When the Lions roar, the whole carnival listens!

Celebrating Yaram Arts at BD Carnival 2025

For more than two decades, @yaramarts has been a beacon of African culture and heritage in the UK – promoting traditions through concerts, tours, festivals & workshops. In 2010, they introduced three medieval West African & SeneGambian masquerades to London, enriching the UK carnival arts sector in unforgettable ways.

This year, their 2025 theme brought us a spectacular performance: two Zimba Lion masquerades, accompanied by a spirit caller and master drummers.

The Zimba Lion, a Wolof tradition from SeneGambia, imitates the beast of the jungle – its powerful roars, dramatic grimaces and explosive movements brought to life on stage. The spirit caller’s incantations, answered by the thunder of the drums, created a breathtaking dramatisation as the Lions were tamed and “put to sleep.”

The energy, the rhythm, the sheer power of the performance had us all mesmerised. It was more than a show — it was a journey into tradition, strength, and the living heartbeat of African culture.

Thank you, Yaram Arts, for continuing to share this legacy and for keeping our heritage alive through carnival arts.