Notting Hill Carnival is back for the first time since 2019. The biggest street festival in Europe, and the second largest in the world, it is a celebration of Caribbean culture. ⁠ One of the co-founders of the Carnival, Vincent George Forbes aka Duke Vin is credited with bringing a sound system to the 1973 edition, opening the door to the sounds systems that dominate the contemporary carnivals. ⁠ The Sound Systems (or “sounds “) that are a big feature of the event, originated in Jamaica and evolved to become the centre point of music making in a community. Behind each Sound system there is a devoted crew of artists, MCs and technicians, with each system having its own specialisation including Soca, Grime, Lovers Rock, Dub Reggae and Afrobeat.⁠ The impact of ‘sound systems’ on UK culture goes beyond the festival. Before ‘sounds’ most clubs were kitted out with inadequate ‘Rock & Roll’ style systems . There is no doubt that the ‘sound system’ influence caused the demand for bands on the road to insist on high powered, multi-amplified PA systems.⁠ Have a good weekend ⁠