The Notting Hill Carnival is an extraordinary event that unites Caribbean people and other cultures based in the UK. Since 1966, it has drawn its energy from the Black Power movement, from a spirit of freedom. A story of suffering and emancipation. A festival of color, of bodies, of costumes... Whites, Blacks, Indians... everyone mingles to the rhythm of the sound systems. The crowd embraces Caribbean culture.

11 a.m.: We pass through the fumes of the grills that will later be used to prepare Jerk Chicken, the emblematic Jamaican dish of Carnival.

Noon: The spicy smells waft from the barrels over the Notting Hill district. Between two spots, we stop to savor these typical Caribbean flavors. No matter what islands you come from, if you know, you know.

Further afield floats headline processions where participants break into song and dance. Reggae, Soca, Dancehall and Dub transcend the crowds in deafening volume. Here, twerking is unrestrained. To the uninitiated, this may seem indecent. In reality, it's the energy you're looking for. Women and men leave their complexes behind. We go from very skinny bodies to apoutchous, as we say in West Africa, i.e. very luscious women. So, yes, everyone's moving their bonda, their bum bum, their booty, call it what you want, but it's always in a spirit of freedom and decompression, something we all need, at least once a year... 

Among the people watching the Mas, there are very young children, already proud to wear the colors of their origin. There are also much older people, observing the event from their camping chairs. Stemming from the Windrush, the great wave of Caribbean immigration, they sport their dreadlocks, braids and afros.

The majority are Jamaicans and Trinidadians, but all the Caribbean islands are there. On the African side, Nigerians and Ghanaians are well represented, but again, if you look hard enough, you'll find people from all over the continent. Everyone enjoys it and there is a true spirit of fraternity. Unbelievably, young people and policemen take photos of each other.

In this large community, you can feel the passion and strength that have made Carnival a proud day since decades. If you don't know about this event, I sincerely advise you to come and take part at least once in your life. In the meantime, I leave you with the images...