Notting Hill Carnival

Posted: 6th Aug 2009

As Nottinghill Carnival quickly approaches us, I wonder to myself will this be another year of disappointment. I say this as I feel Carnival no longer represents anything authentic.

Do you even know why carnival began?

Carnival began in January 1959 in St Pancras Town Hall as a response to the depressing state of race relations at the time; the UK's first widespread racial attacks (the Notting HIll Race riots) had occurred the previous year. The carnival was a huge success, despite being held indoors. It first moved outside and was rescheduled to August in 1965. By 1976, the event had become definitely Caribbean in flavour. (Wikipedia)

Somehow Notting hill Carinval has been lost to urban music, since when does Carnivals play homage to garage, hip hop, house, etc? I say this as the Carnivals I have experienced are Trinidad & Tobago and Caribana in Toronto, even Brooklyn, Miami Carnivals have predominate Soca music presence to it.

With each Caribbean island having a carnival the main factor that drives it is Soca music. So why is it that the UK has allowed the deterioration into other music genres? Does this not take away the main music element of what carnival should be about? Many carnivals around the world replicate this but for some reason the UK doesn’t.

As London prepares once again to take on an estimated 1.5 million people during the bank holiday weekend August the 30th and 31st, wouldn’t it be nice to actually have a full carnival parade like the ones in Trinidad or any other carnival as a matter of fact. To actually see hundreds of organised floats blaring out music with masqueraders wearing costumes that have an impressive display of colours and creativity. Not the drips and drabs that you usual find wondering along the streets of Nottinghill. I always feel like there is a lack of effort, anyone who has experienced a real carnival will know what I am getting at here.

Other factors that disappoint me about carnival is the substantial amount of crime and disorder which is always covered by the press, which some would feel is an unfair, negative and a one sided view of carnival.  But to be fair the youth of today are the ones who are destroying that side of carnival. So with that the organisers have decided this years procession will start earlier at 9.00am so that the judging of floats can be completed by 18.30pm and there will be more rigorous noise monitoring, all this so that the police are able to control the crime throughout the day and riots at the end of the night!

I do not know how Notting Hill Carnival will bring it self back, it seems too far gone but for the sake of generations that have a Caribbean heritage or those whom have an interest I hope you would understand the importance in keeping Carnival as authentic as possible.

Written By Nadia Auckburally