THE SANE GO MARCHING ON

Drumcree - is subject to protests, rerouting and bad vibes, then it's a pleasure to see a march that's so universally popular.

There's a score of bands out there, most of them grooving to the beat of a fresh, exotic drum. The most popular variation is on the samba rhythm, as masses of students, teenagers and bank clerks collectively thwack out a beat that has no malicious overtones.

And also, there's no exclusivity. There are enthusiasts in wheelchairs and the smiling faces of some mentally handicapped participants. Whenever the pace slows down or the drums subside, scores of whistles rupture the silence and we all cheer again.

The stilt-walkers are truly ace and the platoons of unicyclists spray the onlookers with their water rifles before the Polynesian princesses - soaked in the rainbursts but still undaunted - whirl and shimmy with much grace.

You witness a reggae sound system, the marvelous lilt of bhangra act Kuldeep Purewal, and the salsa finesse of Cuba's Bobby Carcasses, who sets his trumpet to one side, hammers at some conga drums and starts to holler "Santa Clara!". The actual significance of this moment is lost on us onlookers, but we understand the joy of the intent only too well.

For one day only, the town feels like Rio in proper, carnival mode. Or maybe even New Orleans' Canal Street when the Mardi Gras is revving up. This is what the tourists to this part of the world should be able to see. This kind of activity is exactly what the old-school, bigoted marching bands should be enjoying.

good vibes

Which is exactly the point. The Belfast Carnival has been built up by David Boyd from an office on the Albertbridge Road, in east Belfast. Masses of local kids are involved in making the costumes, networking with friends across Ireland and England and creating the artwork for this special day.

The core organisation is called "The Beat Initiative", a community arts project that specialises in the visual arts and music. The simple plan is to have fun while disengaging street music from the nasty associations of the marching snare. This has been achieved without hectoring, patronising or liberal hand-wringing. It's the coolest achievement.

On the evening of the parade, the entire shebang regroups at the Clarendon docks; another fresh development that's taken the ambience of quayside bars like The Rotterdam and Pat's Bar, and has allowed the good vibes to spill along the waterside. The Carnival has united in this purpose with Chris Roddy, the architect of the Clarendon experience, who has been bringing world music acts to this part of town for years. The final part of the equation is Moving On Music, mentioned in the previous Hit The North column, which takes a special interest in cutting edge sounds and has just wrapped up a successful season with some of the acts that are here tonight.

Vast amounts of liquor are consumed and the bands ignite an especially fervent party mood. At midnight, a lovely firework display lights up the Lagan. We've witnessed a bunch of DJs, met dozens of old mates and right now, Bobby Carcasses is ripping into a version of 'Summertime', Havana style. Completely ideal. Here we are, transported by the rhythm of the sane, wishing to stay that way forever. n