SHREEYA I grew up in a very traditional conservative Gujarati family- from the moment I heard soca music I fell in love with it

I was born here in Luton  my parents migrated from Africa. My dad was born in Uganda and moved here when he was 6 years old in 1974 and my mum was born in Tanzania and moved when she was 13 in 1982

I grew up in a very traditional conservative Gujarati family

They got married in 1991 and 3 years later I came along 😊 although I grew up in a conservative household I was also exposed to a variety of different music genres and different cultures mostly through my dads great music taste and I learnt a lot about life in Tanzania through my mums stories. I met Jelani who introduced me to West Indian culture and music and from the moment I heard soca music I fell in love with it.

I came into carnival through my friend Jelani, before that I had taken part in Luton carnival when I was younger but never really understood the work and history behind carnival.

My first experience with S.I.A was definitely memorable to say the least. From attending mas camp to the day of Notting hill carnival. I had so much fun creating the costumes, paying attention to all the details and different parts of the costumes.

From my first experience with S.i.a in 2014, carnival has become a major part of my life. The one thing I especially look forward to and wait for each year is everything about carnival. It’s the one thing that keeps me sane and brings me a boost of energy at the same time. And at the end of the day I’m sad that we have to wait another whole year to see our carnival family and play mas once again.

A couple of years ago I had a son and was in no condition to take part in playing mas, but That still stop me from joining as a spectator and jumping in with the family to parade down the streets. Last year I brought my son along and will continue to do so as soon as it’s safe to do so. For me carnival is about culture, family and love. The vibes that you experience that day are so amazing that I can’t think of any words to describe them well!

Thank you Ray and the team at sunshine! Shreeeya

#NHC2020 #NottingHillCarnival #carnivaldiversity