Edinburgh Festival Carnival

Bright sunshine, blue skies, not a cloud in sight - more than organisers could have wished for as the Edinburgh Festival Carnival hit the city centre. Princes Street and Princes Street Gardens were awash with colourful costumes, throbbing with the powerful beat of street music, overflowing with street theatre, dance and circus performers. Over thirty five acts incorporating a total of four hundred men, women and children took over the heart of Edinburgh, bringing shades of Rio to Scotland's capital. Vibrant, magical, mesmerising, foot tapping, hand clapping - a carnival party second to none brought a whole host of countries from across the globe together to create two hours of non-stop festival fun. They came from as far afield as Martinique, Trinidad and Tobago, the South Indian Ocean, and China as well as countless European countries including Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom to enchant and entertain as people turned up in their thousands to enjoy the weather and join in the fun.    
Staged performances and impromptu shows, all were there for audiences to stroll around and soak up the atmosphere. The Chinese Garden was simply stunning. Traditional Chinese costumes, thrilling dance performances, T'ai Chi, dragons, lions, so popular with visitors, so beautiful, so visually enticing. Marching bands from Scotland and Italy included a debut appearance by the official Edinburgh Festival Carnival Band complete with horns and drummers. Funky brass bands set the streets alight with pulsating sounds, extravagant dress and quirky humour. Groups from Martinique, Portugal, the Netherlands and good old Scotland filled the air with infectious drumming beats. Caribbean percussion, Portuguese bagpipes - Scottish bagpipes with a Spanish accent? - and a touch of samba had audiences dancing and swaying in time to the sounds of Gwanaval, Bombrando, Legendaires and the Edinburgh Samba School.
So much to see, so much to take in ....... and only two hours in which to do it!   

Street Dance, so energetic, so full of energy, so all-encompassing had audiences gasping for more. Breathtaking acrobatics from the appropriately named Airborn Academy, urban dance, hip-hop, Carribean carnival dancers, African dance choreography - performances full of flare, peppered with exciting tricks, unique, mind-blowing, contrasting styles blending modern and contemporary. Vocalists from Hungary with their own style of pop, jazz and traditional Hungarian Romani, soul and R&B from the Netherlands, German rap artists, they were all there showcasing their talents and drawing enthusiastic applause.
Clowns - there were clowns from Poland who somewhat baffled me but had younger members of the audience enthralled. Flamboyant, although somewhat drab in appearance - my opinion again - they nonetheless seemed to combine pantomime, juggling, acrobatics and puppetry well enough. Still bizarre, though. But that's what its all about. A wonderful mix of performers sharing the stage, entertaining the crowds. Drummers, dancers and those playing with fire, the incredible Anansi from Scotland, shared the circus theatre with the clowns .......
Picnics were spread out across every available inch of grass as people made the most of the amazing weather and enjoyed a spot of lunch in the sunshine - or the shade if they were lucky enough to grab some. The Ross Bandstand came into its own as rainbow wings, extravagant headdresses, feathers, frills and fancy footwork filled the arena to herald the onset of festivities. The largest choir of its kind in France, the Paris Children's Opera Choir, delighted the audience with their amazing singing, their beautiful voices echoing around the Gardens. Just one of the many performances to grace the Bandstand stage. Pure magic.
Children headed for the Children's Corner, parents in tow. The Big Red Bus did Big Red Bus things, the bubble machine bubbled, faces were painted beyond all recognition, magicians did magic, balloon modellers modelled balloons, a "pop-up" samba band "popped up" and young folk wigged and wammed around the wig-wam.
Crazy characters, crazy music, zany musicians, elegant dancers, bands of every kind for every kind of taste - Edinburgh Festival Carnival had it all. So much sunshine, so many smiles, so much fun ....... and even the weather played ball. I guess someone somewhere did a sneaky sun-dance. I am sure one of the participants had that particular talent, or one very similar! So if you missed it all this year - bah sucks!!! Next year, go!!! Marvel at the mystical Chinese, laugh with the clowns, sing, dance, tap your feet. And if it rains next year - which it won't - then you should have gone this year. A small deposit has been paid on sunshine for July 2014 so make a note in your diary. Be there or be square ...... or so the saying goes ........ And its all free so there is no excuse.