Calypso, soca, steelpan and mas bands have been key elements of the Notting Hill carnival since it began in 1966.
It wasn’t until 1973 that carnival architect Leslie Palmer officially invited stationary sound systems; first brought to the UK from Jamaica, to join the celebrations.
Palmer wanted to attract a larger, younger crowd, because back then funding was directly linked to turnout.
Still, Palmer probably wouldn’t have imagined that, almost 50 years later, carnival would feature more than 30 sound systems.
Today Notting Hill Carnival featured T&T’s top Soca greats as well as some of Jamaica’s dancehall finest.
Not to mention, T&T’s young and vibrant star Nailah Blackman was featured on The Guardian uk’s online paper on top of a truck performing for a mas band, on the road.
*photos courtesy each artiste Instagram page*
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