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FESTIVAL: Caribbean Carnival, Alexandra Park, Moss Side, Sat 16 and Sun 17 Aug

Angela Kelly
13/ 8/2008

GO along to Alexandra Park in Moss Side on Saturday and Sunday for a real taste of the Caribbean!

Expect vibrant music, dance, theatre and costume as the Caribbean Carnival comes to town.

The festival itself is a living legacy from the days of slavery when the enslaved people on the plantations managed to keep alive their traditions of mask, dance and drumming.

The carnival evolution continued through Abolition, Emancipation and Independence, and the pattern of the European pre-Lent carnival became the foundation of an explosion of colour and rhythm.

Manchester’s carnival was born in 1970 with a hard-working committee, chaired by the late Billy Hanley, which brought the joy of the Calypso Festival to the old Bellevue Hall in Kirkmanshulme Lane, Longsight.

In 2008, it will celebrate the tradition of the steel pan – so brace yourself for a barrage of compelling sounds, along with all the sights and smells of the Caribbean.

Highlights will be Saturday’s parade as hundreds of people wind their way through the crowds with steel bands, floats with DJs, dance troupes, carnival queens and princesses, elaborate costumes and folklore characters.

The main stage will feature best of calypso, soca and reggae music, and there will also be mouthwatering food from Jerk chicken to roti and curry.

The fun continues on Sunday, so don’t forget to visit the stalls with their fantastic array of goods including clothes, jewellery and make-up.

For the full programme go to www.caribbeancarnivalofmanchester.co.uk.