Manchester’s Caribbean Carnival, which returns for 2015 on Saturday 8th August to its spiritual home of Alexandra Park, is always worth a visit for a real energy and community spirit at its heart. In recent years, the enterprising lot at Red Bull have also had a hand in the festivities. Their outstanding sound system is now a key feature of the festivities, and this year’s batch of selectors promise to be more inventive and earth shaking than before, promising to ‘join the dots between jungle, drum and bass and dancehall’ throughout the day.
Headlining the shanty town inspired stage is the legendary combination of Shy FX and MC Stamina, along with Radio 1 selector Toddla T, stepping up for a rare back-to-back session with local selector Chimpo, whose seamless fusion of grime, trap, dubstep and garage has earned him major respect from his peers. Meanwhile, Dre Skull and MC Fox will be on hand to provide psychedelic dancefloor sounds with a yardie twist all of their own.
There’s good local representation, too. Zed Bias, now widely considered to be one of Manchester’s reigning electronic godfathers, will be performing as part of Madd Again Soundsystem, with Trigga, Specialist, Moss and Killa Benz all passing the mic throughout what’s guaranteed to be a raucous set. Meanwhile Platt, Samrai, Joey B, Murlo and Fox - better known as Swing Ting - ascend from the darkness of their usual Soup Kitchen rave, bringing quality grime and bass out for a day in the sunshine.
Completing the relentless spectrum of sound on a UK funky tip and RBMA prince Ossie, festival favourite My Nu Leng, and North Base, another local mainstay featuring the likes of DJ Silver, Wilf Prophecy, Splice and MC Longman. Reggae, meanwhile, comes courtesy of the masterful Mega Dread.
Representing just a corner of the full Manchester Caribbean Carnival experience, RBMA Sound System is free and part of the event at large. The stage will run from 12-8.15PM on Saturday August 8. Full details can be found here.
SEE MORE MUSIC AND NIGHTLIFE IN MANCHESTER