Editorial: Lashley • Images: Zeriba Media

This year, the city of Atlanta enters its 37th year of celebrating the Atlanta Caribbean Carnival. The parade route was located on the city’s west side. The annual celebration is held during the month of May, and for the second year in a row, the festival village, at the end of the parade route, was at Westside Park. There was a slight delay in starting the parade due to a heavy shower of rain, but that did not dampen the spirit of the paraders as they took to the street as soon as it was over. It was remarkable that the sun came back out in less than thirty minutes, and for the rest of the day, it revealed its shining face. This year, the route was shortened, but it was four miles for the band and revelers to display their bold and bombastic elegance. The people lining the parade routes looked on in amazement, not daring to look away for a moment, as the revelers danced and gyrated to the loud sound of SOCA music emanating from the numerous large trucks that were carrying the sound systems.

At the end of the route was the festival village, which hosted a sizeable music stage for live music performances and food booths selling various assortments of Caribbean food. Inclusive of everything, the parade starts at 11 a.m., and the live stage performance ends at 10 p.m. This represents a full day of activities and multiple layers of activities through which people will be entertained. At the Carnival Village, there were many international musical artists who had flown into the city to perform at the festival as well as other carnival-related events. There are usually many live shows with SOCA artists performing at venues all around the city during the week of the Carnival. The festival attracts people from many countries and different states in the US who come to the city to participate and enjoy the activities. The Carnival truly represents an international affair; from performance to food and costumes, the representation is very broad. Inside the village, there was a mixture of many forms of Caribbean music, including SOCA, dancehall, reggae, hip-hop, afrobeat, etc.

This year, the festival celebrated the island of Dominica, with Asa Banton representing the country as the grand Marshal.

Adeseun Oladunsi Oyeneye flew in from Nigeria to have a first-hand experience of this cultural festival and to receive a proclamation from the city of Atlanta. She said, “Caribbean Carnivals are known for their spectacular costumes with exquisite designs. I was looking forward to the spectacle and was not disappointed. The energy of the music, the celebratory spirit, and the food in the park were just amazing. Just the visual of those costumes glittering in the sun and the pulsating beat of the music as the paraders danced through the street was just so beautiful and liberating to take in. The elaborate and ornate costumes, with feathers and bright dynamic colors, reflected the creativity of the Caribbean. At the carnival stage, I was given a proclamation award by the City of Atlanta for my work and the positive impact that I have made in the media. I felt validated to receive such an award; it affirmed my professional achievement but also highlighted my ability to inspire and make tangible differences in people’s lives. “The carnival, to me, was an expression of joy and exuberance within the tapestry of American culture.” 

Korra Obidi, a US-based Nigerian dancer, singer, and social media influencer, said of her first visit to the Atlanta Caribbean Carnival, “This was an unbelievable cultural experience. It’s one for the books.” She took part in the parade and later performed at the Carnival Village stage. During her live performance, she expressed her love for Caribbean carnivals and challenged the audience to dance and get involved as she gyrated her hips around the stage. As the audience responded to her challenge, she expressed her love for and appreciation for Caribbean culture and the way the parade made her feel like a queen on the road.

Grenadian SOCA artist Lavaman said, “It’s always a great opportunity to perform at the Atlanta Carnival. There is something special about that city and its diversity. When you find situations where island cultures merge in foreign spaces, you get an extra bump in your performing energy. You want to bring that Caribbean hyper-hyper energy; you want to take it to the rim. I am amazed at the way that this festival has developed in this city over the past few years. The energy is literally out of this world. I love the responsiveness of the crowd. In my opinion, Atlanta is fast becoming legendary among Caribbean Carnivals in North America.”