“Ahh carnival day here we go. You wake up, have a fresh and put on your best garms…Carnival is sound systems and good music, reggae, house and jungle. There is a direct connection between the Caribbean and London through carnival. I first went to Carnival in the 1980’s and my favourite sound systems were Saxon, Exodus and Tip a Toe. I was given the name Half Pint by Unity Sound System.”

“The first time I went to carnival it blew my mind. It was 1977 and things were different back then and there was tension in the air and I was scared and excited. Something kicked off and the police grabbed me. I could hear people shouting “let him go’ one person, two people until it sounded like fifty telling them to leave me alone. They backed off and I was allowed to go. That was my first understanding of racism and power of community.”

“n 1968 I went to carnival with my Rastafarian friend called Jah Spirit. He had a little commer van for me to serve his food from, but he had to cut a hole in the top as I was so tall. We sold fish, bun and cheese and oranges. I loved it back then, the sound systems and costumes, it brings people together and everyone could earn a little change, legally. It takes the groups and people involved a whole year to make those costumes.”

“Carnival is a smash…. a big part of Caribbean culture, celebration, emancipation, and freedom from slavery. Carnival is a part of our heritage, and it stands for unity and bringing people together from everywhere, that is carnival. A unifying force.”