Carnival ≠ 'Carni'
I first publicly questioned the state and direction of the esteemed, and personally greatly loved Notting Hill Carnival (NHC) in 2024 when I was an ambassador for The Black Curriculum. This article written when I was 21 years old was strongly emotive with one rhetorical question after the next. Even reading it back, I am thinking girl? So much I could have expanded on beyond a strong attitude of complain, critique, and contempt.
I will still sarcastically question 'What is the C in Carnival for?' however I position this more to myself, my peers, and the wider community. I feel and fear we are responsible for what we understand the present state of peoples beloved 'carni' to be. I am used to being considered melodramatic so I am happy to strongly make the claim that the seemingly fun abbreviation of Carnival to 'carni' could be considered a causal link that represents the wider abbreviation of culture being reduced and removed from Carnival.
With less complaining (I hope), this piece however is just as emotive as the one I wrote in 2024. You may ask why but I don't feel that I can remove emotions from culture. Culture is our livelihood and livity¹. Without it, we are literally nothing.
¹Rasatafari understand livity to be about "the quality and alignment of life" (RASTATODAY, 2026).
If you were looking for a research article into Notting Hill Carnival from its 1966 birth to present day or an investigation into the presence and maintenance of Carnival's disciplines "Mas, Steel Pan, Calypso, Soca, and SoundSystems" (basseline.org.uk) then I fear you are in the wrong place.
Maybe I will return to address these topics on a more scholarly level, but right now I am the little girl chasing after the shadow of what she understood to be as Carnival. More than a highlight of my summer like many posit NHC as but rather a continued representation of enjoyment from childhood into young adulthood.
Carnival is all I have known. As a child we lived in a flat that was a rough 10 minute walk from the carnival route. Carnival to me was always about having a good time - both inside and out of the home. Carnival meant family and friends coming over and filling every inch of our 1-bedroom flat. My aunties arriving earlier than the sun and parking their car at the back of our block of flats for a nice easy walk over to NHC. Outside Carnival began with Panorama on the saturday. One of those occasions you attend with your mum and then when you reach pre-teens, you couldn't WAIT to attend with your friends. Inside Carnival began with me climbing on the windowsill to watch people walking over to their float in the early morning. The loud sound of whistles and horns was as natural as the sun coming up to shine.
I get emotional about carnival because carnival is emotional for me.
It's memories of togetherness
of joy
of dancing
of family
of that one spot on the hill next to Sainsbury's where my Grandma used to stand (and eventually sit) every year without fail
Then as I grew
the meaning of carnival grew
More than just enjoyment and my family being together but I grew to learn about the spirit, and energy of rebellion, of resistance
The relationship between the removal of basic human rights of our ancestors and NHC
To even imagine the everyday realities of slavery is the easiest thing we can do as a generation(s) that was not born slaving on a plantation
Experiencing physical bondage and chains
NHC is a part of the freedom from that physical bondage that we physically do not have scarring our wrists and ankles because our ancestors did for us to be here now
So here we are
We complain about brands
We complain about peoples use of the term 'carni' but what do we do?
I firmly believe respect begins with us
How do we pay respect to the history and heritage of carnival?
What history and knowledge do we impart onto the younger generation?
What history and knowledge do we impart onto our non-Caribbean friends?
What history and knowledge do we even have to impart? As a people and culture that typically relies on oral history, what happens when those stories of history and heritage simply aren't being told? When they aren't being passed down?
Just as important (in my opinion), we must continue to hail the works and efforts of Claudia Jones as well as hailing those that came after & helped maintain NHC through the 1970s, 80s, 90s, 00s right up until this weekend.
I have been rejecting this term 'carni' for as long as I can remember but maybe what occurs now with all its (racially influenced) restrictions and council enforced limitations across Ladbroke Grove & Westbourne Park is indeed 'carni'.
Please be clear that this is a personal reflection (and questioning) on how we treat our own culture & the general lack of protection I observe we collectively fail to guard our culture with. Instead still juckin & jivin. Like 3000 said "Y'all don't wanna hear me, you just wanna dance". I want what I consider best for the future of Notting Hill Carnival, respect for culture, artistry, the Mas bands, women on the road - even the importance of Sunday's children family day which far too many people fob off. I say the 'best' but maybe I don't even know what that is? I'm only 23. My memories of Carnival only really began in 2009, a million years after its inception in 1966.
It is painful witnessing that after everything our grandparents went through, their cultural currency is now one of the most profitable events in the country. I close this reflection by hailing the hardworking Mas bands, the steelpan band members, and the Carnival Village team all working to hold carnival together with whatever strings they can. Maybe we can consider the different ways we as a community can better serve & support Carnival Village to do the work they need to do. To view NHC as a responsibility of all of ours.
What do we want the C in Carnival to stand for?
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