Thursday 3rd Sept: Notting Hill Carnival - Monday Parade / The Grand Finale

After the initial children's parade on Sunday, the Mas bands pull out all the stops and bring out all the costumes for the grand finale.  Here is a mix of some of those looks to show the broad spectrum of colours and techniques including from top to bottom:  United Colours Of Mas, Airam Designs, TouchDSky's Moko Jumbie stilt walkers, Sunshine International Arts, Resurrection Carnival, Flagz Mas Band, Tropical Isles, Bacchanalia.  It has been a great honour for me to have come on board as Patron for the Carnival Art & Masquerade Foundation of Notting Hill Carnival and I have learnt so much in the past weeks.  From visiting the Mas Camps to see where the costumes were being made and dance routines being choreographed, it helped me identify and appreciate each one as they rolled into view.  I stood for the duration of both days snapping away and capturing the buzz to document this crucial art form.  I half suspect I may be involved in helping making something again next year so I enjoyed every minute of being free to witness the spectacle as a punter.  Its truly the most joyous annual experience I look forward to more than Christmas.  I really wish that one day I may be able to visit the original Trinidad & Tobago Carnival ............... putting the fete feelers out there..............

The highlight of the whole weekend was running down the road after a rainbow and when she turned round, it turned out to be Angel Dee from RunDemCrew who I know!  Magic!    

(Top photo with Sophia Wassiville Joseph a.k.a Miss Trinidad & Tobago UK 2014) 

Wednesday 2nd Sept: Notting Hill Carnival 2015 , Sound-Systems

Aside from the parade of Notting Hill Carnival are the 38 sound-systems set up around the route of W10 including Abi Shanti and Channel One which I headed to in the evenings.  Here I saw three generations of one family out together dancing in amongst the throng of the cross-generation crowd, all celebrating the exceptional spectacle.  "One Love" certainly applies at this end-of-summer blast which brings the whole city in unison, irrespective of any divide.  The music unites and has every single body bopping in time with smiles brimming and bubbling over the bass.

Hear 2 hours of sound-system tunes c/o WorkIt's Carnival special show on NTSLive with a little interview with me about the work of CAMF - here

(Pictures top to bottom:  Thanks to Peace, Love & Unity for my Kente bucket hat - pic by Alex Cunningham, Amira  McCarthy, Core On Tour squad,  spectrum hair streetstyle, Abi Shanti, Channel One, Iridescent boot street style, me keeping dry in the rain thanks to Miss. GoodWeather iridescent cape - pic by Naomi Edmondson, Rough Trade West on Talbot Road's fresh painted shutter of Jamie XX's album artwork "In Colour")  

Wednesday 2nd Sept: Notting Hill Carnival 2015 , Panorama

"Panorma" is the steel pan opening concert for Notting Hill Carnival on the Saturday night prior to the parade over the weekend.  Just like the main fete, its a competition with each band practising final rehearsals in the street before taking main stage infront of the judging panel audience.  I strolled along and captured the national bands gathered for the night's celebration of the Caribbean tradition with "Ebony" winning this year's champaign award, "Real Steel" scooping 2nd and "Mangrove" coming 3rd .    

Wednesday 2nd Sept: Notting Hill Carnival 2015 , Sunday Parade / A Family Day

As you can probably tell from these photos I was dying from "cute overload" on the sideline of the Children's Day parade celebrating "Emergence Of Carnival" at Notting Hill Carnival.  They were either totally engrossed in the dance routines and putting 110% energy into the moves, tapping their feet to keep trucking behind the truck .................. OR in floods of tears from exhaustion of that over excitement.   I could hardly hold back my own tears of joy at some of their faces - especially a toddler who was one big ball of Ostrich plume with just her eyes and cornrows poking out.  There were little-ones so small they might not have been walking for long, but were taking steps alongside their Mas Bands or sparko in a decorated stroller in-between.  I couldn't cope.  Its been very had editing my pictures to condense the cuteness.  Just look at that fish!!!

See more here

Weds 2nd Sept: Notting Hill Carnival Mas Camp behind the scenes - Mahogany "Imagine This"

I was really excited to visit the Mahogany Mas Camp in Harlesden after getting to know the work of designer Clary Salandy from my research into Carnival Arts last year.  Her designs are totally unique and identifiable in the sea of costumes at Carnival.   The aesthetic is unrivalled down to the 3D shaping achieved with partner / structural engineer Michael Ramdeen.  The character costumes look alive from the glints in the eyes of the brush strokes to the motion of the movement from puppetry.  This year towering swans bobbed their heads which you can appreciate in the epic size from the scale in her illustrated designs above.  Other sections included a fleet of airplanes with the masquerader in pilot uniform and dancers in circular swirl skirts that dropped into a surprise triptych of layers.  This was not only titled "Secret Garden" but also literally kept a secret from the performers until the day to guarantee a full effect of excitement and energy for the judging panel of the parade.  

I witnessed the full procession out in force for the Children's Day on Sunday and the Grand Finale on Monday.  The seahorse and tropical fish shoals of "Young Mahogany" kids looked like a ridiculously cute flotilla of submarines as they shimmied down the streets of W9, winning the hearts of the crowds.  In this post you can see my snaps of how the patterns are constructed in different stages at the Mas Camp which operates from a Village Hall across the road from the main studio.  With this space it's possible to create gigantic proportions and in numerous duplicates to achieve the numbers needed for the choreographed formations.  How on earth it is then moved from here to the truck on the route early each morning must be another engineering feat all in itself!!!!!  I am totally in awe of the craft and dedication that goes into putting this show on the road.  363 days are spent on devising the concept, patterns and costumes for the 2 day celebration.  This is why it's the best weekend of the year and incredibly as Europe's biggest street festival, its absolutely free to attend.  For this reason everyone who goes needs to appreciate the magic gift of the team's dedication that put it on by volunteering to make it happen each year.  Head over to the CAMF Instagram to see all my photos covering the event which include Mahogany's glorious creations. 

Here is Mahogany's manifesto for this year's theme "Imagine This" =

"Could man have dreamt of flying if her had not seen a bird.  Through man's ingenuity we can travel to all parts of the universe.

Inspiration comes from the world around us yet wherever man lands he has managed to threaten the existence of other living things.

With ought breeding programmes that preserve the lives of the wild species many would be gone forever.

The wheel of time spins, indigenous peoples are also in decline as races and cultures mix and a new groove is born.

People of many colours are forming the next generation. 

What would the world look like?

IMAGINE THIS

Peek into the secret garden and let your imagination roam free"