Carnivals - as a true Italian who passionately enjoys the joy of fiestas and partying, I absolutely love the fun of a carnival. Friends and community mingling together with the hub-bub of music, food and costumes to bind them all together, what could be better than that. My home country is famous for jubilant carnivals in Venice, Cento and Viareggio (to name a few). Venice is still vividly remembered for its fabulous masks, which have been the inspiration in many elements of our lives today - take the Phantom of the Opera, the masks play a vital part and it all started from the carnival.
Giulia
But in 2015 Europe's biggest street festival is the Notting Hill Carnival; a vivid spectacle representing London's multicultural past and present. Wherever I am in the world, whatever gig or tour schedule I'm tied to, I always try to ensure that I'm free to party at this incredible two-day dance and music celebration. After all, what's the point in being passionate about fashion and music if you can't indulge in the ultimate carnival of beats and style when it hits London. Notting Hill Carnival is the THE party not to miss.
Since 1964, the capital's Caribbean communities have celebrated their culture and traditions at this two-day festival of fantastic live music, which ranges from reggae to dub to salsa. For those of you who have been, you'll know that these stunning and captivating celebrations also include soca floats, steel bands and a whole lot of jerk chicken and fried plantain. Yes, us Italian's love our pasta and pizza, but the smell of that tempting jerk seems to fit hand-in-glove when you're partying in the streets of London in August.
This year is something special because the carnival is celebrating the 'Emergence of Carnival' - recognising the diversity and vast range of carnival arts and its link to the evolution of the Notting Hill Carnival. This year is the second part of the tri-celebration which leads into 2016 - the 50th anniversary of the carnival's start in Notting Hill.
Looking back at the history of the Notting Hill Carnival and why it started I learn that the very first carnival was an attempt to showcase the steel band musicians who played in the Earls Court of London every Weekend. When those bands paraded through the streets of Notting Hill, they drew its residents out on to the streets, reminding them of the Caribbean homes they had left behind. With twentieth century London being such a cosmopolitan fusion of cultures, it's clear to see why so many of us are drawn to it's intoxicating joy. For residents like me, who come from other parts of the world, but who relish the London life, the Notting Hill Carnival gives us a melting-pot of London habitants, all reveling together under one beat of a glorious drum.
So this year I'll be proudly celebrating my Italian roots with the cocktail of London's other wonderful residents at Britain's biggest street party. The fun and excitement of the masquerade will give me strong memories of my Italian ancestors and their love of the Venetian masks as they partied in the streets of Venice. But as a modern girl living in this vibrant UK capital, I'll enjoy creating my vivacious costume and I'll soak up the music and atmosphere with unstoppable hunger. Hope to see you there.
Tagged in Giulia