CultureMix Arts is proud to present Carnival of the World 2023 – our annual celebration of music, the arts, diversity, and the 75th Anniversary of Windrush.
The free family event is ideal for all ages and features a live music stage with a range of cultural artists including award winning steel band RASPO (Reading All Steel Percussion Orchestra) who will open the event with a delightful selection of carnival music to honour World Steel Pan Day on 11 August.
The Broad Street Parade will showcase masqueraders in carnival costumes; Mahogany, Inspiration Arts and Yaram accompanied by main stage percussionists from RASPO and Yaram.
Check out the artists appearing on the Live Stage and taking part in the Broad Street Parade.
The Yaram Masquerade Dance Group. The Zimba Lion Masquerade is a highly explosive dance show in the Wolof tradition from Sene-Gambia bringing together two Lions, a spirit caller plus five drumming artists.
Inspiration Arts is the coming together of families and friends to share in the magic and love for the vibrancy of costumes, the energy of music and dance, and the magnificent visual spectacle that is carnival, inspired by our rich cultures building on the proud legacy of Trinbago Carnival Club.
Mahogany was created in 1989 by designer Clary Salandy and structural engine Michael Ramdeen who design and create large scale kinetic sculptures/carnival costumes utilising the human body in the art form of ‘Mas Making’, Masquerade or Street Theatre inspired by Trinidad Carnival.
Reading All Steel Percussion Orchestra was created in 1997 by Mary Genis with support from Mangrove Steel Band. RASPO has performed at The Royal Albert Hall, WOMAD festival, Glastonbury, for the London 2012 Olympics, live on BBC and ITV, and annually at London’s Notting Hill Carnival.
Jeff ‘De Admiral’ Hinds is a calypsonian who co-founded the Association of British Calypsonians in 1991. He was crowned UK Calypso Monarch in 2018 with his original composition ‘The Windrush Generation’ in the Calypso Monarch Final. Jeff is a professional boxing referee and a JP.
Live Music Stage artists performing after the parade include MOBO UnSung Award winner Ace Clvrk aka ‘R&B’s Indie Kid’ influenced by R&B, Trap, Afro, Soul and Rock/Indie with a powerful, uniquely British vocal, makes for a engrossing listening experience.
Ricardo Rawal (pronounced ‘Royal’) is a Jamaican born dancehall artist now living in North London. With 350K streams on Spotify and over 1 million views on YouTube and featured on Seani B’s BBC 1Xtra radio show, he is internationally recognised by hiphop superstar Rick Ross.
Read more about Carnival of the World 2022.
Want to get involved? If you would like to join the Parade and wear a costume, or volunteer as a stage hand or runner contact CultureMix Arts here for more information.
