News

Carnival in Vogue

Even international Vogue has cottoned on to the wonder and source of joy that is Carnival. Last month, the magazine published an article online...

Katie Segal - Thu 12 Jul 2018

Alison Hinds heads to Rotterdam

The Queen of Soca herself, Alison Hinds, is replacing Wyclef Jean on Saturday 28 July as part of the Rotterdam Unlimited five-day festival. After...

Lisa Williams - Wed 11 Jul 2018

Edinburgh’s Wee Summer Carnival

The Edinburgh Festival Carnival will take place this year on July 15 as part of the Jazz and Blues Festival, two weeks before the...

Lisa Williams - Wed 11 Jul 2018

Saint Lucia 2018 Junior Carnival results

Junior Band of the Year 1st. Just Us Kids (Before the Sun was Yellow) 463 points 2nd. Royalites Junior (If I Could Fly) 404 points 2nd. Gros...

Joseph Charles - Wed 11 Jul 2018

Fireman Hooper retains Soca Monarch crown with an Amen

By the sound of it - and from the videos we've seen - the 2018 Vincy Ragga and Soca Monarch competitions were a big...

Joseph Charles - Sun 08 Jul 2018

Pride’s problems mirror Carnival’s challenges

Long-time LGBT activist Peter Tatchell has hit out at restrictions on numbers of people allowed to participate in the annual London Pride march, which...

Stephen Spark - Sun 08 Jul 2018

Saint Lucia 2018 Groovy and Power Soca Monarch finalists

There was a mighty list of artists who took part in the semi-final round of the 2018 Soca Monarch competition in Saint Lucia. The...

Joseph Charles - Sat 07 Jul 2018

Antigua’s Flow Party Monarch Competition semi-finalists announced

The results of Antigua’s Flow Party Monarch Quarter Final are in. On 26 and 27 June, at the Barrymore Hotel, 65 'groovy' and 69...

Lisa Williams - Wed 04 Jul 2018

Yello International Bashment Soca Monarch 2018 finalists

From a field of 25 semi-finalist, twelve will go through to the first-ever Yello International Bashment Soca Monarch Competition. The finals will take place this...

Joseph Charles - Mon 02 Jul 2018

Kensington & Chelsea Council’s TEN steps to a teetotal Carnival

Licensing rules introduced last month by Kensington and Chelsea Council (RBKC) will place more restrictions on already hard-pressed sound systems and street traders. The...

Stephen Spark - Fri 29 Jun 2018

Vincy Mas Ragga & Soca Monarch finalist 2018

The semi-finals of the Vincy Mas Ragga & Soca Monarch competitions were held on Saturday 23 June. 25 artists in each category were vying...

Joseph Charles - Thu 28 Jun 2018

Saint Lucia Groovy & Power Soca Monarch preliminaries

Saint Lucia’s 2018 Groovy & Power Soca Monarch preliminaries competition will take place on Friday 29 June from 6pm, on the grounds of the...

Joseph Charles - Wed 27 Jun 2018

Children’s carnival day in Hackney

Hackney Carnival is getting better and better. The leaders have been listening to the local community and implementing programmes to strengthen the event and...

Pax Nindi - Thu 21 Jun 2018

The 2018 Barbados Soca Bashment competition

Twenty five performers are taking part in the semi-final of the Yello International Bashment Soca Monarch Competition, and it's an online vote to decide...

Joseph Charles - Thu 21 Jun 2018

Feature

UK Government rocked by Windrush storm

A ‘hostile’ immigration policy has wrecked lives, forced the resignation of the home secretary and further tarnished Britain’s reputation abroad. As the Windrush Generation...

Stephen Spark - Thu 21 Jun 2018

Small Island Unity ready to blow into Rotterdam and London

They didn’t take part last year due to a contractual dispute with the organisers, but now they’re ready to storm into Rotterdam Zomer Carnaval...

Stephen Spark - Thu 21 Jun 2018

The theatrical life of Claudia Jones

Whilst the historical specifics are widely debated, Claudia Jones is heralded by most as one of the instigators or founders of Notting Hill Carnival....

Katie Segal - Wed 20 Jun 2018

Radiate Windrush

Wanda Nation presents London’s first open-air Windrush Festival on 23 & 24 June 2018 to celebrate 70 years of the Windrush generation in the...

Joseph Charles - Mon 18 Jun 2018

Vincy Mas 2018 Soca Monarch semi-finalists

Vincy Mas introduced their Soca Monarch Semi Finals in 2017 to make the overall competition for the crown of Soca Monarch a fairer one....

Lisa Williams - Sun 17 Jun 2018

Raise your flag for Windrush Day

This month we commemorate two unconnected events that now seem destined to be forever intertwined by injustice: the 70th anniversary of the arrival in...

Stephen Spark - Sat 16 Jun 2018

Saint Lucia soca monarch registration now open

Saint Lucian soca artist have just 7 days to submit their entries for the preliminaries of this year’s Saint Lucia Soca Monarch competition. Forms...

Joseph Charles - Fri 15 Jun 2018

Community

New soca radio show for Bristol

Bristol gets a brand new weekly Soca radio show starting this Saturday on Ujima 98 FM. The show will be going out live from...

Community Member - Tue 12 Jun 2018

Carnival Feature

Notting Hill Carnival: maligned and misused

“Six more stabbings in a night – now urgent review of police crime tactics is launched.” No, the Evening Standard headline of 9 May wasn’t...

Stephen Spark - Mon 11 Jun 2018

Community shines a green light for Grenfell

At 12.54am on 14 June a dozen tower blocks in and around North Kensington will go green to commemorate the moment a year ago...

Stephen Spark - Sat 09 Jun 2018

Food & Drink News

Ackee a Caribbean delight for vegans worldwide!

As plant-based diets and lifestyles become more widespread and the depth of vegan and vegetarian cooking becomes better understood, people are expanding their horizons...

Joseph Charles - Thu 07 Jun 2018

Nailah Blackman nominated for a BET’s Viewers’ Choice award

Nailah Blackman has been nominated for a BET Award in the category of Best New International Act. In a statement Nailah emphasised: “I’m the only...

Joseph Charles - Wed 06 Jun 2018

Barbados has a new Prime Minister

Barbados Labour Party (BLP) leader Mia Mottley is the new Prime Minister of Barbados. The BLP won nearly three-quarters of the popular vote and took...

Joseph Charles - Wed 06 Jun 2018

News Review

Luton International carnival 2018 review

The 2018 UK carnival season began in style, with Luton International Carnival celebrating its 42nd year on 27 May. Commissioned by Luton Borough Council...

Angela Chappell - Mon 04 Jun 2018