The song Carnival was inspired by my time as a member of Samba Bangor, the local Samba band. It was my first two years living in Wales. I had started a new job and there was lots of big changes. Every Saturday I drove over to Bangor and spent the afternoon in the Quaker meeting house with like-minded folk playing different Samba rhythms, drinking tea and eating chips. I was very lucky to meet such lovely welcoming people.

During the summertime we were booked to play all over North Wales in village fêtes and carnivals. It was a brilliant introduction to the area. I’m not sure how I managed to arrive in some of the locations, it was before smart phones and none of us had a satnav. I imagine the local knowledge of our veteran members played a big part. Anyhow rain or shine, we’d arrive and bundle everything out of our cars, put on the costume of the day, somehow find our place in the lineup, and off we went.

Ruthin was one of our favourites. If I remember correctly, they had a carnival day with the usual lineup of stilt-walkers, carnival queens, majorettes and local kids all dressed up parading through the streets. Then in the evening there would be gigs around the town. A couple of times we got asked to stay on and play at a local pub.

As well as the carnival day they also had a festival with a stage in the town Square where local bands would play. It was always a great atmosphere.

I also have nice memories of writing the song. I sketched out my first rough ideas during a visit to my mum and dad’s house. Me and my two brothers were all staying in their back room. It was the last time we were all together. I was taking Welsh lessons at the time and it seems like a good idea to translate this song into Welsh. Especially given the subject! All the Welsh towns, and the local communities involved.

As with most Bacana songs, the final product is a result of collaborations and interventions by all the band members. Owen helped correct and improve the Welsh language elements, Jeff wrote a falling middle bit which takes you into the solos. John wrote a fantastic baseline, Jochen wrote the riff. I’d written something different but his was much better! Lovely Lou and Cezza gamely learnt the words and created some wonderful harmonies. And Owen, Mike and Colin got it grooving with drums and percussion.

On its first outing, I was so proud when I asked my musician friend what he thought of it, and he said, not knowing Welsh very well, that he thought it was a Brazilian song by someone like Caetano Veloso.

Here are the lyrics:

Carnival

by Kate Bacana

Chorus
Samba Samba Reggae
Dawnsio Batucada
Chwarae Capoeira
Dyma Swn y Carnival
x 2

Verse 1
Mynd o gwmpas Gogledd Cymru dros y haf i drefi a phentrefi
Rhuthun, Bala, Llanfairpwll, Abermaw, Bangor, Caernarfon, Felinheli
Breninesau carnafalau, majorettes a cerddwyr stiltiau
Plant o’r ysgol lleol mewn gwisg fansi cario baneri
Yr orymdaith i gyd yn dawnsio
Dod â’r parti ffynci lliwgar

Chorus

Verse 2
Gyrru trwy’r mynyddoed ceir yn llawn efo pobol ac offerynau
Ffeindio lle i barcio yn y diwedd a dadlwytho pawb a drymiau
Surdos, repiniques, tamborims, agogo, xocalho
Dwm dwm bragada, dwm dwm bragada brada da dada da da
Yr orymdaith i gyd yn dawnsio
Dod â’r parti ffynci lliwgar

Chorus

Verse 3
Mynd trwy’r maes mor brysur, fyny stryd fawr heibio traffeg di stopio
Pobol yn y tafarn (yn) yfed cwrw chwerthin a dawnsio
Haul yn tywynnu ar y dre pan dwad swn y repinique
Dum dum bragada, dum dum bragada, brada da dada da da
Yr orymdaith i gyd yn dawnsio
Dod â’r parti ffynci lliwgar