caribbean Carnival standards and adding local flavor to the scene 
 

Rampage
London's top club has a Carnival sound system presence

  ||Norman Jay Links at google    
The Legendary club DJ "one figure that fully represents Notting Hill (Carnival) it must be the Ben Sherman shirt and straw hat that is Norman Jay.  
J'Ouvert   

Carnival is about the collective spirit of the people and the best energy can often be found by taking the pulse of J'Ouvert before the break of daySt_Vincent_060.jpg on Sunday.
6am at the junction of Ladbroke Grove and Kensal Road, 5 steel bands participate in the procession  

www.ttmudders.co.uk 
All Nations under a Soca Groove
SOUNDS & LIVE BROADCAST
Download1Xtra's coverage over carnival weekend is the annual centrepiece of its live events calendar placing the station at the forefront of live broadcasting and Downloadgiving listeners the chance to experience the action from across the UK.
For 2006 bbc is double coveromg both the Leeds Carnival as well.  

 google.com/search?=bbc.co.uk+london+carnival+live  
 BBC London will broadcasts exclusive scenes from the Notting Hill Carnival  on Sunday August (family day) and Monday (main parade). 

Sounds and CD's 

lss-cd1a.gif (98729 bytes)
  webstersrecordshop.co.uk
For all the latest Reggae, soca, rnb, zouk and gospel CDs check out our new releases sections

Downloadfaluma.com The Caribbean Music Shop and Label - Europe's specialists for CDs, Vinyl and Mix Tapes in the field of Soca & Calypso music.

DownloadCalypsoArchives

Phil Little's  || The Little Drum and Percussion Page
In RealAudi & MP3 full technosamba songs
 Radio Real Audio  || London-daily.co.uk  

Talk About It -

London Carnival Forum by  www.aforum.com
If you haven't found the info your looking for here on these pages be sure to check out our  forum which gets updated year-round while these pages currently get a major makeover in July of each year. Your welcome to add your info in your forum as well.

TIPS & Safety

  Carnival Transit Planner London Underground : Travel advice for the August Bank Holiday weekend advisory by http://tube.tfl.gov.uk 
Carnival Do's & Don'ts
Metropolitan Police Advice: Children are especially vulnerable in crowds….Show consideration to residents and use the toilets provided….If an area is congested--Avoid it….If you lose or find a child go to the nearest police station or a police officer. 

Performers Safety Guidelines 
 We've compiled from prior safety guidelines based on our coverage since 1996. After all parade technology is mostly about awareness and common sense it hold up well

The lowdown on festival toilets by efestivals.co.uk 
To go or not to go...? The Indispensable Festival Guide
[F] News 
Lots at stake as stakeholders take stakes to each other

Food & Drink
Photos