Katumba’s Halloween Carnival goes into hiding… but a horde of drumming ‘zonbi’ might spook you, watch out!
Local cultural organisation Katumba Drumming and Movement takes a ‘step back’ and a different take on their annual unforgettable Halloween parade.
Hear ye, hear ye be surprised, be spooked! On Saturday 28th of October, it’s expected that a ‘portal’ will open up between worlds on Bold Street round about 7.30pm. Passers-by watch out as perilous creatures, known as ‘zonbi’, will be out and about to spook and taunt human souls using their thunderous beats and drumming cacophony!
Every October, Katumba holds the much awaited Katumba Halloween Carnival Parade in Liverpool City Centre, a mesmerizing combined arts, outdoor production, and always linked with Black History Month (as carnival arts are one the biggest contributions from the African Diaspora).
This year though, Katumba has been focusing on seeking funding for their Carnival, whilst developing their outreach programme with support from the Liverpool City Council and in partnership with local organisations such as International Slavery Museum/National Museums of Liverpool, Asylum Link Merseyside and the Liverpool Caribbean Center, to bring to a wider and more diverse audience the benefits of its Music and Movement programme for Physical and Mental Wellbeing.
This year’s Halloween Carnival will be all about Katumba’s outreach programme, as Katumba takes a step back from their usual multi-art [drumming, dance, fire art, puppetry, illumination, etc.] spectacle, to provide a stage for their community to showcase the AfroBrazilian Drumming & Movement artform they’ve been engaging with, and the benefits it brought them.
Guided by the cultural roots of Co-Founder & Creative Director Juliana Landim’s AfroBrazilian heritage, the theme for this year’s carnival is ‘Zonbi.’ Rather than exploring the conventional appropriated depiction of‘ zombies’, the theme delves into the zombies origin, in the Kongo word for ‘soul’ – Nzambi, which eventually transformed into ‘zonbi’ as enslaved Africans were taken to Haiti. Amidst this cultural fusion, the Voudou religion emerged, intertwining African traditions with the Caribbean. The ‘Zonbi’ theme symbolizes the eternal connection between the living and the departed.
You are invited to Liverpool City Centre, where a ‘flash mob’ style parade will captivate your senses, whilst celebrating both Black History Month and the spirit of Carnival Arts celebrating Hallows Eve.
Event Date: Saturday 28th October 2023
Categories: Black History Month | Community Event | Dance | Festival | Free | Heritage | Liverpool Against Racism | Walking | World culture | World Music
