Notting Hill Carnival Loses Sancho Panza Sound-System
Massively popular underground house sound-system crew Sancho Panza announced last week that they’re ‘retiring’ from taking part in West London’s Notting Hill Carnival and blamed gentrification, bureaucracy and ever-escalating costs for forcing them to quit.
“It is with heavy hearts we announce our official retirement from Notting Hill Carnival,” they announced on their website.
“Every August bank holiday from 1994 to 2013 we’ve created a jumping dance party right in the middle of Carnival. It’s been an honour and a privilege to have been a part of such a massive chunk of chaotic fun.”
“Last year the beautiful school at our site was knocked down and the logistics of the space changed. We tried to make it work again this year but the obstacles kept on coming so rather than produce something we weren’t totally happy with, we thought it best to end our Carnival chapter on a high and preserve the magic moments,” they explained.
“The crew also revealed they’re already ‘making plans for a cosy new festival, August bank holiday 2016,” indicating their departure is permanent.
Sancho Panza’s absence, combined with the disappearance of Norman Jay’s Good Times sound system for the second year running, will leave few options for house music revellers during the massive street party, since almost all the other static sound systems at the Carnival play different genres.
Norman Jay instead promised to transform The St John at Hackney Church / Venue into a ‘Cathedral of Sound’, at a party he set up on Saturday August 29th (the night before Carnival starts).
“By now you all know, I won’t be at Notting Hill Carnival this year,” he wrote on the Facebook event page for the event.
“I will be instead moving across town, for the first time ever and for one night only, to show the east side of London just how the Good Times are done!” (Facebook )
