Hitchin Carnival was held on the 7th July 2012. It was a collaborative effort between Hitchin Rotary Club, Toque Tambor and Mandinga Arts. It was held to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Toque Tambor.

About Toque Tambor: Toque Tambor are a Samba band that incorpoarte rhythms from Brazil and the western world e.g Congo, Ciranda, Marcha and Funk. They are lead by J P Courtney (the founder of Toque Tambor) who is a professional percussionist from Ireland. They are one of the best examples of traditional Brazilian carnival music which has been reinvented for the European market. To find out more about Toque Tambor please visit http://toquetambor.com

About Mandinga Arts: "Mandinga Arts was set up in 2002 by British and Colombian artists Charles Beauchamp and Julieta Rubio in response to a clear need for artists to work together on performance opportunities – to practice, improve, educate, share and promote carnival arts. The company exists to bring together live music, carnival costume design and dance, drawing on diverse influences from Europe, Latin America and Africa, with community based contributions to the carnival movement in the UK.". Taken from Mandinga Arts website Aug 2012. To find more about Mandinga Arts please visit http://www.mandingaarts.co.uk