Music legend Shaggy on his love for London and performing at Notting Hill Carnival and new music
Tap above to watch Carolyn Sim's interview with Shaggy
Music legend Shaggy revealed his decades-long love of London as he prepared to perform at the Notting Hill Carnival over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
The performer who shot to fame with songs including It Wasn't Me and Oh Carolina said he had been coming to the capital since 1993 and had a "lovely relationship" with London.
"A lot of my songs blew up out of London - such as Mr Boombastic. Oh Carolina was the first dancehall record to go number one in the British chart," Shaggy said,
"I’ve always loved London. I have great places and friends here. In Harlesden there were some of the best Caribbean cook shops.
"Now I also go to great Indian restaurants and meet up with a couple of my friends - hi to David Haye! We hang out every now and then," he explained.
Shaggy is one of the main acts at this year's Notting Hill Carnival performing on the Saxon and Rampage stages.
The performance comes as Shaggy releases his soca-inspired new song featuring Kes called Mood.
Shaggy added: "With this track [Mood] it’s a feel good track. What I tried to accomplish with Mood is to bring not just a song to work at Carnival but also outside that. "When you’re in that mood you’re not just in a good mood for Carnival, you can be in a good mood at Christmas! You want that to transcend through different times. "It has a whole soca vibe to it. I say to everyone wear comfortable shoes because you’ll be dancing all day!"
The last time Shaggy came to the Notting Hill Carnival was in 2014 when he said it "rained like hell!".
He said he felt lucky to have had such a long career in music and still loved performing to live audiences.
"I have been blessed. Songwriting is a craft and I try my very best to master that craft," he added.
The Notting Hill Carnival is the world’s second biggest carnival and Europe’s largest street event, bringing people of all backgrounds together to celebrate London's diverse heritage. Each year, around two million revellers take to the streets of west London for a huge celebration rooted in Caribbean culture. The outdoor festival first took place in the streets of Notting Hill in 1966, when resident Rhaune Laslett organised a street fayre for local children. Today, although still proudly community-led, the carnival has grown to become one of the world's largest arts celebrations - second only to Brazil's Rio Carnival in size.
This year the carnival takes place on Sunday 27th August (Children's Day) and Monday 28th August. Panorama, the UK’s biggest steel pan competition, kicks off on Saturday 26th August.
The street party is held in the W10 postcode in the west London borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
As well as Notting Hill, the carnival area also covers Ladbroke Grove, Westbourne Park, and Kensal Road, with the parade route around three-and-a-half miles long.
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