Christopher BarrettThe organisers of Notting Hill Carnival have partnered with Spotify to launch Carnival Sounds, a dedicated ‘hub’ celebrating the music and culture associated with the 24-26 August event.
The dedicated area, accessible via the Spotify app, houses content including podcasts and audiobooks offering a perspective on the event’s history and culture, curated playlists and an opportunity to explore some of the sounds systems and DJs involved in this year’s event. It marks the fifth year that Notting Hill Carnival has partnered with the streaming platform.
The London carnival is the world’s biggest outside Brazil and is expected to see more than 2 million people attend the Bank Holiday weekend event that will feature parades, sound systems, parties, and live stages including Red Bull Selector featuring Lil Silva and Shy One, and Strawberries & Creem featuring BBC Radio 1’s Kenny Allstar, DJ Larni and Rachel Anson.
For the latest edition of the AAA Backstage podcast the vast event’s CEO, Matthew Phillip, discusses his lifetime association with the event, from driving floats at Notting Hill Carnival as a child to taking over its management. Among the many subjects touched on include the challenges and changes around event security, the carnival’s huge economic and social importance, uncovering the global reach of the carnival when digital content substituted the physical event during the pandemic, and how when he first attended the event dressed as a sailor in the early 1980s he never dreamed he would end up running it.
Commenting on Spotify’s latest incarnation of its ongoing partnership with Notting Hill Carnival, head of music UK & Ireland Safiya Lambie-Knight said, “We’re excited to bring back Carnival Sounds to celebrate the rich heritage and music of Carnival and to support and elevate Caribbean artists, voices and communities. It’s great to be able to help people to discover and engage with the culture ahead of Carnival weekend.”