As told to BC Pires

My name is Dexter Kahn and I have been bringing a mas to Notting Hill Carnival for more than 25 years.

I were born in Belmont and grew up in Abercromby Street by my grandmother.

I went to Progressive Primary School in Henry Street. That school no longer exists.

I used to go to Rosary Boys’, corner Park and Charlotte Streets.

Then I came to London.

I was 19 years old when I came to Tooting Broadway in London in 1961.

I alone came from Trinidad. My father was in London already.

I was my parents’ only child, what they call a lonely child, but I have no regrets because I have four good spars I’m still liming with up to today. When I go home, they’re like my brothers.

I know my spars since the days of short pants. ‘Them was the days when you buy a 12-cents roti by Ma Afong and go Globe pit (the cheapest cinema seats). We cut the roti in four corners and share.

Those boys are Alfredo Enrique, Richard “Pick Foot” Gordon and Ignatius Fung – we called him Jack Palance, after the Hollywood movie star.

My wife Charmaine passed seven years ago. She passed in April, and the December before was 50 years we married.

We had one son, a big man now. No grands. I don’t think my son really interested to get tied up.

I’ve been in London since 1961 but I used to go to Trinidad twice a year, for Carnival and again in October, to visit my mother.

After she died, I carried on going in October and my son goes with me.

I haven’t been able to go since covid. The lockdown.

My band is Cocoyea London. I formed that band after (masman Peter) Minshall left to go to Trinidad.

I’ll give you the Minshall story. Many years ago – we talking the 70s, eh – I met a friend of mine. A very close friend of mine, we used to go to school (together) in Progressive and they were living here in London.

And he said to me, “Dexter, boy, they have a guy, Peter Minshall, want to bring a band for Notting Hill Carnival.

I say, “I never hear that name!”

He said this is where they go be, blah-blah-blah, and I went. And met Peter.

The first year I brought Cocoyea was ’81, ’82.

Stephen Lee Heung left Trinidad and came to London to tell Peter he wanted him to bring a band in Trinidad.

After Peter left and went to Trinidad and everybody tell me I should bring a band, I say, “How the hell I could know how to bring a band?”

I was there with Peter but that was it. I went to Trinidad and (through Peter) met Nikki Lyons, an Englishwoman, a theatrical designer, who was doing a lot of props for Peter band.

I tell her what I had in mind and she said, “I’ll see what I can do.” We brought the first band.

Now, people don’t know this but, because Nikki was working in the film studios, she brought that thing they call “ether-foam” to us! To Peter! Cause we never had that access, but she had that access.

When people talk about fibreglass rods and netting, is Nikki brought them to Peter in Trinidad.

Wayne (Berkeley) and myself were so close that when my wife Charmaine go to Trinidad, he used to pick he