This outdoor celebration of all things Black/Brown and Queer is a full on spectacle of LGBTQIA+ Pride.
A 30 minute carnival style dance piece with integrated spoken word brings love and joy to any outdoor space.
Consisting of an eco friendly electric golf buggy in full pride colours, a portable solar powered sound system and a troupe of fabulous dancers, the show is designed for Pride, festivals and of course Carnivals.
Commissioned by Derby CAN and supported by National Forest Company, Century Theatre and Arts Council England.
Choreographers Maria Slack and Niaz Stephenson
Dramaturg Sam Beckett Jr
Spoken Word Aoife O'Connor
Piece opens with spoken word read by Sam Beckett Jr. The voice is distorted and there are swirling noises in the background.
Spoken Word:
I’ve always struggled to look in a mirror and call myself beautiful
someone once told me that it’s okay,
it just means you’re not attracted to yourself,
this may be true but it is also an easy fix, to a deeper rooted problem,
It took years of learning how to breathe in my own presence,
But eventually I found a home for black, queer & love all on the same shelf,
And sometimes they do look at odds with each other
But I am proud of who I am.
It is what safety feels like,
It is all the hugs I gave myself, it’s the doubt, I doubt you’d understand.
It’s the aurora in our existence, which is to say we are the sky
And this light show is food for thought and a forget you.
Music: Savannah Grass (Kes)
Oh na na na
Oh na na na
Mmmm ay ay If you know yeah
Then you know yeah, ay
We are all on the ground, yeah
We holding it down, yeah
We open we story, yeah
It's savannah j'ouvert morning
J'ouvert morning, everybody coming in, ay
We ready, they ready to go, yeah
We go make them jump
We go make them turn up
We go make them wine
We go make them free up
Is the place of bacchanal
In this sweet botanical, this Carnival
I want you to find your way everybody on stage
Oh, Lord, oh
If you coming down from the mountains,
Oh God, oh
When the rhythm beating in town
See we jumping on the
The Savannah Grass, the Savannah Grass
You could see it all when the dust raise
Oh, Lord, oh
When the people tell yuh they cannot wait
Oh, God, oh
When the spirit jumping in town we coming around
The Savannah Grass, the Savannah Grass
We up with the sun, yeah
We take over town, yeah
We making the most, yeah
Two days is not enough, no!
It's love we feeling
Look everybody revealing
They ready they ready for more, yeah!
We go make them jump (Jump!)
We go make them turn up
We go make them wine
We go make them free up
Is the place of bacchanal
In the place so magical, this Carnival
I want you to find your way everybody on stage
Oh, Lord, oh
If you coming down from the mountains,
Oh, God, oh
When the rhythm beating in town
See we jumping on the
The Savannah Grass, the Savannah Grass
You could see it all when the dust raise
Oh, Lord, oh
When the people tell yuh they cannot wait
Oh, God, oh
When the spirit jumping in town we coming around
The Savannah Grass, The Savannah Grass
Ohh na na na
Savannah j'ouvert morning
Mm Oh na na na
Ay ay
If you know yeah (Make them jump)
Then you know (Make they turn up)
Make them wine
Make them free up
We all on the ground yeah
We holding it down yeah
We open the store yeah
Savannah J'ouvert morning
Music: Famalay (Skinny Fabulous)
Vikings
Hey ha!
Machel
Yeh Skinny!
Cause when we roll
We no roll alone
So anyweh that weh we go
Yuh fi know
Ah movin' heavy with me
Famalay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay
With me
Famalay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay
When we
Come to play-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay
We mash up fete
Tun up dance
We like ah army
Cus everybody
Jumping up together (Gether)
Jumping up together (Gether)
Mashing up together (Gether)
Mashing up together (Gether)
Waving up together (Gether)
Waving up together (Gether)
Jumping up together (Gether)
Ay
Hay ha!
We doh see skin
We doh see colour
We see strength
We see power
We doh see race
One or di other
Once he is breathing on dis earth he is ma brother
Man even if we fall out
Bredrin we go all out
We would neva
Watch di family dem fall and sprawl out
From everywhere we crawl out
We ready to brawl out (lawd)
Fire bun, a friend is family we bawl out
Ah jumping with me
Famalay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay
With me
Famalay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay
When we
Come to play-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay
We mash up fete
Tun up dance
We like ah army
Cause everybody
Jumping up together (Gether)
Jumping up together (Gether)
Mashing up together (Gether)
Mashing up together (Gether)
Waving up together (Gether)
Waving up together (Gether)
Jumping up together (Gether)
Ay
Ahh wo
Ah say wo
Is plenty ah we
My crew alone is seventy ah we
Di bond dat we have unbreakable
For di long term it's not temporary
So hands up if yuh love family
Show me yuh hand
If yuh is one ah we
Come follow me
Cus technically
All ah we is we
Well let me tell yuh one time
Family is family
And dat different from bloodline
Some say dem is blood
But dem doh want to see di sunshine
Family doh ever fraid
To have yuh back at all time
Tell dem and dem friend
We feting with we
Famalay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay
With me
Famalay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay
When we
Come to play-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay
We mash up fete
Tun up dance
We like ah army
Cus everybody
Jumping up together (Gether)
Jumping up together (Gether)
Mashing up together (Gether)
Mashing up together (Gether)
Waving up together (Gether)
Waving up together (Gether)
Jumping up together (Gether)
Hay ha
We doh see skin
We see power
Garlin (Yo yo)
We doh see race
Yeh, Skinny Fabulous (Yeh yeh)
We see brother
Ah movin' heavy with me
Famalay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay
With me
Famalay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay
When we
Come to play-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay-lay
We mash up fete
Tun up dance
We like ah army
Cus everybody
Jumping up together (Gether)
Jumping up together (Gether)
Mashing up together (Gether)
Mashing up together (Gether)
Waving up together (Gether)
Waving up together (Gether)
Jumping up together (Gether)
Hay ha!
Skinny Fabulous
Machel (Ho)
Garlin
Family weh yuh deh?
Music: Soca Storm (Major Lazer)
When the Soca brings storm
All them knees shall fall
Every bad mind fence and barrier
You shall bring the power!
A soca monster is what I am
Tell them what I am
But when we together
We are a soca storm
Everybody!
And we come here to move everything
Shake down everything
Move everything
Shake down everything
Move everything
Shake down everything
Move everything
Shake down everything
Sway! party mashup
Sway! start to bounce
Sway! party mashup
SWAYY!
Let the party lean on aside
Just lean on aside
Lean on aside
Everything go lean on aside
Stop
The other side
The other side
Lean on the other side (oi)
All you think I'm done?
Just make it blow
Hold on, hold on, oi
The soca breeze start to blow
Hold on, hold on, oi
Cause when this breeze start to blow
Hold on, hold on, oi
Everything have to go
Everybody!
Hold on, hold on, do something
Call us the soca hybrids the new generation
We make everything fly, Soca Aviation
Lift up everything and call it Soca Levitation
When we reach inside a party, we move your foundation
Call it the place mash up
Defeat, done
Cause when we reach is like hurricane come!
I call it the place mash up
Defeat, done
Cause when we reach is like hurricane come!
And we come here to move everything
Shake down everything (time to move it)
And we come here to move everything
Shake down everything
Move everything
Shake down everything
Move everything
Shake down everything
Sway! party mashup
Sway! start to bounce
Sway! party mashup
SWAYY!
Let the party lean on aside
Just lean on aside
Lean on aside
Everything go lean on aside
Stop
The other side
The other side
Lean on the other side
All you think I'm done?
Just make it blow
Hold on, hold on, oi
The soca breeze start to blow
Hold on, hold on, oi
Cause when this breeze start to blow
Hold on, hold on, oi
Everything have to go
Everybody!
Hold on, hold on, do something
I have the feel in my soul
Soca go take over the world
Any obstacles in my way
I come to move it all today
Lawd
No bad mind cannot stop me
Tell them change they mind
We mash up the world damn world
And lean it on aside
Soca unite my people, they could say what they want
So who tho(se) like the soca just move --
And we come here to move everything
Shake down everything
Move everything
Shake down everything
Move everything
Shake down everything
Move everything
Shake down everything
Sway! party mashup
Sway! start to bounce
Sway! party mashup
SWAYY!
Let the party lean on aside
Just lean on aside
Lean on aside
Everything go lean on aside
Stop
The other side
The other side
Lean on the other side
All you think I'm done?
Just make it blow
Hold on, hold on, oi
The soca breeze start to blow
Hold on, hold on, oi
Cause when this breeze start to blow
Hold on, hold on, oi
Everything have to go
Everybody!
Hold on, hold on, do something
If you lock us out the damn feet we go start to break down gate
Soca monarch, nothing going to stand straight
FFF gang, this is time demonstrate
Like a bang drop, make the part start vibrate
They think they bad?
They not bad yet
They think they crazy?
They not crazy yet
They think they mad?
They not mad yet
Let we show them how to mash up the party destroy everything
And we come here to move everything
Shake down everything
Move everything
Shake down everything
Move everything
Shake down everything
Move everything
Shake down everything
Sway! party mashup
Sway! start to bounce
Sway! party mashup
SWAYY!
Let the party lean on aside
Just lean on aside
Lean on aside
Everything go lean on aside
Stop
The other side
The other side
Lean on the other side
Spoken Word:
I wish you hands that fold like a burrito,
Flying cars, climate change and parties
that are parties, not socially acceptable protests.
I wish the world borderless and a holiday,
planned without having to google your chance of survival.
I wish there was no space between bank accounts and job roles.
I wish you could have dinner with religion and public displays of affection
I wish relationship and partner not be a question
gender to be a joke and an anecdote you tell your children.
how you identify to just be ‘I like…’
I want your voice to never be hoarse,
Your identity not to be a question, on the side, to a friend behind a palm
While introductions are being made.
I want the people you told not to be a checklist
I want you not to have to tell anyone
I want physical appearances not to be an assumption or a statement, in confidence
I want you to say I’m having fun and mean it.
Music: Togetherness (Alison Hinds)
Posse
Lem me see yah raise yah hands
And put them in the air
Put them in the air
High High
Posse
Lem me see yah raise yah hands
And put them in the air
Put them in the air
High High
Jump and let dem see love and unity
One big family, togetherness
Jump and let dem see love and unity
One big family, togetherness
Wine and let dem see love and unity
One big family, togetherness
Wine and let dem see love and unity
One big family, togetherness
The fussing and the fighting and the war must done
The war must done
The war must done
The fussing and the fighting and the war must done
Come leh we live as one
God say to put down drugs,
He say the knife and the gun
The knife and the gun
The knife and the gun
God say to put down drugs,
He say the knife and the gun
And let we all have fun
They can't believe
They can't believe the fighting cease
They can't believe
They can't believe we living in peace
They can't believe the ghetto youth put down dey gun
They can't believe that everybody living as one
They can't believe that everybody love one another
Jumping and wining together
What is the word, togetherness
What is the word, togetherness
What is the word, togetherness
What is the word, togetherness
Posse
Lem me see yah raise yah hands
And put them in the air
Put them in the air
High High
Posse
Lem me see yah raise yah hands
And put them in the air
Put them in the air
High High
The fussing and the fighting and the war must done
The war must done
The war must done
The fussing and the fighting and the war must done
Come leh we live as one
The fussing and the fighting and the war must done
The war must done
The war must done
The fussing and the fighting and the war must done
Come leh we live as one
They can't believe we done wid the fuss and de fight
They can't believe that black people mixing wid white
They can't believe the rich man jumping wid the poor
They can't believe we say separation not good
They can't believe we say everybody love one another
Jumping and wining together
Jump and let dem see love and unity
One big family, togetherness
Music: Soca Kingdom (Machel Montano)
Soca Kingdom
Soca Kingdom
Soca Kingdom
Who ready?
We now start
Get ready there
Say to bounce starter
Meet we on the way
We lining up
Ready to charge ahead
Forward is not enough
Ah wuh yuh to jump up!
Trample the ground now
We heading to Downtown
Gyal all on the railing!
So much woman ah trailing
Follow the big song
Get ready to mash down
All in the stadium
The whole ah the Kingdom come down!
Time to show meh yuh waves!
Time to get outta line!
Yuh born and ready for pace!
Come and wine in the roadway!
All in front ah the gate way!
All in front ah the people Business Place!
This is the Kingdom!
Wine and fling it up!
Wine and wine and fling it up!
Fling it up!
Wine and fling it up!
Wine and wine and fling it up!
Every creed and age!
Fling it up!
Wine and wine and fling it up!
Every road is a stage!
Fling it up!
Wine and wine and fling it up!
Yeah yeah yeah
Wine and fling it up!
Wine and wine and fling it up!
Yeah yeah yeah
Wine and fling it up!
Wine and wine and fling it up!
Woyo yo yo
Fling it up! Yeah yeah yeah yeah!
Fling it up!
Woyo yo yo yo!
Fling it up!
Yeah yeah yeah yo
Wine and fling it up, fling it up!
I wuh yuh to throw yuh waist I
wuh yuh to throw yuh waist
Gimme that attitude
Now is a wining mood
Doh gimme me no grumpy face
Somebody go take yuh place
Better doh play the fool
They rushing it down like food!
Yuh waiting a long time
Enough ah the standby
Head up to the front line
Get ready for more wine
If yuh fed up ah frustration
Get into formation
Now is a celebration
'Cause the Kingdom come down
Time to show meh yuh waves!
Time to get outta line!
Yuh born and ready for pace!
Come and wine in the roadway!
All in front ah the gate way!
All in front ah the people Business Place!
This is the Kingdom!
Wine and fling it up!
Wine and wine and fling it up!
Fling it up!
Wine and fling it up!
Wine and wine and fling it up!
Every creed and age!
Fling it up!
Wine and wine and fling it up!
Every road is a stage!
Fling it up!
Wine and wine and fling it up!
Yeah yeah yeah
Wine and fling it up!
Wine and wine and fling it up!
Yeah yeah yeah
Wine and fling it up!
Wine and wine and fling it up!
Woyo yo yo
Fling it up!
Yeah yeah yeah yeah!
Fling it up!
Woyo yo yo yo!
Fling it up!
Yeah yeah yeah yo
Wine and fling it up, fling it up!
Hands in the air!
Hands in the air!
Hands in the air, party!
Hands in the air, party!
Hands in the air!
Everybody!
Party like a VIP
Party like a VIP
Party like a VIP
Party like a VIP
Stamp yuh name on the stage
Stamp yuh name on the stage
Stamp it, stamp it, stamp it
Stamp yuh name on the stage
Time to show meh yuh waves!
Time to get outta line!
Yuh born and ready for pace!
Come and wine in the roadway!
All in front ah the gate way!
All in front ah the people Business Place!
This is the Kingdom!
Wine and fling it up!
Wine and wine and fling it up!
Fling it up!
Wine and fling it up!
Wine and wine and fling it up!
Every creed and age!
Fling it up!
Wine and wine and fling it up!
Every road is a stage!
Fling it up!
Wine and wine and fling it up!
Yeah yeah yeah
Wine and fling it up!
Wine and wine and fling it up!
Yeah yeah yeah
Wine and fling it up!
Wine and wine and fling it up!
Woyo yo yo
Fling it up!
Yeah yeah yeah yeah!
Fling it up!
Woyo yo yo yo!
Fling it up!
Yeah yeah yeah yo
Wine and fling it up, fling it up!
Music: Feel The Love (Freetown Collective)
May your heart find peace
Anywhere you come from
Coulda up you coulda down
Blessings on my nation
Heyeyeyey Heyeyeyeyeyeyeyeyeyey
This city cyah hold me
My vibes too high
And my heart - it told me jump right now
You will touch the sky
Feel my love unfolding
Like a laughing flame
All who did not know me
When I done they go know d name
Million people coming down
Dancing to a song
(Oooh oooh hey)
Love is life and life is love
Blessings from above
(Oooh oooh hey)
Can you feel the love that’s in the air?
Well if you feel it, let me hear you say
Dancing moving, grooving everywhere
If you feel it let me hear you say
Nah na na na nah nah
Na na nah nah
Na na nah nah
Aye!
Nah na na na nah nah
Na na nah nah
Na na nah nah
Take me to d river
Take me to d sea
Wash over me music
Bathe me in your melody
We are such a blessed tribe
Sweeter than a million bees
People live a thousand lives
And never feel this free
Million people coming down
Dancing to a song
(Oooh oooh hey)
Love is life and life is love
Blessings from above
(Oooh oooh hey)
Can you feel the love that’s in the air?
Well if you feel it, let me hear you say
Dancing moving, grooving everywhere
If you feel it let me hear you say
Naah nah Nah nah naah nah
Nah nah naah nah
Nah naa naah nah
Aye!
Naah nah
Nah nah naah nah
Nah nah naah nah
Nah naa naah nah
Naah nah
Nah nah naah nah
Nah nah naah nah
Nah naa naah nah
Aye!
Naah nah
Nah nah naah nah
Nah nah naah nah
Nah naa naah nah
Can you feel the love that's in the air?
Dancing, moving, grooving everywhere
(Nah na naah nah)
Aye! C
an you feel the love that's in the air?
(Nah na naah nah)
Dancing, moving, grooving everywhere
(Nah na naah nah)
Naah nah
Nah nah naah nah
Nah nah naah nah
Nah naa naah nah
Naah nah
Nah nah naah nah
Nah nah naah nah
Nah naa naah nah
Spoken Word:
It is in this moment when we rename the violent event, a spectacle, a phenomenon we are the stars.
You made myths out of us loving us,
The first time I love someone who looks like me it was magic,
It was what the Earth is made of.
It is providing yourself the better future you talk about for your children
The first time I loved someone who looked like me.
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