Hat Factory Window: #BlackHistoryMonth

Carnival around the world is influenced by the cultures of the people who produce the costumes, floats, music, and dances that make up this wonderful artform. Many black cultures have influenced carnival traditions in Africa, the Caribbean and South America and through mass migration over the past 70 years have made their mark in UK Carnival.

Culture Trust Luton in partnership with the UK Centre for Carnival Arts mark #BlackHistoryMonth with a celebration of black culture and arts. With a series of events and this window exhibition, three black cultures that feature in Luton Carnival are showcased.

South American

Representing a South American tradition, a Zodiac Allstars costume from their award winning 2022 ‘World of Music’ theme. The links of the brightly coloured military marching band influenced costume can be traced to Rio Carnival in Brazil, the world’s biggest Carnival, where Samba is the biggest cultural expression. Samba was born in the 19th century out of the cultural collision of the indigenous people of Brazil, the Portuguese colonists and African slaves. The rhythmic beats of the marching drum bands with the energetic dancing are what make this cultural artform distinctive. The group that show case this wonderful traditional in Luton Carnival are world renowned Paraiso De Samba who’s annual tour sees the them in many carnivals from Luton to Rio.

African

Black influenced carnivals all have their roots in Africa with diverse traditions tracing back to ancient traditions, religions, and folklore. Representing these rich roots are ceremonial dress contributed by the Luton Igbo Community, who are the newest members to the Luton Carnival family.
Igbo: Ọmenala ndị Igbo, are the customs, practices, and traditions of the Igbo people of south-eastern Nigeria. This time of year the Igbo community celebrate Sri Ji Festival (New Yam Festival). The festival is celebrated at different times within the Igbo land, starting from August until October every year. Ji (or Yam) is a very important food crop in Igbo Land and the significance of the celebration is to give thanks for harvested crops, a tradition which is seen in many cultures around the world.

Modern Igbo traditional dress is generally made up, for men, of the Isiagu top (or Ishi agu) is usually patterned with lions heads embroidered over the clothing, with either a traditional title holders hat, a fez named okpu agu or agwu, or with the traditional Igbo stripped men’s hat, which resembles the Bobble hat.

For women, an embodied puffed sleeve blouse, influenced by European attire, along with two wrappers, usually modern Hollandis material, and a head scarf are worn.

At Luton Carnival 2023, Igbo community members wore traditional dress, preforming dances and masquerade, which in cultures across Africa are performances that honour spirits who bring prosperity and protection to a community.

Caribbean

The tradition of masquerade was brought to the Caribbean by African slaves who incorporated it with the European carnival traditions, of the colonists, which marked the start of lent. The meaning of masquerade transformed into ‘pretend to be someone one is not’ and the slaves would dress as their slave owners and colonists to mock them. The characters also facilitated storytelling and would spread coded political messages of emancipation.

This developed into specific characters that can still be seen in Caribbean and UK carnival today. One of the traditional Caribbean characters is the ‘Wild Indian’. This was developed in Caribbean carnival as a mark of respect to the Native Inidans who had protected escaping African slaves.

The use of feathers traditionally used in the ‘Wild Indian’ can be traced to the work of Luton based Rampage Mas Band whose work is showcased here. Rampage has explored many aspects of black cultures and history in their work with the traditional feather work being a predominate feature of their work.

Rampage is the UK’s most toured band both at home and internationally with Luton Carnival the start of their carnival tour annually. Rampage are resident artists and leaders of the Artist Development Programme at UK Centre for Carnival Arts.

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