ABSTRACT
The Notting Hill Carnival in London! This has been acclaimed Europe’s greatest street festival. Come Bank Holiday August this is the place to be. There one can view bands (groups) of masqueraders, mas players (costumed dancers) dressed in every imaginable colour mashing up de Grove (dancing on the streets of Ladbroke Grove). This moving asymmetrical entity does not simply happen. Behind the dancing masqueraders is a carefully researched system of themes (artistic depictions) of the designers (creative artists) who make the costumes at carnival time. These themes showcase a diversity of ideas transcending ethnic, geographical and cultural boundaries. These trans-global aesthetic flows run the gamut from masks of secret societies in Africa, powerful African tribal traditions (which is the topic of this case study), Ramleela and other holy festivals of South Asia, political awareness themes, like Haiti! Let Freedom Rain!, to Star Trek and love songs like Rhapsody in Blue. Whatever costumed form the artistic agenda chooses to manifest itself in are then re-inscribed to the local setting in London/ Notting Hill.
