Derby West Indian Carnival [The Parade]

More pictures from this event on my FotoBlog at:  http://tashcamuk.fotopages.com/?entry=499561

The streets were awash with colour and alive with music as hundreds of participants in the 19th Derby Carnival danced to the Market Place on Saturday.

More than 20 groups of dancers and costumed bands, some numbering more than 100, wound their way from Pear Tree Infant School, in Pear Tree Street, through the streets of Normanton and into the city centre.

Floats banged out music as hundreds more Derby residents lined the streets and gathered in the Market Place to join in the party atmosphere.

Groups came from as far away as Leeds and London to join in the celebrations.

The Derby West Indian Community Association, which organised the event, described it as the best ever. The parade, which saw groups dress up on the theme of exotic birds, was the first of two days of celebrations.

Organiser Tankyiwa Sankofa said: "We had more people than ever taking part and there were also more people watching and waiting for us by the time we reached the Market Place.

"The quality of the groups that we had were excellent. The music was brilliant and some of the costumes were just fantastic.

"Next year will be our 20th and I want us to build on this. The aim is that the whole city will be dancing. It should be one big party."

Among the groups taking part were the Scratch Street Dancers, based at the Mandela Centre, Pear Tree Road, Normanton.

 http://www.kinetika.co.uk

 http://www.kinetika.co.uk/pages/carnival/Roadstofreedom.htm

Derby West Indian Community Association
 http://beehive.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/default.asp?WCI=SiteHome&ID=10204&PageID=57869
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ALAN LODGE
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