|
|
| |
Caribbean
Carnival started in Trinidad and it came to London in the 1960s.
The West Indian families who sailed to Britain on H.M.S. Windrush
in
1948 missed the massive, creative, festive Carnivals held in their
home. CLICK HERE out more about Carnival history and CLICK
HERE to read about Carnival's "mother".
The Notting Hill Carnival created in its image
is now the largest street festival in all of Europe. Its path
winds through an area just to the north of Fox School. Notting
Hill Carnival
is a celebration of London's uniquely multicultural
metropolitan life. The year 2004 marked Carnival’s official
40th Anniversary.
A Carnival Band or "mas band" is a costume band rather
than a musical band; a group of people wear costumes,
and go "masquerading". The term "mas" is one that arose out of the French "masqué" ("concealed"), and to "play mas" is to
go to Carnival, parade in costume and dance on the street. Individuals are part of
a mas
band, that usually follows a lorry (the lorry provides music and refreshments).
Being involved with a mas band is a great way to experience
Carnival. All floats (a float is a lorry with a mas band following it)
stay within
barriers that contain the watching crowds. This means the path
followed by
the players is safe and un-crowded. Fox Carnival Band uses an articulated
lorry which has seating and a toilet.
This lorry carries our ample refreshments and holds our sound
system. Our players, i.e. the band of people wearing Fox T-shirts
and carrying standards,
generally follow the lorry, led by the dance captain. They may ride
on the lorry only to rest, but small children often stay on the
lorry all day.
CONTINUE reading about Notting
Hill Carnival
|
|
|
