The Spirit of Hackney Carnival
Hackney Carnival is the Council’s most high profile cultural event that continues to provide a wealth of opportunity to celebrate what is unique about this much loved celebration.
The carnival draws thousands of residents, businesses, visitors and local artists together to celebrate Hackney’s cultural diversity, heritage and community life. It is an animated showcase of the artistic and creative prowess of the local community and endeavours to be an inclusive, accessible and diverse celebration of all that is Hackney.
To discover the Spirit of Hackney Carnival, over 20 interviews were conducted with representatives of Hackney-based carnival bands, sound system groups, volunteers, creative directors and lead officer.
The Spirit of Hackney Carnival includes some of their memories, opinions and insight into the various cultural and artistic disciplines associated with carnival.
Everyone was asked to describe the Spirit of Hackney Carnival and there was overwhelming agreement that it is firmly rooted in the communities of Hackney and is strengthened by the cultural diversity of all who take part in it.
However, it should not be forgotten that Hackney Carnival is based on a historically and culturally specific model of colonization in the Caribbean and many of the traditions that were brought here by the Windrush generation.
Then and now
The early days
Hackney’s archive reveals that there have been community carnivals in the borough since the 1900s, mainly of the old English, patriotic style, including Shoreditch and Finsbury Park carnivals.
The first carnival in Hackney in the form we recognise today is believed to have started as the Street Carnival Theatre in De Beauvoir, organised by African and Caribbean community centre, Centerprise, in 1973. It was later known as the Hackney Mare de Gras.
The Hackney Youth Carnival Parade is also fondly remembered by Marva Antoine, Tropical Isles, “I used to run the Hackney Youth Carnival every July for four years. It ran from Stoke Newington Church Street to Millfields Park. It stopped in 2008 when carnival groups started working towards the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.”
This was the start of the Hackney One Carnival, which was set up by 15 carnival groups who came together with Hackney Council to prepare for carnival in 2012. By 2017, the annual event had simplified its name to Hackney Carnival.
Memories
Since the 70s the borough has been home to many carnival groups that have their roots in Caribbean culture including the influential Perpetual Beauty Carnival Association, set up in the 1970s.
Other long standing bands include Pantonic Steel Orchestra (founded 1988), Soca Saga Boys (founded in 1990), Beeraahar Sweet Combination (founded in 1993 by Christina Oree and David Grant) and Jamboulay Carnival Arts Promotion, that has been in existence since 1996.
Helen Levy, Pantonic Steel Orchestra, was a child when her father Ezekial Biggs Yearwood, the highly regarded maker and tuner of steel pans, founded Pantonic with his friend Raymond Joseph, who in particular reached into schools to teach Steel Pan.
The family’s heritage is from St. Vincent in the Caribbean and being part of the band became a family tradition. Her father taught her brother, Grafton, to make and tune pans for many other bands and her children, Lynette and Lucky along with nieces and nephews have also been part of Pantonic’s history. “ The idea behind Pantonic was to bring young people into the group and develop their musical ability. This meant that the band grew and grew.”
Eventually they secured their own Pan Yard that could be accessed twenty four hours a day with regular classes run for people of all ages and building up to over 60 members.
The former Mayor of Hackney, Sam Springer, also managed Pantonic for several years taking them on tour and representing Hackney abroad. Biggs Yearwood died in 2007 and various family members have run the band ever since. Some of the original players continue to teach in schools.”
Helen’s earliest memory of Hackney carnival is, “the really good atmosphere. It was located in a smaller area and was very community oriented featuring only local bands. What has changed is that there are many different bands now including the Brazilian style carnival drumming bands. The very strong community spirit hasn’t changed. The carnival still brings out the best in people.”
Soca Saga Boys was formed in 1990 by its founding member Saga Boy Tony Cumberbatch (RIP). Tony’s vision was not only to promote Soca & Calypso in the UK, but also to take it to new audiences around the country and, “letting the whole world experience the energy, vibe and passion that is Soca.” Rena Kydd Williams.
Soca Massive Sound System' debuted on the 'Carnival Road' in 1985 as DJs and took part in the Hackney Mare de Gras. They have been playing Mas since 2006 and as the Soca Massive Fancy Sailors UK since 2008.
“I think you have to remember that carnival activities were part of a much wider community arts movement that was very committed to popular creativity. I was first involved in carnival by Perpetual Beauty Carnival mas band, which was located on Leswin Road and I took part in a mini parade around Stoke-Newington High Street. Masquerade 2000 was born out of Perpetual Beauty and I often visited their mas-camp late in the evenings assisting with costume making for my daughter and making small pieces. I was eventually made their vice chair.
I remember Hackney Mare de Gras carnival was run for a few years by Emanuel Amevor from Centerprise Trust, a creative space and bookshop on Kingsland High Street. I also took part in the Hackney Peace Walk organised by a local councillor.
My brother was playing steel pan with Pantonic and I joined the Pantonic Supporters Club. My daughter joined the band and I wanted to make costumes for them. I had a small cupboard size space at their Pan Yard to make things and I was also a chaperone for the band.
I wanted to do a carnival project at a local youth cub in Hackney but it took several goes to convince the centre staff that it was a good idea. Eventually they let me in.
I involved the young people in Carnival and started with a theme that became our name, Jamboulay, meaning merriment and togetherness. The word is close to the original Canboulay, the festival of the burning sugar canes from the time of the slaves in the Caribbean.
So we were based for quite some time in the community centre but we have moved around a bit and we are now based in the Old Fire Station, Leswin Road. I remember we took part in the Queen’s Golden Jubilee parade outside Buckingham Palace involving children with learning disabilities. We were meant to attend the garden party in the grounds but someone took our passes!” Rubena Waldrop, Jamboulay Carnival Arts Promotion.
Award winning band, Tropical Isles, appeared at Hackney carnival for the first time in 2000 having learned much from other groups, especially Beerahaar, often referred to as the grandparents of Hackney Carnival. “They opened the door for many of the groups,” Marva Antoine, Tropical Isles.
What has changed?
There have been several creative directors over the years including Keith Khan in 2012 and Shabaka Thompson in 2013. Pax Nindi, Global Carnivalz, has been Creative Director of Hackney Carnival from 2014 – 2019.
He was also involved in earlier strategies to support carnival artists in the borough through fundraising and sponsorship. Together with the lead cultural development officer for carnival, Lucy McMenemy, he has overseen several changes in the last seven years.
Each year the Council sets aside a budget to support local carnival groups to produce their costumes. This is administered via an application process for involvement. On-going engagement with the council has built a sense of unity amongst the carnival groups who meet the council regularly during the run up to carnival to give valuable feedback on the event and contribute to its direction. “It’s become more like a social club.”
The Carnival has also become more culturally diverse. Hackney has a strong community with Caribbean heritage but the dominating platforms are not necessarily Trinidadian.
There are now more groups representing the African, South American and east Asian communities. The emphasis on accessibility has also been strengthened by Paracarnival, Access All Areas and guest band UFO who encourage artists living with disabilities to take part.
The route of the carnival has changed over the years and has included Ridley Road, Queensbridge Road and Mare Street. Since 2019 the carnival route has been set around Hackney Central, which is more like a carnival village with designated spaces for programming.
There are specific areas around the carnival route including a spoken word stage, comedy acts, street performance, a music stage, children’s play, a wellbeing area and plenty of food stalls. Since 2014 sound systems have also provided an additional element providing a broad range of music for people to enjoy aside from the parade and creating an extended party atmosphere.
A dedicated judging point has been set up. Pax Nindi observes, “If Carnival doesn’t have a competition the quality doesn’t improve. Awards are important to people to boost their pride and sense of achievement.” After the main event in September, there is a ceremony at the beautiful Shoreditch Town Hall to announce the winners of various fiercely contested Hackney Carnival awards and to celebrate the achievements of local groups.
Commissioning is also important with appearances on the parade from guest groups that provide more cultural diversity and examples of the high quality work that is also seen at Notting Hill.
“This is beneficial to all the Hackney groups who have developed their art to a higher standard over the years and now also appear at Notting Hill. Many groups want to appear at Hackney Carnival after Notting Hill in order to extend their carnival experience and celebrate the end of the Carnival season. Hackney has become very popular with other bands.”
In July 2018 Hackney Kid’s Carnival, supported by Arts Council England, featured over 160 children and took place in Dalston. Schools participated in carnival workshops where staff and children learned how to plan a dance routine, how to make headdresses, African folk songs and drumming.
In 2019, over 80,000 people attended the biggest and most eco-friendly Hackney Carnival to date. Environmentally responsible measures were taken as part of Hackney Council’s commitment to reduce the amount of single use plastic waste generated in the borough and to encourage people to think about their impact on the planet.
Visitors came from across London and international tourists saw more than 25 carnival and community groups who joined residents in a celebration of Hackney’s thriving cultures and outstanding creativity.
Then and now gallery
1902 Hackney Carnival Souvenir Programme
1958 Shoreditch Carnival
1980s Hackney carnival
1980s Hackney carnival
1993 Sky at Night costume by Perpetual Beauty Carnival Arts
2000 Mare de Gras
2006 Drawing of Carnival Crowd outside Hackney Empire
2006 Hackney Youth Carnival Parade poster
2012 Carnival Extravaganza
2014 Hackney One Carnival Tropical Isles
2016 Hackney One Carnival 'There's such a great spirit!' Hackney Citizen
2016 Hackney One Carnival 'There's such a great spirit!' Hackney Citizen
2016 Hackney One Carnival 'There's such a great spirit!' Hackney Citizen
2016 Spirit of Carnival Hackney History article
2018 Jamboulay Carnival Arts Promotion at Hackney's Children's Carnival
Christine Oree Beeraahaar
Hackney One Carnival
The spirit of the carnival
Words used to describe the carnival
Community, unity, vibes, music, self-expression, creativity, collective, costumes, colours, inspiration, cultures, enjoyable, diversity, great, everyone, play, love, freedom, spontaneity, connection, dressing-up, party, everybody, playing, expression, relaxed, food, freeing, support, spirit, street, self-acceptance, differences, friendship, sharing, audience, dancing, together, trust.
The spirit of the carnival gallery
Golden Years at Hackney Carnival
Hackney Carnival's fantastic street food
Audience on the Narrow Way, watching Alex Dayo drumming
Ridley Road
Hackney celebrates its diverse communites at carnival
Access All Areas performance in front of Hackney Town Hall
Capturing the party atmosphere at Hackney Carnival
Best place to view the spectacle
Carnival is for all ages
The art of Masquerade
From handmade tie-dye tops to gloriously feathered headdresses, carnival has a wide variety of costumes representing cultures and countries from across the world. Playing Mas, or Masquerade, is the term used to describe wearing costumes and dancing along the street with a carnival band or group. Mas, as the ‘theatre of the streets’ is the visual backbone and unifying force of Carnival.
Carnival costume making is a year-round activity, which involves the development of themes and the communication of stories through movement and fabric. These aspects of the masquerade band operation include the skills required to manage a mas camp where carnival artists and their followers create costumes, some of which are elaborate feats of engineering.
Many people purchase their costumes or branded T shirts from the carnival band so that they can identify with them as they move along the street.
Traditional Mas
The history of the masquerade is rooted in African culture and the history of enslavement in the Caribbean islands where white settlers held elaborate masquerade balls before the Lenten season began.
The slaves, who could not take part in the celebrations, would observe them, often through windows, and decided to hold celebrations of their own. The celebrations would include dancing, singing, costumes and mockery of the people who held the masquerade balls.
Characters that mimicked the slavers were invented and these still endure in Caribbean carnival and inspire some of the designs at Hackney Carnival each year. Rena Kydd Williams, R Consultancy, explains “Soca Saga Boys has a continual theme titled a “Traditional Mas” in Hackney carnival. The origins of our themes pre date traditional Trinidad Carnival characters. Our themes encompass the original underpinning of an enslaved age where our ancestors were given a labour free day from the plantation to be themselves.
The characters they used as well as the use of amplified sound was key in order to send vital messages of liberation planning, the comforting of barbaric treatment and maintaining connection with spirituality as opposed to the imposed religion of Christianity. Our themes of traditional African characters are also merged with current more modern spectacles of mas, which now promote a more liberal narrative of Afro Caribbean culture.
Each year we draw upon an Afrocentric carnival character from different Caribbean islands and over the last two years we have incorporated the more recent struggles of the Windrush generation through visual mas representation – something which is crucial to the make up of the Hackney population.”
African Masquerades
The direct connection with African culture can also be seen at Hackney Carnival through the various West African troupes that appear in the parade, including Gahu Dramatic Arts, Blema Dancers and Yaram Arts. Malik Jeng from Yaram Arts describes Medieval Masquerades that can be traced back to West Africa at the height of its civilisation.
“The masquerades are dressed in a cow hair mask, black and yellow paint on their faces and a costume composed of different animal furs, fabrics and shells. We present the 'Huntin' masquerade from the Yoruba people (SW Nigeria) and Creole/Krio people (Sierra Leonne & The Gambia). Then the 'Kankourang' masquerade from the Mandinka people (The Gambia, Southern Mali, Eastern Guinea and Northern Ivory Coast). At Hackney Carnival Zimba has become increasingly popular. The Zimba (Lion) Masquerade is from Mauritania, Gambia, Mauritania and Senegal. It is much loved at Hackney carnival. Zimbas evoke fear and laughter in their audiences with their highly physical, ferocious performances and sometimes with fire breathing.”
Drums are also part of this whole ritual and are used to tame the lion dancer by invoking spirits. "In these times the dance and drumming are more of a celebration but in the past it meant identity, rites of passage, spirituality and protection.”
Fancy Sailors
The Fancy Sailor is another traditional character from Caribbean Carnival, brought to Hackney Carnival each year by Soca Massive. Michael Olton tells us about how this has evolved over the years, “Soca Massive was mainly a music based group with DJs and sound systems appearing on the road and at festivals since the 1980s. We started bringing out a costume band in 2006 and in 2008 the fancy sailors appeared.”
The Sailor Mas was introduced in the 1880s when British, French and American naval ships came to Trinidad. The costume typically consists of a headdress, sometimes made through a wire bending technique, a walking stick and bell-bottomed pants. There are different types of Fancy Sailors, each with a variation of the costume and dances to go with them.
“Our Fancy Sailors have evolved over the years and have a modern twist so that it appeals to a younger generation. Our designer and wire-bending expert, Sean Carrington, researches different historical themes and then uses some of the Fancy Sailor style like the bell-bottoms to design more glamorous bikini based costumes such as the Might of Rome with a troupe of centurions or Pirates with fancy hats and cutlasses. However, the more mature people in the band don’t like the bikinis and bras. They want to wear a costume that doesn’t expose them too much. Carnival is about portraying a character rather than a bikini and feathers that all look the same.”
Themes
Each year the participating groups devise their own well researched themes that inform the costume design, music and dance. Themes can be political, historical or just plain fun! In 2019 Carnival Band of the Year, Tropical Isles, were inspired by the Black Panther super hero film. In the past they have presented a wide range of themes entitled Eden, I Have a Dream, 5th Element, It’s a London Thing.
Marva Antoine, Managing Director, describes the way they choose their themes, “We run workshops at our space for young people to devise the theme. They all do the research, so it’s a collective process. The costume style has changed over time and as the young people mature they want to look glamorous in the bikini style but some of them don’t want to feel so exposed so we find ways of adapting the costumes. Bikini and shorts based costumes are more affordable and the larger scale Kings and Queens costumes are very costly. So Tropical Isles does one main large scale costume and some smaller ones representing a theme and often trying out new technologies. Paul McLaren of Shademakers is our favourite designer. Paul was the first person to show Tropical Isles how to make engineered 3D back pack costumes.”
Jamboulay Carnival Arts Promotion specialise in traditional African / Caribbean costumes by researching for themes to reflect on any issues past or current. Rubena Waldrop, Jamboulay founder says, “More recently the young people are requesting a touch of feathers, bikinis and beads. However, we strive to keep the traditional aspect of the arts while attempting to incorporate some modern styles. We have core designers including myself but generally it is a community effort using volunteer skills and expertise from within the local community. Rubena also admits,”I am the last person to fuss about what to wear when carnival time comes. The members often ask, ‘What are you wearing?’ As the band leader I have to encourage and stimulate the atmosphere so I will grab something, slap some make-up on and join in the fun!”
Design
Creating costumes appropriate for the band is an important focus for Paracarnival’s founders Richard Selim Sleeman and Bettina Fernandez Sleeman. Richard aims to work to Brazilian Rio Carnival standards, learned from his time spent with the renowned Paraiso band.
As an inclusive carnival band Paracarnival has developed a range of costumes for wheelchair users, “In 2015 we made a huge crinoline style Baina dress that we fixed over the wheelchair. This required making it light weight enough so that it wouldn’t unbalance the wearer. We also work with people from Muslim backgrounds so we are careful to design costumes that are modest.” In 2019 Paracarnival won best theme interpretation for their focus on the environment and Save the Amazon Rainforest theme.As best movement band at Hackney Carnival 2019 Dimensions’ designer, Churlene Greene, aware that the costumes need to work for highly choreographed routines, “so they have to be light and robust enough to survive plenty of movement. The costumes start off as a blend of comfortable stretch dance wear and carnival accessories.”
Lucky Thomas, Pan Vibrations, observes that Brazilian Rio style costume design has changed the look of Hackney Carnival. “There are bands still bringing old mas characters, but they’ve had to conform and try to appeal to younger people. Costumes are in danger of looking the same. It’s more inspiring and challenging when you have a story and a theme such as historical or current events. Trinidadian designers from the past like Wayne Berkeley and Peter Minshall have amazed me with their ideas. Also there are less mas camps in Hackney now. It would help to pass on skills if there was a carnival resource centre where carnival arts could be supported. Skills like wire bending are being passed on but new techniques are also being developed. The person I learned the most from was Lincoln Rahamut (RIP).”
Rena Kydd Williams also acknowledges Lincoln’s influence and his use of fibre glass rod and wire. She acknowledges that, “You need a mathematical, engineering based mind-set to make those large scale structures.”
Lincoln Rahamut (1946 - 2019) originally from Perpetual Beauty Carnival Arts, based in Hackney at one time, and then leader of Masquerade 2000 was a strong influence on costume design for numerous carnival bands and he was commissioned to run master classes with Hackney groups. In his opinion, “Carnival is living art. We use all sorts of creative arts within Carnival. We do sculpture and cover all aspects of history, life and emotion. We research and create all these costumes to reflect something.”
Materials
When it comes to materials most carnival groups agree with Marva Antoine, “Without feathers there are no carnival costumes.” However, many designers succeed in creating extravagant and original designs with few resources demonstrating innovation and resourcefulness.
“I like materials that have flow and use a lot of fabrics. There was a time, when I was studying HND in fashion design and management that I started looking at holographic materials using them to make 3D shapes by folding. I like to work with a bit of everything including recycled plastics, scrap metal as well as more natural materials.” Lucky Thomas
Taru Arts have devised ways of making carnival hats from juice cartons, crisp packets (with the silver side showing) and newspaper that can be adapted for different themes and decorative shapes.
“I feel a necessity to make - it’s what I love and need to do it. My inspiration comes from the materials available and I respond to them intuitively. Improvisation and experimentation are important when using waste materials. It’s a challenge as it brings with it a responsibility not to end up with everything in the landfill. We need to ensure that we use materials that go together, like for like, and that they can last the course of the carnival parade but also be returned to recycling. This way of working is affordable in terms of materials costs but takes more labour and design time as well as cleaning to ensure the materials are safe.” Valerio Oliveira.
Rena Kydd Wiliams (R Consultancy and Soca Saga Boys) reflects, “The underlying history of carnival was always about being sustainable. What has changed is capitalism and survival. We are required to meet the WOW factor. This comes at a commercial price and we are competing with people who spend more money each year. It’s hard to use old traditions that have been over taken by mass production. We recycle as much as we can but people who have bought a costume want something of high quality. Customers want glamour and a certain look. Consumerism and capitalism has undermined the original way of doing carnival.”
The art of Masquerade gallery
Zimba Yaram Arts
Costume by Lincoln Rahamut with Soca Saga Boys
Shortnees traditional Caribbean carnival characters
Beeraahaar 2015
Ucom, guest carnival group from Notting Hill Carnival
Soca Saga Boys Windrush tribute
Soca Massive contemporary Fancy Sailors
Tropical Isles
Fancy Sailors traditional Caribbean carnival characters
Jun Mo Generation carnival costumes
Brazilian Baiana inspired costume
Mandinga Arts
Music
Hackney carnival has an abundance of music from all over the world. It features static sound systems by local sound system operators, Djs playing music on floats, stages with live bands and live drumming in the procession.
Soca on the move
Music is an essential part of carnival, it underpins the ideology of freedom and getting messages across of resistance at the same time as showcasing different voices in the parade.
Soca Music is a musical style from Trinidad and considered an offshoot from calypso with influences from Soul music developed in the 1970’s by Lord Shorty. The result is an energetic musical hybrid developed as a musical genre.
Soca is a fusion between SOul and CAlypso music. It has absorbed influences from different cultures across the Caribbean islands such as Chutney Soca, Funk, Zouk, Latin, Cadence and traditional West African rhythms.
Hackney groups who specialise in Soca music such as Soca Massive and Soca Saga Boys perform all year round in various events.
Soca Massive Sound System debuted in 1985 and have provided sound systems on the road at Hackney Carnival for the last fourteen years. Michael Olton remembers, “I started as a DJ and our sound system played for many other bands with amplified systems on big 40 foot floats. We’ve won best band on the road no less than eight times. Soca Massive plays at the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival with resident bands and in turn they join us in London. Of course, we play Soca but we also play other music to entertain and please crowds. The younger DJs love mixing reggae, house, grime, raga, soul revival in with the soca. My favourite soca artist is Marshall Montana. I’ve known him since he was a young boy. He likes the old school but younger DJs are doing a good job of keeping Soca alive too.”
Soca Saga Boys started as a sound system based in Hackney and took it to another level with louder sound systems as a black owned organisation spreading the message of unity. “We provide a platform for the Caribbean and African Diaspora culture. The sound system is important to carnival. There are key principles of playing mas. It has to have amplified sound – like the loud drumming in the past that sent messages summoning up strength, unifying people and the sharing of a culture that the enslavers didn’t want expressed. There should be no limit on sound – this is the case in Caribbean carnival. The truck and the big PA is essential. it underpins the ideology of freedom and getting your message across.
We take the message of soca across the world and harness the talents of the people who understand how music moves people and the types of BPM (Beats Per Minute) that different types of Soca have. We know the importance of when to select the right BPM tracks for various parts of “The Road”.” Rena Kydd Williams (R Consultancy with Soca Saga Boys).
Live Bands on the Road
Steel pan orchestras
Hackney features steel pan bands in the procession such as visiting group from Notting Hill, UFO Steel band, and Hackney’s very own Pantonic Steel Orchestra. They embrace the Trinidadian culture and each year manage to excite as well as educate the public about this amazing instrument and its music. After Carnival the bands travel around the country playing to audiences indoors and outdoors.
“There’s something so uplifting about steel pan and you can see the immediate effect on people as you go by. It’s the way that it registers in the brain that has something to do with the fact that it is rhythmic, percussive and melodic.” Helen Levy, Pantonic Steel Orchestra.
Fiona Hawthorne from guest band UFO (Urban Fox Orchestra) describes the origins of the steel pan, “The steel pan tradition originates in Trinidad where slaves of African origin were either not allowed to make music or have instruments so they found their way round it by adapting cast away objects and materials into instruments and percussion. By discovering that oil drums could be repurposed and tuned they became a thing of beauty and made wonderful music.
In the past the way that the notes were laid out and beaten into the metal oil drum surfaces differed depending on who made them. Therefore, it was hard for people to learn on other pans. Now steel pan organisations are trying to standardise the arrangement of notes. Steel pans are made in various different sizes and have different tones and notes so that you can create an orchestra with harmony, bass and percussion. I play the ‘Guitar’ pan, which is both a rhythm and melody instrument – like a rhythm guitar.”
UFO play a love song about an iron player, called ‘Iron Love’. This refers to the use of old car brake drums as percussion, called ‘Irons’. “It was discovered that these metal engine parts had amazing percussive qualities when you hit them. They are the ‘engine’ of the band. Now that car parts are made of different alloys it’s harder to find those that make such a beautiful sound.” Fiona Hawthorne.
Helen Levy from Hackney based Pantonic Steel Orchestra observes that, “Many people think of steel pan as a drum but it’s a tuned instrument with notes and octaves that can be very sophisticated. There is great skill in tuning them. My father was musically skilled enough to tune by ear but now everyone uses electric tuners.”
Helen also remembers, “Steel pans weren’t regarded as a proper musical instrument so they were clouded by a negative image at first and young people who were playing steel pans were disapproved of. However, perceptions have changed over the decades.” When she was young her uncle played in a steel pan band in the 70s called the New Sounds Crusaders. They were on the TV talent show, Opportunity Knocks, and won for six weeks running!”
Steel pan is a versatile instrument. Any form of music can be played on a steel pan from traditional calypso and soca to classical music and from pop music to jazz. There are challenges with its survival as a music form because it has been seen as outside of mainstream music and has suffered from a lack of funding and profile. However, steel pan music has evolved in a positive way and Pantonic has enjoyed collaborations with international musicians. “We appeared at the V festival with Rudimental and James Arthur, who won the X Factor.”
There is still a long way to go to celebrate the culture and journey of steel pan and Helen hopes that in the future there will be more appreciation and exposure of the unique history behind it.
Lucky Thomas, Pan Vibrations, has been involved in Hackney carnival since he was a child in the 1970s. He has been part of Pan Vibrations since 1995 when they specialised in jazz fusion. Pan Vibrations are now a group of steel pan tutors who take steel pan music into schools in several boroughs.
“Our mission is to keep the art of pan and mas together and keep the culture alive.” Pan Vibrations worked with Hackney schools for the Hackney Kids’ Carnival in 2018 and he is keen to see more schools involved in Hackney Carnival in the future.
Brazilian music
The Brazilian bands invited at Hackney Carnival play samba and samba reggae music. Taru Arts bring the rhythms of samba into their schools’ workshops and guest band, Paraiso School of Samba, are invited to showcase this rich Brazilian rhythm to the streets of Hackney. Samba is one of the most popular music and dance styles ever to emerge from Brazil.
Samba evolved in Rio de Janeiro by the early 20th century and grew to become the quintessential music and dance form associated with Rio's carnival. With its rich and syncopated rhythm and its intricate dance moves, samba has circled the globe as one of the most infectious and popular styles from the South American continent.
“When Taru Arts start to play samba on the road, the audience is captivated by its live drumming. The strong and continuous bass sounds, are embellished by the syncopated rhythms of the other instruments: caixas, agogos and shakers.” Rudy Rocha, Taru Arts.
African Drums and Singing
Blema Dancers, Gahu Dramatic Arts and Yaram Arts bring the compelling rhythms of West African drumming, dance and acrobatics to Hackney carnival. The drums are usually made from wood, metal, earthenware or large gourds, which are hard-rinded fruit.
They come in different sizes and shapes and the bigger the drum the lower the note. The more tension in the drumhead the higher the note produced. They are played using hands, or sticks, or both. One of the best-known African drums is the West African djembe, which is shaped like a large goblet and played with bare hands. The body is carved from a hollowed trunk and is covered in goat skin. African drumming is especially associated with movement and dancers wear amulets and accessories on their arms because the drums bring out the spirits.
Sound systems
Sound systems are important to Hackney Carnival and contribute to the huge legacy of sound systems in the UK. Hackney sound systems include, Jah Prophecy, Dubson Sounds, NTS live, First Class Sounds, Solution Sounds, Community Hifi. Each soundsystem has a Selector who plays and chooses the records and Djs who sing or ‘toast’ on the track being played.
The majority of Hackney sound systems play roots reggae and dub music, which they believe is uplifting music that incorporates conscious lyrics, praising Haile Selassie and also seen as music of black resistance.
Fagamuffin Bloc Party, reclaims the space for Queer, LGBTQ+ black communities in Hackney, prioritising black talent and run by a collective of volunteers. Virginia Wilson, from Fagamuffin Bloc Party says, “Everything goes! Dancehall, soca, future beats, old school and new school and some original material by DJs and performers. We have a broad music policy and each DJ plays what they want, as long as lyrics are not homophobic. Music is so important for carnival and aim to continue the legacy of the sound system culture in the UK.”
Live bands on stages
Each year Hackney Carnival’s Creative Director programmes live music stages in different locations. Hackney Carnival features music stages that celebrate music from all over the world playing different musical genres such as Reggae, Afrobeats, Soca, Calypso, Samba, Reggaeton, World music and Gospel.
Acts who have taken part in the past include Ray Carless, Alex Dayo, Stamford Hillbilly Street Band, Earl 16, Black Slate, Scrappy, Kasai Masai, Afrospot, D Alberto, Planetman, Ata Kak, Carpet Face, Dalston Collect, Grand Union, South London Samba, Jah Bunny and more. Hackney Music Service provided a programme for the music stage in 2014 - 2016, with young musicians from Hackney's schools. Young violinists from Hackney Suzuki Hub have also taken the stage.
In 2019 the whole Carnival space moved to Hackney Central where more space allowed more stages. The main live stage and an acoustic stage were at St John’s Church. Narrow Way was used for a busking stage and for live African drumming.
If you think this is only for adults, in 2019 Disco Loco, a family sound system, hosted a family-friendly music area in St John’s churchyard. There were great tunes for all the family to dance to and be part of the Hackney Carnival spirit.
Music gallery
Pan Vibration with local school children at the Hackney Kids' Carnival in 2018
Jah Prophecy's sound system
Main stage in St John's Gardens
Local school children and Blema Dancers at the Hackney Kids' Carnival 2018
Disco Loco, Family Sound System
Paraiso School of Samba guest group
Pantonic Steel Orchestra
DJ and sound system on the road
Sound systems are important to Hackney Carnival
Sound systems keep the party going
Faggamuffin Bloc Party sound system
Papa Simon Soca Saga Boys
Dance
Dance is an important form of self-expression within the tradition of many carnivals all over the world. In carnival, there are many masquerades in the procession dancing together, sometimes with tight, complex choreography and often freestyle improvisation inspired by the music.
The audience also enjoy the chance to get involved and show their own dance moves at the sound systems and live music stage. Dancing on the street is a powerful action that evokes a sense of collective self, a “peoplehood”.
At Hackney Carnival many dance styles are represented. Locally based carnival groups such as Tropical Isles, Dimensions Entertainment, Unity No Nonsense, Heritage, People of paradise, Jamboulay, Soca Massive, Urban Touch, Beeraahar Sweet Combination, Soca Saga Boys and Jun Mo Generation all use Soca music to develop their dances. SOCA comes out of the combination of SOul and CAlypso music, hence SOCA.
Dancing to Soca
Gemma Brown, from Dimensions, says that Soca dance is hard to explain as it is based on a combination of movements that have developed over the years in Trinidadian carnival but now also incorporates Jamaican Dancehall movements alongside hip hop or street dance styles.
Dancehall is often associated with winding movements influenced by African dance with feet firmly planted and hip grinding. Dimensions are trying to choreograph their dances so that young people and children can express themselves freely without incorporating the more sexualised movements associated with Dancehall.
Pop culture and MTV has brought different genres of music and dance to carnival and these have influenced the way young people want to dance. Currently Afro beat is very popular with young people. It has over taken soca music and changed dance styles. Gemma is also practical about the choreography so that as the group moves along the route of the carnival the dancers have learned choreography that they can use to respond to any tunes they encounter along the way.
Tropical Isles sets the platform for creating a safe place for members of the community to take part and experience the true Art form of Carnival. Members are invited to develop their physical literacy, self-confidence and self-belief through street dance and Soca aerobics classes.
Each year they collectively work together to plan and execute a chosen theme, based on an inspirational story such as 'The Colour Purple', using theatrical dance to explore movement, costumes and music to showcase who they are and what they represent in this heart felt story. Stephanie Antoine, Tropical Isles choreographer, states, “It’s important to Tropical Isles to show joy and excitement to perform our work to the judges and also to the audience who show their appreciation by clapping and cheering for us as we perform on the road.”
Soca Massive bring the tradition of the Fancy Sailors to Hackney Carnival. In the time of colonisation, the Fancy Sailors mimicked the navies and the swaggering walk of the sailors who had just come on shore from the ships at sea. Rocking from side to side was incorporated into their choreography and their performances were often mistaken as drunken sailors. Other characters included the ships’ engineers or firemen and can be seen stoking the coal boilers with their sticks or pokers.
African traditions
Hackney’s culturally diverse carnival also includes groups with expertise in African traditional music and dance as well as acrobatics. Victoria Dzivenu; a professional African dancer who has worked with the former pan-African company ‘ADZIDO’ in the UK, is the founder of BLEMA and teaches West African dance in schools.
Florence Armah leads Gahu Dramatic Arts and her career in dance ranges from African, Caribbean to contemporary. At Hackney Carnival both companies present dancers and performers based in Ghanaian traditional culture. Gahu specialise in bringing acrobatics to the carnival where the troupe performs contortions, pan-spinning, limbo, fire breathing, traditional drumming and dancing.
South American
Carnival in the South American tradition is also evident at Hackney carnival with plenty of guest bands such as Paraiso presenting Rio style samba, Talentos with their swirling skirts in a Colombian tradition and Bolivian groups Caporales San Simon Londres and Caporales Mi Viejo San Simon. Caporales is a high energetic dance that depicts a foreman of the African slaves in the Colonial period in Bolivia.
Locally based group Paracarnival work within the Rio Carnival Brazilian tradition but they also like to mix things up in their presentation on the road using all kinds of music and movement to flag up their chosen themes. Paracarnival is a wholly inclusive carnival band whose artists and performers are drawn from disability arts groups, schools and community groups. Founder member, Bettina Fernandez Selim, works with the participants to incorporate movement based on British Sign Language into her choreography.
Taru Arts, bring an element of Brazilian dance movement to their schools’ workshops. Valerio Oliveira, a Brazilian artist and dancer living in London, observes that everybody knows how to move and everything you do as a child is involved in movement and a response to music.
Play is an important part of the process so he encourages young participants to invent their own shapes and steps. He keeps his eyes open for these inventive movements and then incorporates them into a strong, achievable structure of set patterns.
He only gives them tasks they can do well in a short amount of time. It must be achievable. Often groups have not rehearsed as much as he would like them to so he uses mirroring where children follow the leadership of those who may have had more rehearsal. Children have a lot of energy but he creates moments of resting as part of the dance
He knows it is important that they feel safe and cared for during a long carnival parade along roads. It is his job to keep them energised and ‘in the moment’ by giving themselves to the dance.
Dance gallery
Tropical Isles
Paraiso School of Samba
Unity No Nonsense
Dimensions Entertainment
Hoxton Hall
Audience dancer
Gahu African Arts acrobats
Taru Arts and Morningside School
Talentos Colombian dancers
Tropical Isles
Bolivian dancers
Urban Touch
Taking part
Carnival is a compelling way for people from many cultures to develop a shared identity as masqueraders. This dynamic cultural performance is created using music, costumes and dance forms that reach back through time. Through carnival, knowledge and understanding are promoted, helping to create community cohesion.
Bringing communities together and empowering socially excluded or disadvantaged groups has always been a central principle of carnival and the role of the carnival band should not be underestimated.
Food also plays an important part in the carnival experience. Historically, in some cultures, carnival was the last chance for people to eat well before religious fasting. Today this tradition means there are often plentiful food stalls at carnival, offering a chance for people to taste fare from around the world.
Carnival for health and wellbeing
“Carnival is for all ages. Responses to carnival are multifaceted depending on what lens you are looking through. For young people it’s about revelry, choice of group, scrutiny of the DJ and the sound, ownership of the group, a strong bond, friendship and fun. Crowds come with an expectation that the bands have to live up to.
For middle-aged members playing mas is seen as an honour, preserving and passing down the meaning of carnival. Perhaps it’s not always so enjoyable given the level of commitment and work that it involves. They see it as reminiscence, storytelling of their heritage. For elders it is a renaissance. Carnival is a time when things are reminders of home, especially if they recognise the characters.
Taking part in carnival is about mental health, spiritual healing, social acceptance. It’s about the current economic situation – a day of emancipation from social structures. It is a lived experience and about the history.
The streets of Hackney have seen so many social struggles across many cultures and communities. The borough has transitioned from a less desirable area to more sought- after locations. As it is being developed Hackney’s association with the struggle is no longer to the forefront. But we need to preserve the history of that struggle and the story of the streets.
Carnival in Hackney brings together the down trodden and the well to do. Links are made across society and shared experiences give people the opportunity to network with each other. People come into Hackney and integrate through the carnival. People are given permission to wonder the streets and talk to each other.” Rena Kydd Williams, Soca Saga Boys.
Reaching out to all communities through carnival is unique to Hackney Carnival. In a recent survey older people, people with disabilities and isolated groups not traditionally represented in carnivals and street festivals felt that inclusion in Hackney Carnival provides them with an on-going space for socialising and helps reduce social isolation.
Taking part in carnival affects Hackney residents’ health and wellbeing and 90% of participants said that Hackney Carnival allows them to spend quality time with their friends and family.
Carnival elders
For the last three years, the council’s Culture team has organised inclusive carnival arts workshops for people aged 50+ in association with Hackney Caribbean Elders Association (HCEA), St Joseph’s Hospice and, in 2019, Uprising. A wide range of Hackney carnival groups regularly deliver these workshops at the hospice, the HCEA centre and at Uprising including Tropical Isles, Jamboulay, Paracarnival, Unity, People of Paradise, Jun Mo Generation, Urban Touch and Blema.
This not only develops new friendships amongst older residents but helps carnival performers share their knowledge and develop new, transferable skills. Each year 60 older participants join the carnival procession on their own decorated float. One participating organisation stated that the Hackney carnival is “a visible, demonstrable difference between loneliness and doing things with friends!”
Geoffrey Gleadhill, age 83, is one of the 40 local volunteers who give behind the scenes support on the day. He has been a mainstay of the carnival over the years and loves being on the information stall talking to people, handing out programmes and answering questions.
He has noticed that many Hackney residents come back each year but there are also many visitors from other parts of London and more tourists are coming too. The only problem for Geoffrey is that the crowds block his view of the carnival parade. He also finds it amusing that the most common question he is asked is, “Where’s the loo?” when it’s right next to his stall!
Young generation
The carnival is also important to young people. “Hackney Carnival, it shows we can all be as one and enjoy ourselves.” Many groups run specific programmes for young people. Urban Touch were set up in 2007 to bring communities together through the celebration of the Caribbean arts. This involves breaking down barriers within the community and enabling the younger and the older generations to work together towards respect and understanding.
Tropical Isles has an exemplary programme for young people run from their base with the carnival as an important focus for engagement. Marva Antoine, Managing Director of Tropical Isles, remembers, “When we first started in Stoke Newington we set up a small group at the library for young people who were excluded from school to participate in arts, crafts and dance. We started to see positive changes in the young people so we decided to continue and develop the group. That is how Tropical Isles started. This is a place for them to feel safe and confident. Some young people may not be in school but have a lot of creative potential, so we provide a way of opening a different door for them. Some have successfully entered professions in fashion, music, dance, theatre, drama, DJing and the film industry. They would say that Tropical Isles opened doors for them.”
“Being a part of Hackney Carnival enables us to closely work with many individuals of different abilities and ages ranging from the youngest member who is 5 years old and the oldest member who is eighty. Carnival is our culture and it brings us closer together as a community, enriching us with the tools and skills that develop us for the future.” Stephanie Antoine, Tropical isles.
The founders of Heritage Social, Arts and Dance group are parents who formed the group because they were concerned with the lack of facilities and opportunities available to their children and young people at the time. They set about running a carnival programme to encourage and promote social inclusion and prevent antisocial behaviour by bringing family values back to the community. “Our members feel safe, have a voice and most of all have a great time while developing their dance and social skills!”
Pantonic Steel Orchestra is proud to be known as a family. “Once you join the band you are part of the Pantonic family. People are loyal and see being in the band as a way of getting rid of stress, enjoying teamwork and everyone, whatever their gender or cultural background, is welcome.
Being part of the band enables young people to shine like stars. Many of them now have the skills and experience to teach and arrange. Some have developed careers that have grown out of being in the band. Many of the older players are still playing in schools and Pantonic is one of the few bands in East London offering out of school classes. Many young people join and even if they leave for a time they often come back again.”
Carnival in education
At a time when creativity is being squeezed out of the curriculum, participating schools have expressed how much their pupils benefit from contact with carnival arts professionals, offering real enrichment for those involved. Morningside School worked with Taru Arts last year.
Valerio Oliveira, Taru’s designer and choreographer says, “Our way of teaching and engaging participants is to prepare well and be clear from the outset that it’s fun We expect everyone to be at their best, encouraging them to take pride in what they are making. However, it is also important to pitch the work so that the activities are accessible no matter what people’s abilities are. It’s also important to work with teachers and parents to show them what the children can achieve. Some parents volunteer to join in with the workshops or to help finish off the costumes and make sure everything is robust and complete.”
It was Morningside Primary School and Children’s Centre’s first time of taking part in carnival in 2019. Staff leader, Marie Kerrigan, offered the following insight into why her school took part in Hackney Carnival, “Carnival arts in the school provided a vehicle for people’s talents to flourish. Everyone could be included in the carnival including families that would not otherwise engage with carnival took part. Everyone went the extra mile to get things done. The carnival created a feeling of connection to the wider community: a sense of belonging.”
Marie also recognises the opportunities for learning through carnival, “You could teach the whole curriculum trough carnival! They experienced team work and learned that we are all interdependent. The power of drumming together and making so much noise built their confidence to express themselves freely but they also learned the discipline of keeping to time and counting. Physical health was a bonus. Children are not used to walking and in the parade they walked for miles and didn’t complain. The more “restless” children behaved impeccably!”
For audiences Hackney Carnival is a family friendly event with plenty of opportunity to play and be creative. Disco Loco at St John’s Playground was a great hit in 2019, “It’s a very good family feel, our children love Disco Loco. It’s great to see them having fun and enjoying the music in a safe environment,” said Anna Nijie, mother of three.
Inclusive carnival
The involvement of disability arts organisations such as Paracarnival and Access All Areas also contribute to the success of the event in bringing diverse communities together. Guest Steel Band UFO include musicians with sight impairment.
Bettina Fernandez Sleeman and Richard Sleeman, were part of the Rio style Paraiso carnival band in 2012 and brought friends along to Hackney Carnival who are wheelchair users. “Feedback from the audience was special.” In 2015 they appeared at Hackney carnival as an inclusive carnival band, Paracarnival. The band features physical and learning disabled people and includes users of mental health services and older people. Everyone works together and they facilitate each other. It’s important to Paracarnival that they are able to respond to the requirements of their participants and they use the social model of disability that recognises what inhibits people with disability are the practical problems that society puts in their way.
“Our work gets richer through working with people of differences. There are now more children and more older people involved in our groups and they help each other. We engage people in our workshops through partnerships with community centres. It’s important to involve parents and carers too. They come from different communities and social backgrounds but they mix because they have disabled children. Sometimes the carers take leading roles. Creating carnival becomes a group endeavour, everyone has fun and they want to do it. If there are any challenges, people are kind and helpful to each other.”
Hackney Carnival represents the best of Hackney - it’s a celebration of the borough’s extraordinary creativity, diversity, inclusivity, tolerance and respect for each others’ cultures, The procession includes artists from Bolivia, Brazil, the Caribbean, China, Ghana, Gambia and Senegal and, on occasion, Vietnam and the Philippines. The carnival builds intercultural understanding and facilitates social integration.
Jun Mo Generation is inspired to create a fusion of cultural expression in their award winning carnival band. They include people from a wide range of east Asian cultures and specialise in the promotion and understanding of Chinese arts through education, training and community workshops.
They have over 25 years history in making and designing large scale carnival costumes and first appeared in the days of the Hackney Mare de Gras and Hackney One Carnivals. Although the main influence on their costume designs and performance is a celebration of far east Asian Arts Sindy Man, Jun Mo Generation leader says, “We respect the art of carnival and create a unique fusion of design and movement. We love to dance to the rhythm of Caribbean soca music but we accompany it with Chinese drums.”
Inclusion for all sections of the community is reflected in all parts of the Hackney Carnival programme. In 2019, the Carnival Village featured seven sound stages (systems) including the “humorous and visibly queer” Fagamuffin Bloc Party, who state that their “mission is to stake our claim to carnival, affirming our identities and showing pride in our visibility as Queer People of Colour”.
Hackney Carnival plays a pivotal role in supporting Hackney’s communities to be stronger, healthier and more cohesive. 88% of residents who took part in a recent survey said Hackney Carnival makes them feel proud of Hackney. There are plans to extend the carnival’s reach to ensure all residents can enjoy it through getting involved in making carnival because it has amazing impact. More schools want to be involved too.
“In the future we would like to increase engagement of the wider community. We are planning to work with Hackney’s Resident Participation Officers to invite people from all over the borough to get involved in the carnival's creative process. It will be brilliant to see even more people contribute to this amazing collective endeavour, that builds such a powerful sense of community and belonging.” Lucy McMenemy.
Michael Olton, Soca Massive, observes, “Because of the length of time that we have been participating in carnival we have a cult following – a hard core of local people that come to our Mas camp every year. The beauty of the carnival is that people who take part become dedicated to it.”
Taking part gallery
St. Joseph's Hospice
Hackney Playbus
Hackney Playbus
UFO Steel Pan Band
Gahu Dramatic Arts acrobats
Taru Arts and Morningside School
Jun Mo Generation
Paracarnival
Young people “Hackney Carnival, it shows we can all be as one and enjoy ourselves
Paracarnival
Credits
Website
Website concept, interviews, content written and edited by Manuela Benini and Deborah Mullins, with thanks to Pax Nindi (Global Carnivalz) Lucy McMenemy (Hackney Council Cultural Development Manager) and Hannah Milton Hackney Archives, (Hackney Council Senior Archives Officer).
Illustrations
Kathryn Corlett, KC Graphic Design & Illustration.
Thanks
Thanks to the following people who contributed their time, memories, insights and knowledge:
Marva Antoine (Tropical Isles)
Stephanie Antoine (Tropical Isles)
Florence Armah (Gahu Dramatic Arts)
Gemma Brown (Dimensions Entertainment),
Geoffrey Gleadhill (Hackney Carnival Volunteer)
Fiona Hawthorne (Guest Band: UFO Steel Band)
Marie Kerrigan (Morningside Children’s Centre)
Helen Levy (Pantonic Steel Orchestra)
Njok Malik Jeng (Yaram Arts)
Sindy Man (Jun Mo Generation)
Lucy McMenemy (Hackney Council Cultural Development Officer)
Pax Nindi (Global Carnivalz)
Valerio Oliveira (Taru Arts)
Michael Olton (Soca Massive)
Rudy Rocha (Taru Arts)
Bettina Fernandez Sleeman (Paracarnival)
Richard Selim Sleeman (Paracarnival)
Lucky Thomas (Pan Vibrations)
Rubena Waldrop (Jamboulay Carnival Arts)
Rena Kydd Williams (R Consultancy for Soca Saga Boys)
Virginia Wilson (Fagamuffin Bloc Party)
The following groups have appeared at Hackney Carnival over the last three years
Hackney based carnival groups are in bold:
Blema Dancers, Caporales San Simon Londres, CAMF troupes, Dende Nation, Dimensions Entertainment, Elimu Mas Band, Gahu Dramatic Arts, Heritage Social Arts and Dance Group, Iconic Hackney (council staff group), Jamboulay Carnival Arts, Jun Mo Generation, Mandinga Arts, Me Viejo San Simon, Pan Vibration, Pantonic Steel Orchestra, Paracarnival, Paraiso School of Samba, People of Paradise, Soca Massive, Soca Saga Boys, Talentos, Taru Arts, Tropical Isles, Ucom, UFO Steel band, Unity No Nonsense, Urban Touch and Yaram Arts.
Photographic images
Sean Pollock and Adam Holt.
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