2 days ago
Young and old set to celebrate 50th Derby Caribbean Carnival
Derby Caribbean Carnival is set to mark a half century on Sunday and all ages will be out to enjoy the festivities - including three generations from one Maria Slack, 54, is a former Carnival Queen who has been involved in the event for 20 years, and her troupe MProductions has won the carnival dance competition for the past two will be joined by her daughter Aaday Adlam, who was a carnival princess in 2012, while granddaughter Jasmine Muir, 17, is a singer and dancer with aspirations of being crowned carnival royalty year's 50th Derby Caribbean Carnival takes place from 12:00 to 21:00 BST on Sunday at Osmaston Park.
A procession will leave Cathedral Green in the city centre at noon and arrive at the park at about 14:30, said will be entertainment including Caribbean food stalls, arts and craft stalls, a beer tent, sound systems and music including headliner Maxi Priest.
Maria said: "I'm very excited, I can't believe it's here - it's come around so quickly."I love absolutely everything about the carnival - the music, the people, the costumes, bringing lots of people together from different regions, the atmosphere, the vibe, the food, the funfair, it's just all great."Maria first entered the dance competitions 23 years ago with a troupe and won the then spent time with dancers at the West Indian Centre where she "was made to feel so welcome" before going it alone with her own MPRoductions said: "We've got people from Leicester, Nottingham, Northampton, from as far as London, Birmingham, all over - Derby Caribbean Carnival brings so many people together."
Maria's daughter Aadaya Adlam, 35, no longer lives in Derby but still travels from Bristol for the said: "I always loved dance but I was really shy to begin with."And then joining something like a carnival troupes, I just gained a lot of confidence, and I ended up going for Carnival Princess back in 2012 - and I won it."And from then a buzz was created. And I just wanted to be in like every single year."Aadaya said she hopes the event can continue for another half-century: "A lot of the kids that I was friends with have now grown up and their kids are now doing it."It keeps going, keeps growing, keeps evolving."We need to get the youth in and make sure we can have another 50 years."Her daughter Jasmine is already a regular in the dance contests, and is hoping to emulate her success and be crowned royalty.
She said: "My mama Maria, she was Carnival Queen, and then my mom was Carnival Princess so now I just feel like it's my turn."Joining the troupe is honestly the best thing I've ever done to be honest."I've done it for three years, it brings everyone together, everyone is always laughing and so excited for carnivals in the summer."Jasmine said anyone who has not been to Derby's Caribbean Carnival before should visit."It's such an enjoyable experience, there's so much to do," she said."You can never be bored going to a carnival."
