Notting Hill Carnival 2023 to celebrate 50 years of sound systems and Mas bands
nme.comNotting Hill Carnival 2023 has started – as the event reveals plans to celebrate 50 years since sound systems were introduced.50 years ago, Trinidadian Leslie “Teacher” Palmer MBE invited the first ever sound systems and the first official Mas bands to the event.
With ‘Mas’ being short for masquerade, the bands brought costumes, masks and other art elements that were popular at carnivals across the globe.
With the sound system culture broadening the styles of music played, the public celebration of West Indian culture grew in popularity.
The year 1973 also saw the inclusion of street stalls where merchants can sell Caribbean cuisine and memorabilia.Historian Tom Vague wrote in his 2009 book, 50 Years of Carnival: “Under the administration of Leslie Palmer, the Notting Hill Peoples’ Carnival was transformed into an urban festival of black music, incorporating all aspects of Trinidad’s Carnival.
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