Ace A Spade is an up-and-coming Dancehall Reggae artist from Jamaica who is promising to make a big splash in the near future. Born Corry Campbell in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, Jamaica, Ace A Spade has been involved in music for a number of years; uploading music onto Soundcloud. He made his official debut in 2019 with ‘Levels To This’. Since then he has released a number of singles including ‘Goody Goody’ and ‘Rolling Deep’ and has had radio plays in Jamaica and the UK. More recently he worked on the ‘LEGENDS’ project with international producers Troyton Music.
His new single ‘Satellite High’ is dedicated to all the marijuana fans out there and it’s the perfect tune to put on while you sit back and light up. ‘Satellite High’ has a great chorus and relatable lyrics for anyone who’s ever been as high as a satellite. There’s a few lines that will make you chuckle (“Snoop Dogg is my uncle”) but for the most part it’s a chill song. I can see it fast becoming a 420 classic. Speaking about the song, Ace A Spade called it “The type of marijuana song that makes you think, chill and feel hyped at the same time”. Ace A Spade wrote ‘Satellite High’ himself, inspired by his younger brother who apparently is “a big fan of marijuana”. The single is due to be released on 2 November on most digital platforms including Spotify, Apple Music and Google Play. A music video is due for release on YouTube the same day. So, give it a listen, relax and spark one up.
Leeds West Indian Virtual Carnival 2020 Day Two, 31 August
The second day of the Leeds West Indian Virtual Carnival was streamed live on Facebook, Zoom and YouTube from the West Indian Centre on Monday 31 August. The day began with a virtual J’ouvert Morning at 7am. DJ Godfather played Soca music over footage from a previous year’s J’ouvert Morning parade. DJ Godfather continued the tradition of playing Big Drum and Fife music during J’ouvert Morning in remembrance of those that had passed away since the previous year’s carnival. The virtual J’ouvert ended a little later than planned, around 9:15am which delayed the rest of the day’s schedule by around 15 minutes. It was later announced that Dawn Riggon had won the prize for the Best J’ouvert outfit. Her prize was a Leeds West Indian Carnival goody bag, a copy of the book ‘Celebrate! 50 Years of The Leeds West Indian Carnival’ and a bottle of Rum Beat.
Dawn Riggon in her award-winning J’ouvert outfit with her prizes.
In an article for Caribbean Intelligence titled ‘A Globe-Trotting Virtual Carnival’, which reported on both the Notting Hill Carnival and the Leeds West Indian Carnival, Debbie Ransome wrote:
On Carnival Monday, organisers provided a great soca soundtrack from local DJs as people jumped up at home with their bottles and flags. The action ran non-stop, from J’Ouvert first thing in the morning to some serious late afternoon adult jump-up activities, in people’s gardens and any grass areas available. In quieter moments, make-up and hair experts shared tips on Carnival glamour.
After J’ouvert Morning Fenella Bacchanella led a Soca-cise session and pre-recorded videos were shown in between sets of DJ Toro playing Soca music. Tanty’s Carnival Cuisine came next, during which Tanty (Sarah Duberry) from Montserrat demonstrated how to cook a number of dishes from Montserrat including goat water, Johnny cakes, coconut cakes, and sweet potato pudding. Leanne from The Glow Up Mission gave a Carnival make up tutorial around 10:20 after which the schedule was altered slightly so that RJC Dance could still make their scheduled appearance at 11am. RJC Dance performed live from the Mandela Centre for around 30 minutes. After RJC Dance’s performance came the Carnival hair tutorial by Hair By Ebony.
From around 12:25, Soca music was played by DJ Toro and then DJ Sequinella from Manchester who played until around 1:25pm. The Carnival Chairperson Arthur France official opened the carnival just before 1:30pm. In his opening speech he said:
Welcome to the Leeds West Indian Centre. This is the 52nd anniversary of the Leeds West Indian Carnival, the oldest in Europe and it’s a pleasure to be here at the Leeds West Indian Centre broadcasting. It’s sad that we would have been on the road at this time but as you’re aware your health comes first. Without health you’re no good to anyone, not even to yourself. So, we have to do it this way and we apologise on behalf of nature. No-one can control that. It’s important that we have a very good crew here, the best crew in England. We hope at home, or wherever you are, you will enjoy what you are getting this afternoon. For me, I’m sorry for our forefathers who gave their yesterday for today and some of our friends who have been here, on a long journey for 52 year; people like George Archibald, Tony Lewis, Allan Julien, Gloria Pemberton, Wilmot James and a few more but you can’t mention all of them. We are grateful for the young people who have actually taken up the baton to run with it for I won’t be here all the time. And I hope they will remember us how we remember our forefathers over 400 years ago when they were taken from Africa and worked and created wealth for Europe and none for themselves. We will enjoy ourselves and thank you very much.
Arthur France official opening the Leeds West Indian Carnival 2020
The official opening of the Leeds West Indian Carnival was followed by the New World Steel Orchestra adult group who performed three tunes live from the Leeds West Indian Centre. Following the New World Steel Orchestra’s performance was soca music by DJ Double Trouble Twin Productions (DJ Twin T) from around 1:45pm. Next came an interview with Rugby League player Alex Simmons who had brought the rugby league world cup to the Leeds West Indian Centre. Alex Simmons was interviewed by Fluid Irie, the event’s host.
Throughout the day spectators were seen on Zoom in their homemade carnival costumes. This included Hughbon Condor in his 2020 ‘Corona’ costume. Hughbon had made the costume at home in early June using plastic bottles, card and an old t-shirt. A 32-minute long video detailing how the costume was made was uploaded onto the High Esteem Carnival Designs YouTube channel on 4 June. In the video description Hughbon Condor wrote:
I have been inspired by the many contributions other artists have made during this world pandemic. They have helped to uplift spirits by finding ways to perform their art form whilst practicing social distancing. Poems, songs, soca, calypso lyrics and music of all kinds have been written, sung and played, each telling their own story about the Coronavirus and Covid-19 specifically. As a carnival artist, I also felt compelled to use my art form to portray a costume design that is reflective of the situation carnival lovers are faced with. All carnivals have been cancelled this year, with no chance of jamming and social distancing at the same time.
‘Corona’ Carnival Costume designed and made by Hughbon Condor, 2020.
After a short warm up by DJ Toro, the parade of the bands began around 2:45pm beginning with the Ferm and Ready carnival troupe performing live from the Leeds West Indian Centre. A selection of videos where then shown showing different troupes from previous years. Among the troupes taking part in the virtual parade were Rampage, Xtreme Mas, Team Creative, RJC Dance, Valentina’s Collective and Harrison Bundey Mama Dread Masqueraders. Valentina’s Collective’s section was an especially recorded video filmed by ShotByJavanIan that showed two members of the troupe, Pareesha Valentina and Jemma Mae, performing a dance in carnival costumes in Leeds. Harrison Bundey Mama Dread Masqueraders’ video included audio of Simon Namsoo reading his poem ‘Ah Missing Carnival’ which he had written earlier in the month and had first been published on Leedsmasmedia.wordpress.com on 30 August. The parade of bands ended around an hour later with a live performance by AnonyMas.
Ferm and Ready Carnival troupe performing at The Leeds West Indian Centre
Following the parade of bands, Fluid Irie interviewed Diane Flemming from Soca Village. DJ Trini and DJ Hoppa provided a selection of Soca tunes leading up to a live performance by international Soca artist Lyrikal that began at 5pm. Lyrikal performed a number of songs including ‘Rukshun’, ‘Zig Zag’, ‘Do Like That’, ‘Speechless’ and his latest single ‘Quick Stop’. The Leeds West Indian Virtual Carnival 2020 came to a close with another soca set by DJ Toro which ended around 6pm. Reporting on the virtual carnival for Caribbean Intelligence in September, Debbie Ransome wrote “the call by the Leeds DJ around 5.30pm on Bank Holiday Monday for the las’ lap (final jump-up) seemed to bring an even bigger frenzy of Zoom window performances. In the virtual world, nobody has to worry about how they’re getting home.” Over 13,000 people tuned in to watch Day Two of the virtual carnival. Debbie Ransome later wrote in Caribbean Intelligence “Despite all the difficulties, they did not fail to impress”.
The People’s Carnival, 31 August
A number of house parties were held on Sunday night to celebrate the Leeds West Indian Carnival. Members of the Cockspur Crew, including Lord Silkie, Godfather and Shaggy, enjoyed rum and soca music at one such house party held in Chapeltown.
The following morning, around 7am, a small group of people gathered at the Norma Hutchinson Park for an unofficial J’ouvert Morning celebration. The gathering had been announced on social media around fifteen minutes earlier. Using a car to play music, the people made their way around the traditional J’ouvert Morning parade route, dancing on the road and pavement, waving rags and blowing whistles. Beginning with around 8 people, the group increased to around 20 people by 9am. The unofficial J’ouvert parade was stopped by the police around 9am but was allowed to continue after police officers had spoken to the group regarding safety.
Masqueraders on Chapeltown Road, 31 August 2020.
Garden parties and house parties were held across Chapeltown and surrounding areas throughout Monday, one of which included music provided by Sensation Sounds. People enjoyed BBQs, music, and alcohol at home and some people even wore headdresses and costumes. Members of the High Esteem team held a parade of kings in the carpark outside their Mas Camp and two members of Foxwood Steel Band performed steel pan outside in a garden. On Chapeltown Road there was a small gathering outside the Kalabash restaurant that enjoyed food and drinks. During the day a small group of masqueraders made up of Khadijah Ibrahiim, Pauline Mayers and Monica Richards appeared on Chapeltown Road in full carnival costume, dancing and playing soca music on their phones. They made their way down Chapeltown Road near Kalabash and Dutch Pot before turning around and making their way down Harehills Avenue and into Potternewton Park. Between 2pm and 10pm, an ‘Official Carnival Day Party’, organised by Loyal Achieving Brothers, was held at Eiger Music Studios in Leeds. The party was held inside and outside and measures were made to ensure the event stuck to the Covid-19 restrictions. This meant that the event had limited tickets available. Early Bird tickets were priced at £3 while standard tickets were £5. There was also a ‘Jab Jab Crew’ ticket available which was two tickets for £7.
Promotion for Official Carnival Day Party, 2020.
Media Coverage, August
Leading up to the carnival on 27 August, the YouTube channel GetawayGirls Leeds uploaded episode 6 of their online series Getaway Girls TV in which the cast discussed the Leeds West Indian Carnival. The Getaway Girls spoke about the history of the Leeds West Indian Carnival, their favourite parts of the carnival, their carnival memories, and how they felt about the carnival being cancelled in 2020. The Visit Leeds Facebook page featured a weekend of content dedicated to the Leeds West Indian Carnival beginning on Saturday 29 August. The weekend of content included short videos of interviews with Sanchez Payne, Faye Kenny, and Pareesha Valentina.
Getaway Girls TV episode 6 aired on 27 August 2020.
On Saturday 29 August the BBC News website uploaded a video about the Leeds West Indian Carnival, which had been filmed earlier in the month. In the video Arthur France spoke about Coronavirus saying: “This thing is deadly, nobody knows where it is, what it is, where its coming from”. He went on to say: “Let’s keep safe and do the best we can and have happy memories of the previous year.” Speaking about the virtual carnival Lorina Gumbs from Anonymas Carnival Troupe said “We’re hoping for it to be interactive so people at home, even though you’re at home, doesn’t mean you can’t put on your costume. It’s still keeping the carnival spirit alive, still keeping the atmosphere and what it means.” Hughbon Condor, who was seen with his 2020 ‘Corona’ costumes, spoke about the carnival saying “It’s a ritual; it’s like Christmas as my son would say. It’s an opportunity for us to celebrate, for us to get together and maintain the culture in terms of what we brought from the Caribbean”. Stepbon Condor added “I’ve missed the interaction, I’ve missed having people in the workshop working with us but the journey that I go on in terms of making that costume and everything that goes with it, I’ve still done. So whilst it feels like you’re wrapping all the Christmas presents and you’re getting ready and then you’re just not going to open them until next year. I guess that’s how it feels now.”
On 31 August Leeds Live website published ’17 dazzling pictures from Leeds West Indian Carnival archives to keep the party spirit alive’. The photos mainly came from recent years, with four from 2018 and seven from 2019. The remainder six photos were undated. The Yorkshire Evening Post website ran a similar story and published ’16 amazing, colourful photos from Leeds West Indian Carnival over the year’. The Yorkshire Evening Post’s photo selection was more varied but still included a majority of photos from the last 20 years. Of the 16 photos used one came from 1970, one from 1973, two from 2000, one from 2001, one from 2004, two from 2007, one from 2008, one from 2010, one from 2011, one from 2013, one from 2014, one from 2015, one from 2016, and one from 2019. A photo from 2012 was also used at the top of the page.
Carnival Centre, September
On 11 September it was announced that the Leeds West Indian Carnival had been awarded a Heritage Emergency Fund Award from Heritage Fund UK to help make the Carnival Centre on Sheepscar Street North ‘Covid Ready’. It was announced that the funding would also be used to “Secure our valuable heritage and cultural assets, especially those magnificent carnival costumes, and support the Leeds Carnival Community at this difficult time.”
Arthur France News, September
On 9 September BBC News reported that, after a review of statues in Leeds carried out by the Leeds City Council in which over 800 people voiced their views, a majority of people had wanted little or no changes to be made to the statues in Leeds. However, it was also reported there had been many suggestions of new statue commemorations for people from Leeds including Olympic boxer Nicola Adams and Arthur France, the Chairman of the Leeds West Indian Carnival.
Arthur France interview on Opal22 Arts and Edutainment YouTube channel, September 2020.
Arthur France gave a number of interviews throughout the year, about the Black Lives Matter movement and the Leeds West Indian Carnival. These interviews appeared in newspapers, magazines, on TV and on YouTube. On 16 September a 16-minute long video of Arthur France being interviewed was uploaded on to the Opal22 Arts and Edutainment channel. In the interview Arthur France spoke about his first carnival memories, how and why he founded the Leeds West Indian Carnival and his hopes for the future of the Leeds West Indian Carnival.
Meanwood Street Art, September
In September, carnival artist Rhian Kempadoo-Millar was one of the artists to take part in the Meanwood Street Art Project. The project commissioned different local artists to paint telecommunication cabinets in the Meanwood area of Leeds. Rhian Kempadoo-Millar painted the telecommunication cabinet on the corner of Stainbeck Avenue and Stonegate Road. Rhian Kempadoo-Millar painted the telecommunication cabinet with a carnival-themed painting called ‘Dance Yuh Dance’. She began the painting on Sunday 13 September and finished the painting on Thursday 17 September.
Rhian Kempadoo-Millar’s ‘Dance Yuh Dance’ in progress, 15 September 2020.
Carnival In A Box, September
A new website, carnivalinabox.co.uk, was launched in July 2020. The website showcases the work of carnival artists and musicians across the UK. On 20 September, Hughbon Condor from Leeds became the websites fourth ‘Featured Carnival Artist’. The website uploaded a 10-minute long video in which Hughbon spoke about his career as a costume designer and maker. In the video Hughbon spoke about what he had been doing in 2020. “I designed two costumes” Hughbon said. “One was called ‘Corona’ and it was about how to use recycled materials, which was several bottles and just one t-shirt, to make a costume” he added. Hughbon went on to say “I also made a costume working with a school in London, James Dixon Primary School”. A few days later, on 22 September, a video montage showing some of Hughbon Condor’s Carnival costumes was used in the website’s third Carnival Gala video.
Leeds West Indian Carnival Virtual 2020 logo from the official 2020 t-shirt.
High Esteem And James Dixon ‘s Carnival Collaboration, May – July 2020
During the spring of 2020, High Esteem Carnival Designs from Leeds worked James Dixon Primary School in London to design and make a Carnival Queen costume. Pupils of the school were asked to send in their costume designs based on the the following themes:
Fighting Covid-19
Celebrating the heroes of Coronavirus
Working/studying from home during shutdown
Keeping busy whilst staying at home
Design entries could be drawings on paper or computer, photographs, models, ‘mood’ boards or written descriptions. Entries were sent to the school between 4 and 18 May and the best ideas were combined into a single design that was made by High Esteem and kept inside the school. The James Dixon Primary Newsletter for 7 May and 22 May included some of the carnival costume designs that had been entered by pupils. Over 40 pupils sent in their designs, many of which incorporated a rainbow. Photographs of their designs were printed onto material and used in the finished costume. The High Esteem team worked on the costume throughout June and the complete costume was displayed inside the school from early July. A photo of the costume was featured on the cover of the James Dixon Primary Newsletter for 3 July and more photos were included inside the newsletter.
Front cover of James Dixon Primary Newsletter, 3 July 2020
Dadstastic Day 2020, 19 July 2020
For 2020 the Dadstatic Day, organised by Leeds Dads, moved online with a live stream on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Leedsdads.org from 11am until 4pm. The day of activities including dance, a magic show, den building, and story time. There was also a carnival-themed crafts section with Valentina’s Collective Arts making fabulous carnival costume collars.
Pareesha Valentina Webster making Carnival Collars with children during the Dadstastic Day.
Britain’s Only Outdoor Carnival, 24 July 2020
Derby was perhaps the only city in Britain to have any kind of outdoor carnival in 2020. A small number of people in carnival costumes and medical face masks, representing East Midlands Caribbean Carnival Arts (EMCCA), paraded, danced and displayed their costumes at a special preview event of Derby Market Place’s new outdoor food court on Friday 24 July. Costumes were worn by members of various troupes from the East Midlands including Inspire Urself Carnival Troupe from Nottingham, Cultural Roots Carnival Troupe from Derby and Elimu Mas from Derby. Due to Leicester’s local lockdown, in place since 17 July, costumes from Leicester’s Sensational Vibes troupe were worn by people from other troupes. The adult performers, including Carnival Kings and Queens from previous years, were joined by a carnival princess in a costume designed by Jess Kemp and made by students from City of Derby Academy, and a carnival prince in a costume designed by Charis Betts and made by students from Stenson Fields Primary. Other costumes and images from Northampton and Nottingham Carnivals were displayed in the food court throughout the day.
The UK’s only outdoor Caribbean Carnival in 2020, Derby Market Place, 25 July 2020.
Carnival Goes Online, June – August
With the cancellation of carnivals across the world, many carnival groups organised online events using Zoom Video Communications or other similar apps. DJ Toro from Leeds was one of the many DJs to take part in the online event ‘World Fete Live’ on 27 June. The event involved soca DJs from around the world including DJs from Australia, Japan, Canada, USA, Europe and the Caribbean performing for 15 hours. Among the UK DJs taking part were DJ Sequinella and DJ Twin T.
DJ Toro and members of the AnonyMas troupe made an appearance at Toronto Caribbean Carnival’s ‘The Virtual Road’ online event on 1 August. Their one hour segment was streamed live from the Caribbean Cricket Club on Scott Hall Road. The same day saw DJ Trini hosting Sheffield’s online carnival event ‘Soca Distancing’. On 10 August members of the AnonyMas troupe were at the Our Place building on Buslingthorpe Green filming a section for Nottingham’s online Carnival which was included in their ‘Spectacular Virtual Parade’,streamed online on Sunday 23 August. AnonyMas troupe members also filmed a promo video for the event, which appeared online on 14 August. A clip of Arthur France dancing was also included in the virtual parade during the ‘People’s Parade’ section. DJ Toro was one of the DJs to play after the parade. He played an hour of soca music live between 7pm and 8pm.
Poster for ‘World Fete Live’, 27 June 2020.
Leeds West Indian Carnival Goes Virtual, July
In an interview published in issue 4 of Shine magazine in June, Arthur France spoke about the Leeds West Indian Carnival’s plans for 2020. “We might make a film of the 50th carnival, to keep the memory and passion alive” he said before adding “And we’re planning for next year. The 53rd carnival.” These plans would alter over the following weeks. While Max Farrar was working on his Arthur France biography, a documentary film about Arthur France was also in the works by July.
Promo image for Arthur Documentary Film by Ram Films.
On 10 July it was announced that the Leeds West Indian Carnival would be holding an online event using Zoom but few details were given at the time. Leeds Live reported on the announcement on 30 July. An article written by Mellissa Dzinzi began:
Leeds West Indian Carnival organisers have confirmed that the event will in fact go ahead this year – but with one major change! The official Leeds West Indian Carnival Facebook page has announced the partying will still happen but online and will take place during the same August bank holiday weekend (30 -31 August).
On 2 August, The Yorkshire Evening Post also reported on the announcement. Grace Newton wrote:
Carnival organisers confirmed on the event’s official Facebook page that an online stream would be available on the August Bank Holiday weekend, although further details have yet to be released.
More details of the event arrived on 13 August with an official flyer appearing online. The flyer, which was later printed in the August issue of Community Highlights, announced that the “Leeds West Indian Virtual Carnival 2020” would be “two days of vibes and energy” and ensured people that “registration details for your free Zoom pass will be out soon”. The flyer advertised that Sunday 30 August would be “a tribute to a decade of princes & princesses and kings & queens costumes” while Monday 31 August would be “Carnival Day” and both days would include giveaways, a selection of DJs, interactive activities, performances, parade of the troupes, competitions for best online costumes and much more.
Leeds West Indian Virtual Carnival 2020 online flyer.
Free registration for the Leeds Virtual Carnival was made available on the Eventbrite website on 19 August, just eleven days before the online carnival took place. Both days of the online carnival had to be registered for separately. Once people had entered their name and email address they received an email confirming their registration but Zoom log-in details were not given until late Friday night, just days before the event. More details of the line-up for both days of the virtual carnival were posted online over the weekend and the official line-up was as follows:
Day 1, Sunday 30 August, 12 Noon to 4pm
Welcome and Introductions
RJC Shack Out Juniors performance
Tribute To The Last Decade of Princes And Princesses
BoomChikkaBoom – Interactive Kids Show with Faye
Kids Costume Competition – Prizes To Be Won
Eli Explores Carnival
Man With The Mas Feathers By Khadjah Ibrahiim
Soca Monarch Tribute
Tribute To The Last Decade of Kings And Queens
The Legacy of Mr Sinclair Morris And His Steel Pan
Out of Many We Are One Performance, Christella Latras, Beulah Byron and Shaun Willis
Close & Carnival Through The Lens
Day 2, Monday 31 August, 7am to 6pm 7-9am Virtual J’ouvert with DJ Godfather 9 – 9:30am Soca-cise with Fenella Bacchanella – Ready for the Virtual Road 9:30 – 10am Tanty’s Carnival Cuisine 10 – 10:30 am Carnival Make Up Tutorial With The Glow Up Mission 10:30 – 11am Carnival Hair With Hair By Ebony 11:00 – 11:45am Carnival At Home with RJC Dance 11:45 – 12 Chair Arthur France Opens Up The Carnival Jump Up WOI! 12 – 1pm DJ Sequinella 1-2pm DJ Twin T 2 -3pm New World Steel Orchestra then The Parade of The Bands 3-4pm DJ Trini 4-4:30pm DJ Hoppa 4:30 – 5pm DJ Toro – Warm Up Session 5pm Lyrikal – International Soca Artist Last Lap Jump Up WOOOIII DJ Toro
Police Pressure In Chapeltown, 14 – 31 August
A fortnight before the August Bank Holiday weekend, on 14 August the West Yorkshire Police and Leeds City Council made a joint announcement. The announcement began:
People across Leeds are being reminded to help keep their communities safe from the spread of Coronavirus by avoiding any large gatherings, particularly during this coming August Bank Holiday weekend where a number of key events have been cancelled.
The announcement went on to say that during the lockdown period, Leeds had seen “a number of unlicensed events” taking place including raves and large gatherings. It went on to say “there are concerns that similar events are being organised for this Bank Holiday weekend”. Assistant Chief Constable Tim Kingsman of West Yorkshire Police said “unlicensed events and large gatherings present a real risk to everyone’s health, and we hope people will take this message on board and do the right thing for themselves and their communities.” Councillor Debra Coupar said “we are not trying to spoil anybody’s fun, but we are asking that people continue to be sensible and follow the government guidance regarding coronavirus to help stop the spread”. On 23 August it was announced that tougher fines would come into force from Friday 29 August for people organising and attending unlawful gatherings. The new measures stated that organisers of illegal gatherings could be fined up to £10,000 and those who attended could be fined £100, which would be doubled on each offence, up to £3,200.
Many in the Chapeltown community felt these changes unfairly targeted people who would normally be celebrating the Leeds West Indian Carnival and, likewise in London, the Notting Hill Carnival. However, stricter rules were not unwarranted; an illegal rave had been held in Potternewton Park on Saturday 8 August and was attended by around 300 people. The rave had originally been planned to take place at Woodhouse Moor but was shut down by the police before it began and was moved to Potternewton Park.
At least a week before the August Bank Holiday, rumours of a similar event, due to take place on Sunday 30 August, began spreading across Leeds and information was shared on social media. There was a large police presence in Chapeltown during the Bank Holiday weekend. Police cars and vans were seen patrolling the area as early as Saturday afternoon and a number of roads in the area were closed by police. No illegal gatherings were reported to have taken place in Chapeltown on Saturday 29 August however a street party on Wepener Mount in Harehills was shut down by police and six people were fined. On Sunday afternoon police seized £20,000 worth of music equipment from a garden in Chapeltown under the suspicion that it was being kept to be used in an unlicensed event. The police presence in Chapeltown increased massively on Sunday evening. Police were seen patrolling the area on foot, in police cars, vans, unmarked cars and even a helicopter. Meanwhile, in Hunslet police shut down a licenced event after it was reported that people were not complying with Covid-19 restrictions. An unlicensed event was also shut down by police in Headingley and a total of 19 people were fined.
Some of the music equipment seized by police in Chapeltown.
An illegal gathering of people took place around the Potternewton Park area on Sunday 30 August. Multiple police vans attended the scene after reports of a large crowded gathered in the area. Police officers working to move the crowd on were met with little resistance and no known arrests were made however, it was later reported that five police officers had suffered minor injuries from missiles thrown at them while they attempted to disperse crowds.
Community Celebrates Carnival, 25 – 31 August
Despite the cancellation of the Leeds West Indian Carnival for 2020, a number of tie-in events still took place around the Bank Holiday weekend. The Geraldine Connor Foundation held an online event via Zoom on Tuesday 25 August. From 7pm until 8.30pm, the Voices Community Choir held a special carnival themed singing workshop. Led by Christella Litras, the choir sang music by Andre Tanker and Ella Andall. Tickets for the workshop were priced at £5. The Black Market restaurant at 5 Stainbeck Lane in Chapel Allerton held a special ‘Spirit of Carnival’ event on 30 and 31 August during which they played Caribbean music and offered a special Caribbean food and drink menu. On 31 August, Our Place on Buslingthorpe Green organised a Carnival Brunch with food provided by the Caribbean restaurant Maureen’s.
Black Market ‘Spirit of Carnival’ advert.
Leeds West Indian Virtual Carnival 2020 Day One, 30 August
The first day of the Leeds West Indian Virtual Carnival was streamed live on Facebook and Zoom from the West Indian Centre on Sunday 30 August. The West Indian Centre had been set up especially for the virtual carnival and the winning King and Queen costumes from 2019 were on display. The programme of events began at 12pm with soca music played by DJ Toro. Members of AnonyMas, in official Virtual Carnival t-shirts, and the official event host Esta Yemaya opened the carnival around 12:12pm. A video of RJC Dance Shack Out Juniors performing at the Prince and Princess show in 2017 was shown and was followed by a dance performance by AnonyMas troupe members. At 12:35pm Faye Kenny from BoomChikaBoom led some interactive activities for children including dances and music making. Faye Kenny also read the children’s book ‘I Am Every Good Thing’ by Derrick Barnes. DJ Toro returned just before 1pm and played soca music in-between pre-recorded videos. The videos included clips of many shop and restaurant owners from Chapeltown talking about the Leeds West Indian Carnival. Among those taking part were Cantor’s, Dutch Pot, Kalabash, Chapeltown Stores, Maureen’s, and Sensation Barbers.
After the videos and music, young costume designer Lina Mir was interviewed by Esta Yemaya. Lina Mir spoke about designing and making costumes, what inspirers her and what advice she would give to young people wanting to design costumes. “You can never be too young to think of an idea” she said. “It’s all about what you want to do and what you think you can do” Lina added. Later, around 1:30pm, costume designer Sheila Howarth was interviewed by Esta Yemaya. Speaking about this year’s carnival Sheila Howarth said “We had to have a carnival and if we can’t take it on the street, we take it on social media”. After some music by DJ Toro, a couple of photographs of previous winning Princesses were show but the live stream began experiencing technical difficulties around 1:40pm and the programme returned to DJ Toro while the issues were resolved.
Arthur France and AnonyMas troupe members enjoying Day One of the Virtual Carnival at the Leeds West Indian Centre, 30 August 2020.
DJ Toro’s soca set lasted around an hour before the virtual carnival returned with an altered schedule. There was a Soca-cise session with Fenella Bacchanella (Fenella Gumbs) and afterwards a video showcasing High Esteem’s carnival Kings from the last decade was shown. The video was followed by an interview with Sephbon Condor and Hughbon Condor from High Esteem who spoke about their careers as costume designers. A tribute to St. Clair Morris, who passed away in 2017, came next. A video about St.Clair Morris from 2018 was shown and poet Khadjah Ibrahiim read her 2017 tribute to St. Clair Morris live from the West Indian Centre. After the tribute, DJ Toro played some recordings of steel pan music followed by soca music. There was then an interview with Christella Latras and Shawn Willis about their ‘Out of Many We Are One Performance’ project and a video of the Out of Many We Are One Performance was shown. The performance, which used dancers and musicians from around the world, was conceptualised by Carlos J. Martinez, Joanne Bernard, Aaron Chaplin and Shawn Willis as a way of showing support for black and brown dancers and to support the Black Lives Matter movement. The five minute video also used a recording of Rob Green performing a spoken word piece that was written by Aaron Chaplin and Shawn Willis.
After more soca music by DJ Toro, the first day of the Leeds West Indian Virtual Carnival came to a close around 4:20pm with Khadijah Ibrahiim reading her poem ‘The Man Who Walks With Crosses and Mas Feathers’. Around eight thousand people watched Day One of the virtual carnival either on Facebook or Zoom. It was later announced, on 17 September, that Amelia Jeffers had won the prize for the best costume that day. Her prize was a Leeds West Indian Carnival goody bag and a bespoke costume made by Anonymas to wear at the 2021 Leeds West Indian Carnival.
Early promotion for Leeds West Indian Carnival 2020 made by Carnival2020.Org
HigherMas, January & February
Plans for 2020’s Leeds West Indian Carnival had begun as early as October 2019 and by early 2020 Leeds troupes High Esteem and AnonyMas had their 2020 designs ready. In January the two troupes announced that they were collaborating for the 2020 Leeds West Indian Carnival under the banner ‘HigherMas’. At a special launch event HigherMas gave a preview of their 2020 troupe called ‘Welcome to Mas Vegas’. The fundraiser launch event was held at the Caribbean Cricket Club on Sunday 2 February. Doors opened at 5pm and the show began an hour later at 6pm. Adult tickets were priced at £5 with children’s tickets at £2.50. The launch event included a raffle, with a carnival costume being among the prizes. Guests could also register to join the 2020 troupe and buy customised products. Entertainment at the event was provided by DJs including the Anonymas resident DJ DJ Toro, alongside Supadupa, David McKoy, and Sensation Sounds. Troupe members of the HigherMas troupe wore especially made black t-shirts with a ‘Mas Vegas’ logo on them. The logo read ‘Welcome To Fabulous Mas Vegas CPT’.
Members of the 2020 HigherMas troupe at the Welcome to Mas Vegas launch, 2.2.2020
Early Preparations and Promotion, January – April
During the first months of 2020, life continued as normal. Items related to the Leeds West Indian Carnival, including a Carnival Messiah programme, two carnival magazines , a flyer, a photograph, whistle, t-shirt, and two hats, were on display at Abbey House Museum as part of the Sounds of Our City exhibition, which opened on 25 January. Other items related to the Leeds reggae scene, including a rare record by The Bedrocks, were also on display. In January, the NHS magazine ‘Engage’ published an interview with the Leeds West Indian Carnival founder and chairperson, Arthur France, who was also featured on the front cover of the magazine. In the interview Arthur France spoke about arriving in England in 1957, founding the Leeds West Indian Carnival, being a community hero, cricket, and food. “My favourite meals are traditional Caribbean rice, peas and chicken, corn meal and fish with an ice cold glass of Mauby” Arthur said. Speaking about the Leeds West Indian Carnival, Arthur France said “I am still the head of Leeds West Indian Carnival so I am always involved in doing research, planning, designing and manufacturing the costumes. All the costumes we create have a special meaning so we tend to do a lot of research before we create anything. The costumes are cultural and are linked to Africa.”
Front cover of Engage magazine, January 2020
In February, a number of people from Leeds attended the carnival in Trinidad, among them were Charlie Murphy, Glennis Fleming, and Renata Gordon, who played mas on the road in Port of Spain. Back in England, plans for the Leeds West Indian Carnival went ahead as usual and dates for 2020 events were placed online and were as follows:
Sunday 2 August – Thanksgiving Service Sunday 23 August – Carnival Prince & Princess Show Friday 28 August – Carnival King & Queen Show Monday 31 August – J’ouvert Moring, Carnival Parade 2020
A participates form was also made available online with a deadline of 31 July. People interested in taking part in the carnival were asked to fill out the form and email it to the carnival committee.
March saw the released on a 25-minute-long interview film featuring costume designer Hughbon Condor. The film, made by DDX in 2019, was titled ‘Hughbon Condor – A Life in Mas in Leeds Carnival’ and featured an in-depth interview with Hughbon Condor about his long career as a costume designer. The film also included footage of the 2019 carnival king and queen show and 2019 carnival parade. It was uploaded onto the DDX Channel on Youtube on 15 March. In April, a photo of the 2019 carnival, featuring a member of the Kweku Ananse troupe, was used on the front cover of North Leeds Life magazine but no related article was included inside the magazine.
Front cover of North Leeds Life magazine, April 2020
Carnival Cancellation, March & April
As the Coronavirus pandemic spread to Britain in March, public events began being cancelled especially after the country went into a national lockdown on 23 March. The Black Music Festival for 2020 was cancelled on 27 March. The same day, the Leeds West Indian Carnival released a press release regarding Coronavirus which informed the public that a decision regarding the cancellation of the Leeds West Indian Carnival would not be made until the end of June. Part of the press release read:
We are liaising with Leeds City Council and a decision regarding Leeds West Indian Carnival taking place in August 2020 has not been made. We very much hope that the situation in the UK will have improved by the end of June for us to make a decision.
The press release quoted the carnival committee chairman Arthur France who said:
We have never been in this situation before but can assure you that we are here to support everyone involved in carnival from our designers to the local community. We want everyone to stay safe and look after our elders and the most vulnerable within our community following the government guidelines.
This announcement was followed by an announcement made by the HigherMas troupe on 28 March, who announced that they would not be taking part in the Leeds West Indian Carnival in 2020. The same day saw a similar announcement made by Team Creative. In a statement made on their Facebook page, Team Creative said “With nearly a 300 person troupe for 2020 I sadly inform you all that with this level of uncertainty regarding the Covid-19 we will not be participating in the Leeds West Indian Carnival. Many of our preparations involve group activity and we are doing our bit in social distancing and self-isolation. With such a large group preparations need to begin now which means we would be acting irresponsibly during this crisis.” Later the same day, the Leeds West Indian Carnival announced that the 2020 carnival was cancelled. An official statement was made the following day.
Arthur France, 16 April 2020.
In an official press release on 29 March the Leeds West Indian Carnival, supported by Leeds City Council, wrote:
We are deeply saddened to announce that Leeds West Indian Carnival 2020 will not be taking place due to the coronavirus pandemic. This decision has been taken with a heavy heart and the demand this will have on council staff, blue-light services, designers and everyone else involved in carnival is enormous.
Again, the press release quoted Arthur France who said:
As carnivalists, we know how to unite the city through joy, happiness and adversity and it’s these qualities that will help us get through these difficult times. We will be back in 2021 bigger and better with an array of feathers, gems, sequins, costumes and music. I would like to thank everyone involved in carnival over the last 53 years and especially the carnival committee who give up their time for the love of carnival. We support our long standing partner, our friends at Leeds City Council and together we’ll be jammin’ again.”
In an interview with Shine magazine, published in June, Arthur France spoke about his plans for 2020 saying: The carnival won’t happen this year. If you’d have told me a year ago you’d have to stay in your house for weeks I would have thought you were crazy! So we are spending a lot of time on our mobile phones talking to family all over the world.
Speaking to Hannah Gray of BBC Look North on 29 March, the Leeds West Indian Carnival Committee Secretary Mahalia France said “Carnival came out of an adversity and hardship and with the measures taking place this year, next year for 2021 we will be at the other end of that adversity and hardship and we will be back on the streets celebrating our freedom and just bringing joy to the people.”
Press release from Leeds West Indian Carnival, 27 March 2020.
Carnival Community Support, March & April
Throughout the remainder of March and April, the Leeds West Indian Carnival posted messages on their Facebook page regarding the Coronavirus pandemic and the weekly clapping in honour of NHS staff. Messages came from the 2019 Carnival King, Rushaun McIntosh, and 2019 Carnival Queen, Tahila Hamiton (29 March), Labour MP Fabian Hamilton (via video, 29 March), RJC Dance (30 March), councillor Mohammed Rafique (via video, 30 March), designer Malachi Blair (31 March), St Clair Brown (1 April), Harrison Bundy Mama Dread troupe (2 April) and designer Hughbon Condor (23 April) as well as various videos made by the AnonyMas carnival troupe. Many messages expressed hope for the following year’s carnival. Costume designer Malachi Blair wrote:
This is not a loss for us; this is a blessing in disguise. So carnival 2021 will be that sweet, sweet day we all touch di road again and celebrate like no other carnival day. Carnival 2021 will be iconic and will go down in history for we will mash up di place. So to all my fellow carnival costume designers, masqueraders, planners; sit tight for better days are coming.
On 16 April, Arthur France delivered a message via video in which he urged people to “stay safe”. “We want you to be safe” he added before encouraging people to take part in the weekly clapping for the NHS. “Please clap for our heroes who work very, very hard to keep us safe and we look forward to our big jam in 2021. Please, please save up your energy and stay safe for 2021. One love.”
Hughbon Condor making some noise for the NHS, 23 April 2020.
The May issue of Community Highlights published Danny Friar’s open letter to ‘Carnival Family’, originally published on the website LeedsMasMedia in April. Part of the letter read:
For many of us who have been a part of Leeds West Indian Carnival in one way or another for years or even decades, this cancellation has hit hard and it was a hard decision for the committee to make. However, we must understand that it was the correct decision to make, for our safety and the safety of others. The Leeds West Indian Carnival is a symbol of what can be achieved when we work together. Now we must work together to beat the Coronavirus, to save lives, to protect the NHS and to save the carnival from future cancellations. Please follow the government’s guidelines. Stay indoors as much as possible, protect yourself and others and practice social distancing at all times when you do go out. Stay safe and we’ll see each other on the road in 2021.
Carnival Family Come Together, March – August
The carnival community, or carnival family, really came together to support and help each other out during the national lockdown. DJ Toro kept people entertained with daily live streams on Facebook, the Team Creative carnival troupe helped out with dropping off food parcels and other items to families in need, and AnonyMas’s ‘Socacise’ and RJC Dance’s ‘Where U R’ videos on YouTube and Facebook helped to keep people fit. On 9 May the Yorkshire Evening Post reported on RJC Dance’s online sessions. “RJC Dance, the award-winning inclusive Black British dance company based in Chapeltown, launched RJC Dance Where U R at the very start of lockdown” wrote Tony Gardner. It was reported that thousands of people from around the world, as far afield as the Netherlands and Canada, had been taking part in the sessions which included Nillanthie Morton’s Socacise classes and Tricia Arthur-Stubbs twice weekly RJC Dance Kidz Zone. RJC Dance Director Kathy Williams spoke to the Yorkshire Evening Post saying “We have a reputation as an inclusive dance organisation and we’re committed to vitality, active participation and creativity. Never before have we needed to fulfill that commitment more than now, to inspire and support our community through these difficult times.”
The Caribbean restaurant Maureen’s on Roundhay Road also played an important role in supporting the community during the lockdown. The restaurant’s ‘A Taste from Home’ scheme provided free meals to vulnerable people, new mothers, and frontline workers in Leeds 8. Speaking to Community Highlights, Maureen Wilkes, the owner and manager of Maureen’s said “When the Covid-19 pandemic hit Leeds I thought it was only right to give back to the community as if it wasn’t for them my business wouldn’t stand today”.
Poster for Maureen’s ‘A Taste From Home’ scheme, March 2020
UK Carnivals Cancelled, April & May
On 10 April Soca News reported “Coronavirus shuts down carnivals across the globe” by which time a number of British carnivals had been cancelled including Bristol, Luton and Oxford. On 7 May it was announced that the Notting Hill Carnival in London was also cancelled. Reading, Derby, Sheffield, Leicester and Manchester would all later announce that their carnivals were cancelled for 2020. On 11 May it was announced that the Salute to Reggae concert, due to be held in Millennium Square in August, was postponed to 5 August 2021.
A Protest, A Celebration, A Mixed Message, May
The short documentary film ‘A Protest, A Celebration, A Mixed Message’ was released to the public in May 2020. The film was made by Yorkshire filmmaker Rhea Storr in 2018 and includes footage of the 2018 Leeds West Indian Carnival with a special focus on the Harrison Bundey Mama Dread troupe. The film was part of the programme Between Worlds and was commissioned as a part of the Louis Le Prince Experimental Film Prize. In an interview published on flatpackfestival website in May Rhea Storr said:
I won the prize upon proposing a new film which would look at Leeds West Indian Carnival, it’s history and connection to forms of power. I wanted to refute the idea that carnival is benign or purely about play. Often, I think people wrongly assume that because carnival is a form of popular culture, it has nothing political or intellectually challenging to say. That’s not true. At the same time I wanted to explore a certain frustration at trying to convey a mixed-race perspective.
The film was made available for free on flatpackfestival.org.uk between 4 and 13 May and was later uploaded to the Somerset House Youtube channel on 2 September.
Rhea Storr, screenshot from ‘A Protest, A Celebration, A Mixed Message’
Leeds West Indian Carnival and Black Lives Matter, May & June
The murder of African-American man George Floyd at the hands of a racist police officer in the United States on 25 May brought the Black Lives Matter movement to the forefront once again. Among the many people speaking out against police violence towards black people was the Leeds West Indian Carnival committee chairman Arthur France. Speaking to BBC Look North on 3 June, Arthur France said “I’m very bitter about it. Just not upset, I’m bitter”. He added “what we’ve seen now has been happening all the time, every day in America.” Arthur went on to say “When I look at another black person, I see myself. You cannot tell me you’re killing my brother in America, or any part of the world, and it doesn’t upset me. It’s very upsetting.” Khadijah Ibrahiim and Jamal Gerald were also interviewed by the BBC. Arthur France also gave an interview to the Yorkshire Evening Post, published on 6 June, telling them:
I am very connected mentally and culturally to my African heritage and what happened to the people of Africa. We can go as far back as we want to go back, I remember it all. The racist attacks on Martin Luther, Malcolm X, the Black Panther Party, Angela Davis, George and Jonathan Jackson. I kept up to date on these issues over the years.
Arthur France went on to criticise the British education system saying: “The British education system is a whole backwards system. I grew up thinking England was the home of education then I get here and find that you don’t teach people history.” Arthur France went on to speak about the Leeds West Indian Carnival and its importance in society. He said:
As much as people think I am a lover of carnival, I don’t think most people understand why Leeds Carnival has lasted for 52 years. It’s not just pretty costumes and music, it is the meaning behind the whole culture of it. It is about the emancipation and that’s why we have a service every Sunday before carnival to remember our forefathers. They paid the price. When people come they look at the bling but the costumes speak volumes about our whole history. We chase why we are here, what makes us who we are and make sure we never, ever forget our forefathers.
Throughout June there was a number of protests in Leeds in support of the Black Live Matter movement including large gatherings at Millennium Square on 14 June and Woodhouse Moor on 21 June. DJ Trini brought a touch of Soca to the protest at Millennium Square on 14 June playing songs like Alison Hinds’ ‘Togetherness’ from the steps of the Civic Hall. Arthur France was one of the speakers at the Woodhouse Moor demonstration. Speaking to a crowd of thousands, he said “I didn’t ask to be born black, I was just lucky to be born black.” Arthur went on to speak about the importance of education and once again pointing out the racism in Britain’s educational system. Arthur France also briefly spoke about the Leeds West Indian Carnival saying “People need to understand Leeds West Indian Carnival is a celebration of emancipation.
Arthur France speaking at Woodhouse Moor, 21 June 2020.
Financial Support For Leeds West Indian Carnival, June
In June, it was announced that Leeds-based carnival troupes would be among the artists that would be granted funds from the Arts Council England. On 16 June the Yorkshire Post reported that 738 emergency Coronavirus response grants, totaling £5 million, were to be handed out to individuals and independent organisations in Yorkshire to help ease the immediate pressures faced by artists over the summer. The Leeds West Indian Carnival were granted £30,824 to replace loss in earned income, to ensure the charity was sufficiently resourced to cover its monthly running costs, and to support the Leeds-based carnival designers, many of whom had already bought materials. An unnamed spokesperson told the Yorkshire Post:
These are mainly volunteers, whose houses are completely over taken by sequins, feathers and glitter. They have already brought materials, so what we want to do with the money is to support our designers in their art forms. We’re exploring ways in which we can still use their art in some way. We still want to bring our culture to the people of Leeds in some way.”
Among the carnival troupes that had already made plans for 2020’s Leeds West Indian Carnival was Unity Carnival Arts, run by Sheila Howarth and her brother Raymond Wilkes. The troupe’s theme for 2020 was to be the rainbow. 2020 was also planned to be Sheila and Raymond’s finial year as costume designers. In a statement on her Facebook page, posted on 6 April, Sheila Howarth, speaking on behalf of herself and her brother Raymond, wrote:
We decided that we have designed and made costumes for our group Unity Carnival Arts for young people with young people in Leeds for a number of years and 2020 was our last year as we were handing over our reins to the young people who we have trained up.
One of the costumes made for the 2020 HigherMas troupe.
The following poem was written in August 2020 by Trinidadian-born poet and long-time Leeds Carnivalist Simon Namsoo and is reproduced here with kind permission of the author.
AAY BOI! Carnival missing and ah missing carnival 2020 What a year of Covid ting! We never see it coming, No one knew what it would bring; Lockdown fever from Wuhan to Leeds, We had to find new ways to address our needs! Everything cancel; Holidays, weddings and even grandma funeral! But d worse ting is no carnival!!! Wha we going do? A year without carnival go make me blue; No costume designing, wire bending, sewing or face painting! No jamming in d street, no rum n coke to make we sweet; No Pretty Mas flying high, no pretty guys or gal to catch we eye! No chippin, wining or jumping or flag waving; No Soca blasting from morning to evening! No raving till late on Carnival Monday; Not even any Roti or Jerk Chicken out deh! Sorry virtual carnival is nice but just won’t do Come back carnival because we love you!
Simon Namsoo performing King David Oluwale at Leeds West Indian Carnival King And Queen Show 2017 (Photo: Max Farrar).
On 28 March 2020 it was announced that the Leeds West Indian Carnival due to take place in August had been cancelled due to the Corona virus outbreak. This news came just a day after the announcement that the Black Music Festival due to take place during the same August Bank Holiday Weekend had also been cancelled.
In a press release the following day the chairman of the carnival Arthur France said:
As carnivalist, we know how to unite the city through joy, happiness and adversity and it’s these qualities that will help us get through these difficult times. We will be back in 2021 bigger and better with an array feathers, gems, sequins, costumes and music. I would like to thank everyone involved in carnival over the last 53 years and especially the carnival committee who given up their time for the love of carnival. We support our long standing partner, our friends at Leeds City Council and together we’ll be jammin again.
For the Leeds West Indian Carnival, this marks the first time the event has been cancelled since it first began in 1967. The first ten years of the carnival’s history were often an uncertain time for the hardworking carnival committee and while the carnival was close to being cancelled a couple of times, the committee and friends of the carnival worked extra hard to make sure things went ahead. Getting the first carnival on the road in 1967 was no easy task but it was the coming together of the community that made it happen. Leeds University students, NHS nurses, Burton’s staff and many, many others all had a role to play that was equally as important as the carnival committee. Not to forget the work done by Leeds City Council and the West Yorkshire Police. People worked hard, for free, to make the carnival happen every year and it was that community spirit that kept the carnival going during those difficult early years.
In 1974 there was difficulty finding a venue for the Last Lap Dance and the Queen Show had to be cancelled in both 1976 and 1978. 1976 was the closest the carnival came to being cancelled during those years. The Queen Show had already been cancelled and the committee once again struggled to secure a venue for the Last Lap Dance, the two events helped finance the carnival parade. Leeds Other Paper reported at the time that “there was some doubt a few months ago about whether the celebration would take place”. After negotiations with the Education Committee, a venue at Leeds University was agreed upon and the carnival was saved. In their July issue Chapeltown News were proud to announce “Chapeltown carnival is ON”.
Things ran a lot smoother over the next decades. Come rain or shine the carnival went on. Even the heavy downpour of 1988, which forced the Reggae Concert to be cancelled, was no match for the carnival. The riots that took place in the summer of 1981 and the two deaths in 1990 left the public uncertain of the carnival’s future but the carnival committee and supporting groups worked hard to ensure the carnival would remain a safe environment for all and would continue to go ahead as planned. The arson attack on the carnival centre in 2011, just three weeks before the carnival parade was due to take place, was perhaps the most difficult period in recent history for the organisers. With many costumes destroyed and the fear of further unrest the carnival came close to being cancelled. The carnival did go ahead but the decision was made to not include any steel pan bands. As recent as 2019, a murder close to the carnival route the night before the parade meant part of the route was cordoned off by police and the jouvert morning parade had to change its route last minute. With the police cordon still in place in the early afternoon there were fears that the parade would be cancelled but after a delay the parade went ahead.
For many of us who have been a part of Leeds West Indian Carnival in one way or another for years or even decades, this cancellation has hit hard and it was a hard decision for the committee to make. However, we must understand that it was the correct decision to make, for our safety and the safety of others. The Leeds West Indian Carnival is a symbol of what can be achieved when we work together. Now we must work together to beat the Corona virus, to save lives, to protect the NHS and to save the carnival from future cancellations. Please follow the government’s guidelines. Stay indoors as much as possible, protect yourself and others and practice social distancing at all times when you do go out. Stay safe and we’ll see each other on the road in 2021.
Soca Village, set up on the corner of Reginald Terrace and Chapeltown Road, once again provided late-night entertainment for carnival fans. On 25 August they hosted the ‘Carnival Invasion’ event from 12am until 2am the following morning. Tickets were priced at £10 for which guests enjoyed a party night of dancehall, hip hop, afro beats, R&B, and reggae that was advertised to deliver “the grown up hype of the carnival weekend”. Live music was provided by dancehall singer Trudiva from Jamaica.
Carnival Invasion poster.
As most of Chapeltown celebrated into Bank Holiday Monday and experienced the ‘grown up hype of the carnival weekend’ very few were aware of what had taken place on the streets earlier in the night. Shortly before 10pm, at the junction of Button Hill and Grange View, 21-year-old Tcherno Ly was stabbed. He was rushed to hospital but sadly passed away. The area quickly became a crime scene and last minute changes had to be made to the J’ouvert Morning parade route so that the 6am parade could continue to take place. Avoiding part of Chapeltown Road, the new J’ouvert parade began at the West Indian Centre and travelled down Chapeltown Road before turning up Francis Street. From Francis Street the parade headed down Nassau Place (one street across from Chapeltown Road) before entering Harehills Avenue. From Harehills Avenue the parade was able to continue on its planned route down Spencer Place and Francis Street before returning to the West Indian Centre around 8.30am.
Chapeltown Road on Monday morning. (Photo: Ben Lack)
As the day continued, a police blockade was still present on Chapeltown Road and it was uncertain whether the carnival parade would be able to go ahead. It wasn’t until around 12pm that the carnival committee were informed by police that the road would be opened in time for the 2pm parade. The police blockade on Chapeltown Road meant that the Mama Dread troupe could not access their mas camp or any of the costumes locked inside. Police eventually allowed access to the building so that costumes could be retrieved and a makeshift mas camp was set up outside on St Marys Road. Part of Chapeltown Road was still taped off by police as late as 1pm and the parade start time was set back to 3pm.
Makeshift Mas Camp on St Marys Road (Photo: Danny Friar)
Waiting for the parade to begin, crowds and troupes gathered in Potternewton Park. Prior to the parade taking off, BBC News spoke to Pareesha Valentina in the performer’s arena. She described the 2019 Leeds West Indian Carnival as “Probably the happiest day of my life so far.” She went on to say “Seeing, like, everybody just happy in their costumes and just feeling like a king and queen for the day, it just makes everything all worthwhile.” Chelsee Henderickson from Valentina’s Collective troupe also spoke to BBC News saying “You can’t complain can you? The sun’s out, it’s hot, everybody looks amazing so it’s going to be a really good day.” It was later reported that the August Bank Holiday Monday was the hottest on record, with temperatures in Leeds reaching 27C, around the time the parade set off from Potternewton Park.
A total of eighteen troupes took part in the 2019 Leeds West Indian Carnival. High Esteem in their peacock inspired ‘Birds of a Feather’ costumes led the parade with their winning King and Queen. They were followed by Unity Carnival Arts troupe which included carnival princess Carmen Brown. Joining the carnival parade for the first time this year was 39-year-old Ben Tuyak in a self-made individual costume. He was followed by Valentina’s Collective troupe which this year was named ‘Rise of The Phoenix’. Some members of the troupe had recently appeared on television during an episode of the Channel 4 programme ‘Come Dine With Me’. They had appeared in an episode alongside footballer Sanchez Payne aired on 12 August. Troupes from outside of Leeds included The Ancestors troupe from Nottingham who dressed in traditional clown costumes complete with whips. They danced to music played on the big drum and kettle drum. The one and only steel band on the road in 2019 was the New World Steel Orchestra. They were followed by the X-Treme Mas troupe from Leicester and Cultural Roots Carnival Troupe from Derby. Arriving in Leeds by coach earlier in the day, the Cultural Roots Carnival Troupe had used the Mandela Centre on Chapeltown Road to prepare for the parade. Troupe members had enjoyed food at the centre before heading down Chapeltown Road to Potternewton Park. In the parade they were followed by a small group from Callaloo Carnival Arts from Mirfield which included Marina Poppa and DJ Soca Haze in Fancy Sailor costumes. An almost all-white troupe, Spectrum from Preston, danced in purple and green costumes. They were followed by the Kweku Ananse troupe led by Nii Kwartey Owoo, a dancer originally from Ghana, in his Ananse spiderweb inspired king costume. The costume had been built in three weeks with the help of Hughbon Condor. The Harrison Bundey Mama Dread’s Masqueraders were celebrating 21 years on the road. Their message for 2019 was ‘Hand In Hand, We Beat Di Beasts’ and their truck included a placard that read ‘Beat The Beasts…Boris, Brexit, Climate Change’. Adult members wore hand costumes while younger members of the troupe wore red and green dragon costumes. They were followed by the AAA Team in their ‘Black Panther Tribe’ costumes led by Arthur France. His blue flag included an image of Africa and the words ‘Protecting and Promoting Our Culture Heritage’. Another member of the troupe also waved the pink ‘Leeds West Indian Carnival’ flag. The RJC Dance troupe wore a mix of costumes from previous years. However, the focus was on their amazing dance routines. They were followed by the Pure Elegance Carnival troupe from Huddersfield. In their blue and green feathered costumes, the Ferm and Ready Mas troupe this year was called ‘Humming Birds’. The Jamaican Rugby League team, the Reggae Warriors wore their team kit and headdresses designed and made by High Esteem. They were followed by Team Creative in African Zulu inspired costumes. Their troupe was named after the female warrior Shujaawa Kike. They were joined by a group of African drummers. The parade ended with Professor Black’s troupe from Birmingham. Hebrew Rawlings and Michael Paul were also present at the 2019 carnival and this year saw the return of the red haired clown costumes.
Michael Paul at Leeds West Indian Carnival, 2019.
Back at Potternewton Park the One Plus Soca band from London performed live on stage and guests enjoyed Caribbean food from one of the many stalls set up in the park and along the parade route. New for 2019 was a stall set up on Harehills Avenue by Flava Hut. The Caribbean restaurant and take away had first opened in May 2019 and was based at 307 Roundhay Road, not far from the carnival parade route.
Once the troupes had arrived back at the park, the winners of the best and biggest troupe were announced. Winning the Best Youth Group was RJC Dance and winners of the Best Adult Troupe was Team Creative. As the awards were announced, members of Team Creative could be heard chanting ”Shujaawa Kike” from within the performers’ arena. When Sheila Howarth announced them as the winners of the best adult troupe there was loud cheers and blowing of horns and whistles before the troupe made their way to the stage to dance. They were joined on the stage by the winning Carnival Princess Anelia. Team Creatives winning moment was captured and edited in a short video by GL Photography. The three-minute long video included a short interview with some troupe members. One troupe member, Faye Kenny said “next year we’re coming for it again”. Team Creative also won the award for biggest troupe.
Team Creative on the road, 2019.
The following day BBC News reported on the carnival on their website. They reported that “Thousands of people lined the streets of Leeds on August Bank Holiday Monday to watch the 52nd Leeds West Indian Carnival”. The short article included a three-minute long video which included some footage of the day but mainly focused on the Valentina Collective’s preparations leading up to the parade day.
Despite one arrest being made at the Black Music Festival the previous day and the murder which occurred the night before, the Leeds West Indian Carnival was again crime free in 2019. Tuesday’s Yorkshire Evening Post ran an article on the amount of rubbish left behind by those who attended the carnival. Under the headline ‘Massive clean up operation underway after 150,000 people attend Leeds Carnival 2019’ Rebecca Marano wrote “Cleaning crews started the post-party blitz around the area at 3am this morning – cleaning around the late night revellers who were still in the streets enjoying the Caribbean carnival.” The article went on to inform the reader that a “new team of cleaning staff” had arrived at 7am “and the shifts are set to continue throughout the day.” The article included several photographs of piles of rubbish which was mainly made up of food and drink containers. “A few pineapples, leftover fast food and even a pile of leftover chicken thighs were also spotted during the clean up” Rebecca Marano wrote. An unnamed member of the cleaning team spoke to the Yorkshire Evening Post and said “There’s quite a few departments involved so it’s gone really smoothly.” They added “Leeds Carnival is great. The clean-up is worth it because hundreds of thousands of people turn out for it and it brings a lot of money back to the city”. Praise for the carnival in the press came later in the year. In December, Alison Bellamy wrote in the Yorkshire Evening Post that Chapeltown was “a thriving, creative inner-city suburb, with the world famous Leeds West Indian Carnival headquarters putting Leeds firmly on the map”.
Some of the rubbish left in the park.
The party atmosphere in Chapeltown continued well into Tuesday morning. Outside the TD News newsagents at 137 Chapeltown Road, reggae fans could enjoy the ‘Strictly Roots Till Dun Carnival Special’ which included sound systems from Leeds, Bristol, Huddersfield and Birmingham playing until 2am on both Sunday and Monday night. At least two venues claimed to be hosting the official last lap event. Soca Village’s Last Lap began at 1pm on Monday and ended at midnight. It was advertised as the “best Kizomba party held over the carnival weekend” and featured DJs playing soca and reggae including DJ Dico, DJ Plux, Sensation, and Godfather as well as live soca music by Kollision Band from St. Kitts and Nevis. Entry before 8pm was free with tickets priced between £7 and £10 after that time.
A second ‘Official Last Lap’ was held at the Lake Victoria Club on Roseville Road from 10pm until 4am. Some ‘early bird’ tickets were available at £5 and normal tickets were priced at £10. Music, which was advertised as “50% Soca, 30% Bashment, 20% Urban” was provided by DJ Trini, DJ Toro, DJ TJ, DJ Vybz, and the Hypa Crew. The event was organised by Soca Up North.
Troupe members from Leeds once again appeared in Masham for the end of The UCI Road World Championships on 29 September. Protected by plastic ponchos and umbrellas, members of Team Creative, High Esteem, Anonymas and the AAA Team all danced in heavy rain to soca music provided by DJ Zebe. They performed at Market Square twice during the day. The first performance took place at 12.30pm with a second performance, a parade around the square, taking place at 4pm. The troupe members wore a variety of costumes from various years.
Leeds troupes in Masham, 2019.
During Black History Month in October, students at Allerton CE Primary School were taught about the Leeds West Indian Carnival. Members of Team Creative were special guests at the primary school and carnival costumes were on display in the school. Children were taught the history of the Leeds West Indian Carnival and why it takes place. Tashi Brown also gave a masterclass on soca dance moves and carnival drumming. Speaking to Leeds TV both Tashi Brown and teacher Leonna Lynch spoke about an up-and-coming long-term collaboration between Allerton CE Primary School and Team Creative.
Leeds West Indian Carnival was a part of other Black History Month celebrations across the city throughout October. A performance of ‘Kweku Ananse’ took place at the Leeds Central Library on 2 October. The dance performance was choreographed by Nii Kwartey Owoo and was inspired by the West African folklore character Kweku Ananse. The Kweku Ananse king costume was used during the performance. The evening also included a talk by Anansi expert Dr. Emily Zobel Marshall. Tola Dabiri gave the presentation ‘Fish, Chips and Jerk Sauce: The Growth of British Caribbean Carnival’ at Leeds Beckett University on 10 October. The 90-minute long presentation, held at the Broadcasting Place, began at 5pm. The winning Carnival Queen, Tahila Hamiton, and winning King, Rushaun McIntosh performed in their winning Carnival costumes at the opening of the newly refurbished West Yorkshire Playhouse on 12 October. They danced to music provided by the New World Steel Orchestra.
Leeds West Indian Carnival lost one of its unsung heroes on 20 October. Wilmot James, a retired engineer, had been involved with making frames and costumes for the carnival for a number of years. He sadly passed away at the age of 75. His funeral took place at St Martin’s Church on 7 November. Wilmot James was one of the people interviewed by Colin Grant for his 2019 book ‘Homecoming: Voices of the Windrush Generation’ which had been released earlier in the month. Other people interviewed for the book included Arthur France, Sheila Howarth, Rashida Robinson, Brian Phillips, Hughbon Condor, Angela Wenham, Susan Pitter, Ian Charles, and Lord Silky.
Wilmot James
The ‘Carnival: Man Behind The Mask’ exhibition was held in Derby as part of the Black History Month celebrations. The exhibition displayed several carnival costumes from across the UK including ‘Peacock Queen’ designed by Hughbon Condor. The Exhibition also included black and white portraits of designers including Hughbon Condor, Lorina Gumbs and Arthur France. Hughbon Condor gave a talk about costume making at the opening of the exhibition at QUAD on 28 October. The exhibition toured various venues in Derby during October and November.
Exhibition Tour Dates:
28 October – QUAD
29 October – 2 November – Derby West Indian Centre
4 – 16 November – Arboretum Park Orangery
18 – 22 November Derby College Roundhouse
Portraits of Arthur France and Hughbon Condor.
In Leeds, The Childrens’ Carnival Awards ceremony took place at the West Indian Centre on 27 October. The ceremony included arts and crafts and a party. Awards were given to all the children who took part in the Prince and Princess Show and to members of the RJC Dance troupe who won Best Youth Group. Two videos of youngsters who attended the ceremony were uploaded onto the carnival’s Facebook page the following day. The children spoke about what they had enjoyed about the 2019 carnival which included “all the different troupes” and “that there was loads of people to watch us”. They also spoke about what they were looking forward to for 2020’s carnival which included “dressing up”, “new costumes” and “seeing the different costumes”.The Adults Carnival Awards ceremony took place at the West Indian Centre on 2 November. Special guests at the event included members of the Jamaican Rugby League team, who handed out awards during the evening. Awards were given to Carnival King, Carnival Queen, Best Troupe, Biggest Troupe, and Best Individual.
The short documentary film ‘Ancestors ‘The Journey’’ which had been made by Simon Taylor earlier in the year was released on YouTube on 24 November. The documentary focuses on Stanley ‘Jerry’ Carey and the Ancestors troupe from Nottingham. The troupe have made regular appearances at Leeds West Indian Carnival since 2016. The documentary features an interview with Arthur France, filmed in early September 2019. Photos and film footage of Leeds West Indian Carnival, including the King and Queen Show, are also used in the documentary.
Leeds troupes continued to make appearances in Leeds and Bradford during the last months of the year. Members of Team Creative appeared at the ‘Let’s Ride’ event at Millennium Square on 1 September, the Leeds Rum Festival at the Corn Exchange on 21 September and at the Leeds Legacy Awards at the Leeds Town Hall on 20 October. During the evening Geraldine Connor was posthumously awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award. On 20 October members of the RJC Dance carnival troupe performed at Headingley Stadium in their 2019 costumes. They danced on the stadium ground prior to the England Knights vs Jamaica Reggae Warrior Rugby League match. A steel band also performed at the match. The following day the Yorkshire Post reported “With a steel band playing in the background, Headingley sounded more like Sabina Park yesterday afternoon”. Members of the Anonymas Carnival troupe performed at the White Rose Awards held at the First Direct Arena in Leeds on 25 November. December saw the launch of ‘Jump & Wave’, the first ever carnival themed trampoline and soft play experience organised by Soca Up North. The first Jump & Wave event took place on Saturday 7 December at Airbounce at The Wardley Centre in Bradford. Tickets were priced at £15 for which guests where given access to trampolines, soft play, giant inflatables, laser tag and arcades for four hours beginning at 5pm. Members of the Anonymas Carnival troupe attended the event, bringing carnival vibes with them. Rasta Claus also made a special guest appearance. Food was provided by Flava Hut from Leeds. Soca music was provided by DJ Trini and DJ Toro. Photographer Edmund Ohene was on hand to photograph the event.
Team Creative at the Leeds Rum Festival, 2019.
On 2 December, students from the UK Centre for Events Management at Leeds Beckett University paid a visit to the Carnival Centre in Chapeltown. During their visit they learnt about the running of the Leeds West Indian Carnival, the team of volunteers behind the carnival and how the carnival works towards protecting Caribbean culture and heritage through education. The students were given a tour of the Carnival Centre and were given a chance to try on some of the headdresses.
At the end of the year an official ‘Thank You’ message posted on the Carnival’s website and social media pages read:
Carnival is love! It’s what brings us together as we celebrate the emancipation of slavery. Carnival is in our blood, it’s our past, present and future. LWIC would like to thank everyone that has supported carnival this year and the years to come. THANK YOU – Chapeltown community, people of Leeds, visitors, participants, troupes, designers, workshop workers, volunteers, DJs and everyone else! We’re still jamming!
Carnival costumes were on display throughout the city during July and August. The ‘A City & It’s Welcome, Three Centuries of Migrating to Leeds’ exhibition was opened at the Leeds City Museum on 12 July. Among the items displayed was part of the 2017 ‘King David Oluwale’ king costume, the three ‘I’m Carnival Happy’ headdresses from 2017 and two official Leeds West Indian Carnival magazines. A steel pan was also on display alongside items from St. Kitts and Nevis. Annette Morris gave a talk about her father St Clair Morris at the Leeds City Museum on 12 July. During the talk, titled ‘Bringing A Taste of The Caribbean To Leeds In The 1960s’, Annette spoke about her father’s journey to the UK, Paradise Steel Band, and her father’s legacy as England’s first steel pan teacher in schools.
A special exhibition ‘Leeds West Indian Carnival: The Early Years’ ran throughout August at the Leeds Central Library. The exhibition focused on the years 1967 – 1979 but included recent items including a 2018 troupe costume. Also on display were photographs from the Max Farrar collection and items and books from the Central Library’s collection. The exhibition curator Danny Friar gave two tie-in talks on the early years of Leeds West Indian Carnival. The first took place at Chapeltown Library on 6 August. The talk was repeated at the Central Library on 14 August. A tie-in article was published in Community Highlights at the end of August. The Eulogy Exhibition opened in Room 700 at the Central Library on 2 August and run until 1 September. The exhibition told the stories of the first generation of Jamaicans in Leeds. This included a number of people involved with or linked to the Leeds West Indian Carnival in the 1960s and 1970s.
Part of the Leeds West Indian Carnival: The Early Years Exhibition (Photo: Danny Friar)
On 28 July the West Yorkshire Police announced that “extra Police Officers and PCSO’s will be working in the Chapeltown area from now and the lead up to the August Bank Holiday Leeds Black Music Festival & Carnival Weekend.” In a letter addressed to the “Chapeltown Community” the West Yorkshire Police said: “We are working closely with the community, Leeds Black Music Festival and the Carnival committee to offer reassurance by maintaining a safe environment for everyone.” Residents were asked to say ‘hello’ to any officers they may see. The letter continued: “We really enjoy the build up to the Bank Holiday weekend and we look forward to celebrating the weekend with you all.”
Letter from the West Yorkshire Police, 28 July 2019.
The AAA Team from Leeds, featuring Lara Rose in her 2018 Winnie Mandela, Mother of the Nation queen costume took part in Leicester Caribbean Carnival on Saturday 3 August. Photos of the troupe, including Khadijah Ibrahiim waving the pink Leeds West Indian Carnival flag, were included on the Leicester Mercury website. The Yorkshire Evening Post went behind the scenes of this year’s Leeds West Indian Carnival in a special report published on 6 August. Under the headline ‘Meet the team hand stitching costumes for the Leeds Carnival 2019 this month’ Alison Bellamy reported: “the making of scores of costumes and headdresses has to be finished in time, with most created from scratch each year, with often a last minute scramble to meet the deadline.” Arthur France spoke to the newspaper explaining the hard work that goes into costume making. “It is a yearlong task really with extra pressure as carnival approaches” he explained. He went on to add “the volunteers do a great job and give up many hours in the run up to carnival to ensure the costumes are perfect. And they usually are”. The article included photographs of Arthur France and Yvette Small working on costumes at the Carnival Centre in Chapeltown.
Fans of Reggae were excited to see the return of the ‘Salute To Reggae’ concert held in Millennium Square on 8 August. While the concert had been free in 2018, tickets for the 2019 concert were priced at £10. Richard Smith Sr. and Khadijah Ibrahiim were again the hosts of the event. The line-up included Kenny B, Fidel and The Harbingers, Carrol Thompson, Anette Bee, Kofi, Graft, Stylo G, and Dawn Penn. Three days later, Reggae star Chronixx performed at the O2 Academy on 11 August.
Building up to the Leeds West Indian Carnival, troupes from Leeds continued to appear across the UK during August. Members of the High Esteem troupe in their 2018 costumes, members of the NWA Montserrat Masquerades troupe and members of the Ferm and Ready troupe from Leeds all took part in the Manchester Caribbean Carnival on 10 August. The Ferm and Ready troupe danced to music provided by DJ Trini, who had played at the Manchester Jouvert Morning parade earlier in the day. For 2019 the Manchester Caribbean Carnival returned to its usual route, taking in Alexandra Road, Moss Lane East, Upper Lloyd Street and Claremont Road. (The route had been shortened the previous year.) The parade began and ended at Alexandra Park. Awards were given on the stage in the park and the Ferm and Ready troupe took second place in the best troupe cartography. Guests at Alexandra Park were entertained by the young calypsonian Invincible who was visiting England from Nevis and was due to appear in Leeds the following week.
Leeds troupe member in Manchester, 2019.
The following week, on 16 August, DJ Trini had made a live appearance on BBC Radio Sheffield talking about Soca Up North and his involvement with Sheffield Carnival and other carnivals across the UK including Leeds, Huddersfield, Manchester, Derby, and Leicester. Speaking about soca, he said “Soca music is what pumps carnival and is the heart of carnival”. The following day, DJ Trini played at the Sheffield Carnival which had reintroduced trucks and sound systems to its parade. DJ Trini led the parade and played on the stage at Norfolk Heritage Park. The next day the Anonymas troupe and DJ Trini took part in Nottingham Carnival on Sunday 18 August. They were joined by other troupes from across the UK in what proved to be the most traditional carnival of the year. The parade included troupes in traditional Caribbean Mas costumes, big drum and fife bands, a steel band and several Samba bands. One troupe even wore traditional African costumes and dress. Also taking part in the parade was Kamala Smyle Wisdom in her ‘Mrs Windrush’ Queen costume. On the same day, in Leeds, the annual Prince and Princess Show was held at the West Indian Centre from 3pm until 8pm. Tickets were priced at £3 for adults while children under 16 were admitted for free. The outdoor marquee was packed with approximately 700 guests and extra chairs were brought out from the centre to accommodate the guests. Entertainment on the day was provided by RJC Dance, a brother and sister singing duo called Duo In Harmony, a 15-year-old rapper called Naomi and a dance troupe called Afro Angels Dancers made up girls aged 12-14. The star attraction was 14-year-old Junior Calypso Monarch Invincible (real name Terron Webb) from Nevis. He performed two numbers; ‘Social Media’ and ‘Change Ya Thinkin’’. Invincible had won the Junior Calypso Monarch for the past three years. Leeds Soca DJ Godfather had travelled to Nevis in July and had interviewed Invincible before his trip to the UK. A video of the interview was later uploaded onto the carnival’s Facebook page. Hosts of the event were Indira Smith and Richard Smith Sr.
A total of four princes and 11 princesses took part in this year’s competition. Among the judges was Invincible and rugby player Alex Simmons. The winning prince for 2019 was 14-year-old Tyrese Holmes in a costume titled Jah Lion, Protector of the Sun. The costume was designed and made by Unity Carnival Arts featuring Sheila Howarth. The winning princess was 12-year-old Anelia in a costume titled The Princess of the African Lilac Breasted Roller Bird. The costume was designed and made by Sabrina Collins and Asha France for Expressions supported by Team Creative. Other contestants competing for the title of Carnival Princess included the Reginald Centre’s first entry into the competition. The costume, which came second, was designed and made by Malachi Blair and members of the Reginald Centre. The Reginald Centre had held auditions for their Carnival Princess on 4 May. Taking third place was Sukai in a costume designed by Pareesha Valentina Webster and made by Valentina’s Collective. The costume was titled The Guardian of the Phoenix and used the batik technique to decorate the cloth used for the costume. A member of the Valentina Collective, Chelsee Hendrickson had spent three weeks painting the entire costume. Other Princess contestants included Eve France-Mir and Carmen Brown who have both entered the contest in previous years.
Prince contestants at the Prince and Princess Show 2019 (Photo: Danny Friar)
During the build up to the August Bank Holiday weekend, media outlets began publishing stories about the Leeds West Indian Carnival and Black Music Festival. The Yorkshire Evening Post published “33 photos you’ll only understand if you love the Leeds West Indian Carnival” on their website on Thursday 22 August. The 33 photos, most of which were undated, spanned the entire history of the carnival. The Yorkshire Evening Post shared some photographs of past Black Music Festivals on their website on Friday 23 August. The article included 11 colour photos from 2000 – 2007. The website also published a story by Joe Cooper under the headline ‘Leeds West Indian Carnival 2019 get underway’. The article gave details of the up-and-coming events and quoted Arthur France saying “I’m excited that over 50 years since carnival started in Leeds, we can all still enjoy the first burst of Caribbean culture, music and art in the city.” The same day, the Leeds Live website published 40 photographs of the 2018 Carnival.
Tickets for the 2019 Carnival King and Queen Show went on sale on 17 June and a special promotional video was uploaded onto the carnival’s Facebook page on 23 June. Tickets were priced between £16 and £30 for V.I.P tickets that included backstage access. A limited amount of discounted tickets, priced at £12, were available for ‘Early Birds’. For 2019 the Carnival King and Queen Show returned to the New Dock on Armouries Drive. Actor and rapper Richard Blackwood was announced as the guest host but due to other commitments he cancelled a few days before the show and on 22 August it was announced that he would be replaced with comedian Danny ‘Slim’ Gray. The second host for the evening was local business-owner Faye Kenny. Born in Leeds in 1987, Faye Kenny is of Afro-Cuban heritage and is the granddaughter of a Cuban calypsonian. She has been involved with the Leeds West Indian Carnival since the age of 8 when she was a member of Sheila Howarth’s Unity troupe.
The Carnival King and Queen Show took place on Friday 23 August. Doors opened at 7.30pm and the show began around 8pm. Max Farrar and St Clair Brown were among those taking photos and film footage of the event. St Clair Brown’s photographs include snaps of the back stage area taken before the show began. They show designers assembling their costumes and adding finishing touches. The almost sold out show began with music by the New World Steel Orchestra Adult Group. Next, the winning Carnival Prince and Princess danced on the stage which was followed by another short set by the New World Steel Orchestra Adult Group. Among the songs they performed was the 2019 Soca song ‘Hookin Meh’. Arthur France gave a speech in which he spoke about starting the Leeds West Indian Carnival in 1967. He said “It is easy to start something but it is difficult to get it to last”. Next up was the newly formed Leeds Carnival Collective dance group which was made up of members from different carnival troupes led by Pareesha Valentina.
A total of four Kings performed on the stage in front of guests and judges. After the Kings’ performances, Leeds Soca performer Boyski got the audience up on their feet. He was followed by the Anonymas Carnival troupe who performed a dance routine. The big attraction of the evening was the acrobat and limbo group Afrikan Warriors who had found fame after appearing on Britains Got Talent in 2009 and Australia’s Got Talent in 2011. During their act, they welcomed audience members onto the stage to try their hand at limbo. Next up was the eight Carnival Queens. First out was Tahila Hamiton in a costume called ‘Peacock Queen’ designed by Hughbon Condor. In a similar fashion to his 1987 peacock costume, the Peacock Queen’s tail rose into the air, reaching a height of 16 feet. The spectacular received a massive cheer from the audience. Pareesha Valentina in her costume ‘Rise of the Phoenix’ also received great applause from the audience. Other Queens included one designed by Arthur France and made by the AAA Team and ‘Butterfly Cage with Wings’. Designed and made by Professor Black from Birmingham, the costume moved around the stage on wheels.
After an intermission, guests were entertained by Slim Gray performed a stand-up set before the winners were announced. The winning Queen was 28-year-old Tahila Hamiton in a costume titled ‘Peacock Queen’ designed by Hughbon Condor and made by High Esteem. Second place was taken by Pareesha Valentina in her costume ‘Rise of the Phoenix’ designed and made by Valentina’s Collective. Speaking to BBC News Pareesha Valentina said “I actually came up with the idea last year while we were doing last year’s costumes. I wanted to do like a phoenix-type costume and then call it ‘Rise of the Phoenix’”. Georgia Smith came third in a costume called ‘Pure Imagination’ designed and made by Solomon Lewis Hunter. Fourth place was taken by Elaine York who wore a costume called ‘Luna Goddess’ designed and made by Jessica Kemp.
The Winning King was 21-year-old Rushaun McIntosh in a costume titled ‘Two Cocky’ designed by Stepbon Condor and made by High Esteem. As Rushaun danced on the stage, the two peacocks at the top of his costume fought one and other. Niaz Stephenson took second place in a costume named ‘The Scorpion King’ designed and made by Jessica Kent and Niaz Stephenson. Third place was taken by Raheen Lindsay in the costume ‘King Mbuka’ designed by Arthur France and made by the AAA Team. The fourth King was Stanley Carrey, known as Jerry, in a costume titled ‘King Clown’ which was designed and made by the performer. A short documentary film, ‘Ancestors ‘The Journey’, released in November featured part of Jerry’s performance at the King and Queen Show. The documentary also featured interviews with Jerry, George Mighty and Arthur France.
The winner King and Queen posed for photos and were joined on the stage by the costume designers Hughbon and Stepbon Condor,Arthur France, the Lord Mayor Eileen Taylor and last year’s winning Queen Holly Southwell. The party continued with an official after party held at the nearby Holiday Inn. BBC News reported on the show the following day. “A father and son have designed both winning costumes as Leeds West Indian Carnival elected its king and queen” the article on their website began. Hughbon Condor was quoted in the article saying: “Getting to create the costume as accurately as I envisage it is the main challenge. It’s much more important than winning. The queen will lead the carnival parade when it leaves Potternewton Park on Monday. It feels good to keep this carnival tradition alive.”
Winning Carnival Queen and King, 2019.
Caribbean seniors enjoyed an afternoon of entertainment and food organised by Soca Village on Saturday 24 August. ‘The Hub Time’ event was held at the BAME Health and Wellbeing Hub on Reginald Terrace from 12pm until 6pm. Music was provided by DJ Daddy Rico and the Voice of Praise choir. Later in the evening, the Calypso Soca Monarch Show was held at the West Indian Centre from 9.30pm. Moving away from its competition roots the show was strictly entertainment. An advertisement placed on the carnival’s website and social media read “Get ready to Jump Up! Wuk Up! And Kick Up! For the 2019 Calypso Soca Monarch Show”. Admission to the show was priced at £6. The show featured the One Plus Soca band from London as well as a host of local calypsonians including Lady Sonia, King Vanguard, Lord Prinze and Volcano. Music was also provided by DJs Daddy Rico, Godfather and The Hypa Crew. Guests to the show were advised to “Bring your flags!”
Ahead of the bank holiday weekend, the Yorkshire Evening Post published a full list of road closures on 21 August. The list gave approximate closure times with some roads being closed from the morning of Sunday 25 August until the morning of Tuesday 27 August. Other roads were only closed on Monday for short periods. Parts of Savile Road and Mexborough Avenue were closed off from Thursday 22 August to be used for barrier storage. The Leeds City Council also sent letters to local residents regarding the road closures.
Letter from Leeds City Council, August 2019.
New to the official carnival event lineup for 2019 was the Thanksgiving Service held at the Roscoe Church on Chapeltown Road on Sunday 25 August. The special service began at 10.30am and came to an end at 1pm. Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post earlier in the month Arthur France said “Carnival is a celebration of the emancipation of slavery, the service will thank and remember our forefathers for what they went through and for what we have achieved today.”
Meanwhile, The Black Music Festival was taking place in Potternewton Park. The festival began at 11am and came to a close at 8pm. The festival featured Iration Steppas in the Dub Arena and local acts including The Hyper Crew, DJ RNB, Blitz, DJ SAF-MFD, Rizzi, and Tinykai performing on the Beatz and Vibez stage. Performers on the main stage included DJ Sensation, the Singspiration Choir, Brinsley Forde, international star Etana and the 2019 Unsigned winner Marnz (real name Armani Anderson Hamilton). He had won the Unsigned contest held at the Belgrave Music Hall on 5 July. Hosts of the festival were Fluid Irie (Richard Smith Sr), Esta Yemaya and comedian White Yardie. Lord Mayor Eileen Taylor was also present at the festival. A photo of her alongside White Yardie was later uploaded to her Facebook page. At least one arrest was made at the Black Music Festival in 2019. 21-year-old Karl Lewis was arrested after a photographer noticed he was carrying a knife. He was jailed for 18 months.
Comedian White Yardie with Audley Taylor and Eileen Taylor.
