It’s been quite a while since I wrote a
blog update, but it’s really been a very full on couple of weeks in the museum
world for me. One of the more fun breaks I had included my normal pilgrimage to
the Notting Hill Carnival in West London.
When I lived in London, I resided in Notting Hill and Ladbroke Grove for
about 5 years partially because in the first year when I moved to London I
happened upon the street festival completely by accident and immediately loved it. I had never heard anything about the carnival before despite it being the
second largest street festival after Rio de Janeiro.
The first carnival called ‘Caribbean
Carnival’ was held in St. Pancras Town Hall and organised by Claudia Jones, a
Trinidadian journalist who intended to hold carnival as a way to mend some the
recent racial tensions on 30 January 1959. In 1966, carnival was held as a
school children’s street party that was intended to celebrate the diversity of
the Notting Hill community. A steel drum band led by Russell Henderson also
joined the parade and walked around the neighbourhood playing. By 1976, the
Caribbean element of the carnival was solidified. There were still riots
between police and young Caribbean community members. Carnival has continued on
the Sunday and Monday of August bank holiday for years, and has maintained its
West Indian roots.
There are over 40 static sound systems
playing reggae, jazz, calypso, dub and many other musical genres and a parade
of moving sound systems followed by a costumed procession who walk the parade
route.
And the Monday is the day with all of the
costumes. This is probably the most iconic day (despite being the day that I
mostly skip after a day of over enjoying Sunday).
Even Londonites make far too big of a deal
over the violence that has been recorded at the Notting Hill Carnival. I’ve
attended for six years, and it’s always been nothing but music, dancing,
massive crowds, and jerk chicken.
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