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BERLIN
CARNIVAL 2008 COVERAGE
Every year we follow the "Soca in we Veins" and go to Trinidad for Carnival. We go "Fete After Fete" and enjoy watching the beautiful masqueraders in their costumes "Get On" on de road. So after returning to Germany everybody had one thing on their minds ... "Can't Wait" for "Carnival to Come Back Again"! Well we have a Carnival in Berlin, the capital of Germany, too! The "Carnival of Cultures" at the beginning of May has more than 1.5 million visitors each year. It's a symbol to the world against racism and for tolerance, equality and unity. Based on this idea it became one of the biggest cultural gatherings in Europe since it's launch in 1996. The majority of the bands are traditional folk groups from numerous countries all over the world, each representing their own tradition and culture. So, the Berlin Carnival became a whole weekend of melting cultures, with a Road March on Sunday, which is definitely the highlight.
The warm-up of the three day long Soca-Marathon was held on Friday at "Icon" with the annual the "Carnival Jump Up" party where Soca Twins - Europe's No.1 Soca Sound - and Mashup Crew were hyping the crowd into Soca heaven. Saturday Night, Soundbwoys Destiny, Soca Twins and the first female Soca Sound "Bacchanal Sisters" prepared the people for the road at the "Heads Up High" Party at "Maschinenhaus".
Can't wait until next year! What a night, what a weekend, what a Carnival! Written by Anne J. for TJJ =====================================
Alex Jordan (BBC 1Xtra, UK) about Berlin Carnival 2K8 |
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Berlin
Carnival 2K8 - Jump, Wave and Misbehave!
This
year, the Berlin Soca massive and DJs launched their first Mas Camp where everybody
could come, listen to Soca, have a drink, lime and sew and glue their own costumes.
Big respect to all the beautiful ladies who took matters in their own hands! Also,
a Kings Costume, the "Pan Man", was designed by Olaf Danneker who learned
at the Peter Minshall Mas Camp in Trinidad. The glamorous 14 feet tall Pan player
is inspired by the Trinidadian national instrument and the style of the Calypso
legend "Lord Kitchener"!
Because
of the late starting number of Truck 97 - the "Yard Gear/Bohannon" Soca
Truck - there was plenty time to get in the right mood for the road. With pure
sunshine at about 27° C, the crowd was feeling the Caribbean vibes from the
first tune. At 4pm the "Soca Train" finally started moving and rapidly
the crowd joining the truck was getting bigger. Hundreds of Soca Junkies where
"chippin" down the road. Right in between: Franky Fire from Soca Twins
was playing the "Pan Man". Many international Soca DJs like Alex Jordan
(BBC 1Xtra, UK), DJ Baccha (Sweden), Herbalize It (Netherlands) and others joined
the frenzy crowd. The highlight of the Road March was the live apperance from
Soca Monarch King "Bunji Garlin" and Road March Queen "Faye Ann
Lyons" on the truck. After the "last lap" the music had to be shut
down at 9pm.
Breathless?
No way! The biggest Carnival party was still coming up Sunday night. At the "Festsaal
Kreuzberg" Germany's finest DJs: Barney Millah, Mashup Crew, Supersonic Sound
and Soca Twins hyped up a crowd of over 600 Soca fanatics dressed in white, armed
with rags and flags for the live show of the year: Bunji Garlin and Faye Ann Lyons
on stage! "The Lyrics King and Lion Empress" clearly teared down the
place which heated up to about 50° C! After the concert the crowd was partying
until the early morning light.
"It
rates in one of my top 3 Carnival experiences of all time, simply because of the
innocence of the Carnival. Everyone involved from promoters to punters was psyched,
excited and hype - that was the beauty of the Soca in this young Carnival. In
some ways I don't want people to discover it so it stays that way! I had the time
of my life."