London, As the Notting Hill Carnival marks its 60th anniversary this weekend, an award-winning band will bring Indian-Trinidadian beats onto the streets of London through costume, music and cultural storytelling.
Soca Massive Fancy Sailors was founded in 2006 and first appeared at London’s historic Notting Hill Carnival in 2007. Soca Massive Fancy Sailors, a masquerade band, has been chosen in the official line-up of this year’s bands, along with its dedicated Apache section celebrating the Indian influences on Trinidad and Tobago’s national identity and carnival culture. Nadine Drummond, the band’s Strategic and Communications Director, added: “Although I am Jamaican, Trinidad is one of the places where I feel most ethnically and culturally at home. I see people who look like me, and the Indian and African cultures practiced openly in the streets reflect the cultures that exist together in my own home.
Soca, which stands for Soul of Calypso, will be infused with Indian-Caribbean DJs playing “chutney” beats a crossover genre that blends traditional Indo-Caribbean music with Afro-Caribbean Soca. “The Sailor is one of Trinidad and Tobago’s oldest carnival characters and is not just a representation of someone at sea,” explains Indian-Trini artist Ray Allan Mahabir, from Sunshine International Arts. It is the only dedicated south London “Sailor Mas” band on the road participating in the carnival’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations – taking place from Saturday until Monday. As one of Britain’s leading carnival practitioners, Mahabir has designed many of Soca Massive Fancy Sailors’ “Big Mas” pieces and award-winning costumes, as well as accessories for its carnival presentations. “Apache honours a man whose loyalty, labour and love helped build this band, while celebrating the Indian-Trinidadian heritage he carried onto the streets of Notting Hill,” said Olton.
