Carnival

2017 – Sambafari – The Last Safari

London School of Samba at Notting Hill Carnival

Notting Hill Carnival 2017

Sambafari – The Last Safari

The Sambafari carnival theme embodied a vibrant, urgent celebration of life and an impassioned plea for conservation, inspired by mythic elements where the Great Rivers and majestic animals unite to preserve the world from the brink of ecological collapse. Through the rhythmic pulse of samba and the colourful spectacles of the parade, our theme served as a powerful symbolization of humanity's final opportunity to harmonize with nature and safeguard the planet.

When the world was young, and life was untethered, and the Great Rivers carried Water, the life-giver, to all four corners of the Earth, the animals ran free through Mother Africa’s warm embrace. That is when the landscape gave birth to our ancestors. Mankind brought music, and dance, and the beauty of art. But he also brought austerity and the harshness of life. So, Olorun, King of the Sky, Lord of Heaven, looked down upon the world and called out to the animals, asking them for their help in protecting his creation. But man was consumed by greed. He turned on the animals, destroying habitats, and hunting them to extinction.

So Olorun turned to the animals and said, in a great sad voice, “It is time, my children. The world is dying. I shall gather the great rivers: The Amazon, The Nile, the Yangtze, the Congo, the Mississippi. I will gather up the mighty baobab and the acacia, and all the other plants of my creation. And I shall build an Ark. And we shall embark on a great journey. We shall leave this land, and begin again.”

Mother Earth is dying. Global warming, climate change, deforestation, pollution. The environment is being destroyed by mankind’s greed, and his wars. One and a half acres of rainforest are lost every second due to deforestation, threatening indigenous cultures and their ancient traditions. Our insatiable hunger for energy has caused toxic waste. And while we have enough food to feed everyone on the planet, in most developed companies we waste 30-50% of it. Massive corporations wield immense political strength and continue to drive ill-regulated fossil fuel sourcing missions. Terrorism and war continue to spread, destroying infrastructure and access to basic needs, eroding civil liberties and human rights for millions of people.

The natural world is in the midst of a mass extinction as wild places are destroyed by conversion to farmland, mining and pollution, and animals are hunted in huge numbers. In October, a major analysis found the number of wild creatures was on track to fall by two-thirds by 2020, compared to 1970.

In Africa, the cheetah is threatened by habitat loss and hunting for their pelt. The African Lion is being hunted to extinction. Mountain gorillas are easy-going vegetarians who lead a peaceful, playful life, yet thanks to the Rwandan civil war and destruction of their habitat they are once again one of the most endangered animals in the world. Coveted for their horn, both the black and the white rhino are being killed. Hippos are hunted for their meat. Poaching, conflict and habitat destruction continue to threaten both the African and Asian elephants.

In the Kalahari desert brown hyenas are endangered by hunters who wrongly believe they kill livestock. Africa and India are experiencing a vulture crisis, with 16 species vulnerable to extinction thanks to food loss, habitat destruction and poaching. Extinction also threatens 36% of the world’s chameleons, their biggest threat is habitat degradation. Giraffes have also been affected by habitat loss, and are now on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s ‘Red List’. Logging and deforestation have pushed the great Philippine Eagle to the brink of extinction. Lemurs are the worlds most endangered mammals, owing to illegal logging which is a result of poverty brought on by political turmoil. The Wild Water Buffalo is under threat from habitat loss, diseases transferred from and interbreeding with domestic livestock.

At the London School of Samba, we embrace sustainability with enthusiasm and dedication. We take pride in recycling our costumes and materials and invest in storage facilities to keep them ready for future performances. Our philosophy is rooted in repair and reuse—whether it’s mending a broken instrument or salvaging sparkling jewels from previous parades, we’re committed to reducing our environmental impact. Join us in our journey to protect our beautiful planet, one samba step at a time!

Sambafari

Portuguese

A vida começou na África
com animais grandes e pequenos
Flora e fauna soberana
Um desfile sem igual
Sobrevivência, procissão da vida
Não preciso de dinheiro
pra fazer bom carnaval
Ouço o som da natureza
e sigo com paixão até o final

Dança com alegria, pula, samba, vibra
Baobá, onipotente, protegendo a tradição
Com raízes na esperança, honra aos nossos fundadores
Orgulho e fé no coração
Um safari verde-e-branco, estandarte natural
Sou a Unidos de Londres, a pioneira deste carnaval

(Enquanto) Enquanto as águas do Atlântico
Banham as belezas das terras que Deus criou
De um lado desertos, miragens, animais selvagens
do outro samba e amor,
o sol (ah, o sol) que a tudo ilumina,
as duas terras unifica
e logo exalta ambas: África e Brasil
E o meu corpo então se agita,
minha escola na avenida,
fazendo o Sambafari em Notting Hill

Tenho que beber da água dessa vida
Desfrutar desse oásis, minha alma renascida
Inspirado na Savana, festa da diversidade
Com força e luta busco a felicidade
Um safari verde-e-branco, estandarte natural
Sou a Unidos de Londres, a pioneira deste carnaval

English

Life began in Africa
With animals large and small
The sovereignty of the Flora and Fauna
is such a unique parade
Survival, is the procession of life
I do not need money
to have a good carnival
I just need to hear the sound of nature
And I continue with passion until the end

Dance with joy, jump, samba and vibrate
Baobab, omnipotent, protecting the tradition
With roots in hope, honours our Founders
Pride and faith in the heart
A green-and-white safari, our flag’s natural symbol,
I am Unidos de Londres, the pioneer of this carnival

(While) While the waters of the Atlantic
are bathing the beauties of the lands that God created,
on one side deserts, mirages, wild animals
and on the other samba and love,
the sun (ah, the sun) that illuminates everything,
unifies these two lands
and exalts both: Africa and Brazil
And then my body shakes,
As my school is on the “avenida”,
doing the Sambafari in Notting Hill

I have to drink the water of this life,
enjoy this oasis, let my soul be reborn
inspired by the Savannah’s diverse party
with strength and struggle I seek happiness
a green-and-white safari, our flag’s natural symbol
I am Unidos de Londres, the pioneer of this carnival

I have to drink the water of this life,
enjoy this oasis, let my soul be reborn
inspired by the Savannah’s diverse party
with strength and struggle, I seek happiness
a green-and-white safari, our flag’s natural symbol
I am Unidos de Londres, the pioneer of this carnival

Carnival Manager

Mestre Mags as Chair of the Carnival Commitee