This year, Liverpool’s cultural organisation Katumba Drumming and Movement is adopting a unique approach to their annual Halloween parade, opting to “step back” from their usual approach.
All individuals, regardless of age, are welcome to attend Bold Street in the city centre on Saturday, October 28th, where it is promised that a ‘portal’ will manifest between different dimensions at approximately 7:30pm.
Every October, Katumba holds the much-awaited Katumba Halloween Carnival Parade in Liverpool City Centre, a mesmerising combination of arts and outdoor production that is always linked with Black History Month in its themes.
Attendees at this year’s event should be cautious as dangerous creatures called ‘zonbi’ may be present to frighten and torment people with their powerful rhythms and chaotic drumming!
Guided by the cultural roots of Co-Founder & Creative Director Juliana Landim’s Afro-Brazilian heritage, the carnival this year will explore the conventional appropriated depiction of ‘zombies’.
Juliana explained:
“The Kongo word for ‘soul’ – Nzambi – 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.”
She continued:
“This year, Katumba has been focusing on seeking funding for their Carnival, whilst developing our 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. We want to bring the benefits of our Music and Movement programme for Physical and Mental Wellbeing to a wider and more diverse audience.”
The Halloween Carnival in 2023 will focus on this outreach programme, as Katumba take a step back from their usual multi-art spectacle to provide a stage for their community to showcase the Afro-Brazilian Drumming and Movement art form.
Katumba invite you all to Liverpool City Centre on Saturday 28th October, where their ‘flash mob’ style parade will ‘captivate the senses’, whilst celebrating both Black History Month and the spirit of Carnival Arts celebrating Hallows Eve.
For more information you can visit Katumba’s website here.
