By William Doyle-Marshall
This is the time of year when Canadians enjoy the weather that allow them to spend more time outdoors after being cooped up indoors for many months of the cold seasons. Barbeque parties, curry Q limes, picnic in public parks and small family assemblies. But the more adventurous ones join friends on yachts or travel out of town to camp or stay in cottages just to get away from the normal humdrum of city life. For the city slickers festivals are prime activities and consequently they focus on South Asian festivals, Block-O assemblies staged by steelbands around the city; tenth anniversary of Dundas Square and masquerade lovers are scheduling visits to masquerade camps selecting costumes for the big mammoth Caribbean Carnival taking place at the beginning of August.
From August 2 through August 5 (Caribana) now being called the Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival weekend -- the TD Irie Music Festival will be staged at Nathan Phillips Square and according to Phil Vassell, artistic director, “as you jump up at Carnival, you cool down at Irie”.This year the festival will not be only feature reggae headliners but there will be some Soca headliners. The international Soca headliner that weekend is Bunji Garlin whose big hit “We Ready” is expected to set the mood for the party lovers. The weekend is being slugged “Irie Soca” “so if you want to get warmed up for the parade on the next day come on down to Nathan Phillips Square, share in the music and the good vibes,” says Phil Vassell, artistic director.
Bunji Garlin for TD Irie Music Festival
Half Pint, a legendary Jamaican reggae star is coming to Toronto for the first time as well as Richie Stevens, the golden voice of reggae, who will be releasing a new album.
“Dance Immersion” will be offering a brand new programme for the festival and the artistic director promises patrons would see some of the best dance performances in terms of the various dance artistes and dance groups. “Since dance Immersion is an umbrella organization, you get to experience some of the best we have here in Canada and also internationally,” says Vassell.
“We are looking forward to as big a year, if not bigger, as we had last year when we featured Third World on the same day that some guy named Usain Bolt just tore up the track in London and left everybody in the dust. It was quite a celebration as this (Nathan Phillip Square) became celebration central for all those who were watching the London Olympics and enjoying the good vibes.”
Celebration Square, downtown in the City of Mississauga will host the festival for a second time on July 13 and 14. Leading international reggae sensation ETANA headlines the first Irie Women’s Showcase that Saturday evening. She will be joined by a who’s who of rising Canadian female artists including Belinda Brady, Ammoye and Dahlia.
Oshawa is a new venue for the festival this year. July 20 and 21 TD Irie Music festival will introduce that city with its blend of Reggae, R&B, Hip Hop triple threat Wayne Wonder.
The importance of volunteer contributions to the festival’s success as Vassell acknowledged individuals who have been with him from the inception eleven years ago.
Strong young female performers to be on the festival stages include Belinda Brady and Maccie Paquette and according to Vassell this will be an opportunity to showcase some very strong female performers who need to be given the attention and the opportunity to show what they are doing. “I can tell you that we featured a lot of those women in the past on the Irie stages and this is a great chance to see all of them together at the same time on the stage at Celebration Square,” he continued.
Vassell concluded that the festival really could not happen without all the efforts of various funders and the hundreds of volunteers. “This festival really could not happen without the strong support of our title sponsor TD Bank,” the artistic director emphasized.
DJ Carl Allen, one of the city’s very experienced Executive producer and Programmer, has been with the festival for the entire eleven years of existence and he is convinced it is the only festival which features reggae in its entirety. It started as a reggae festival but has grown and diversified to a point where it embodies reggae, Soca and calypso. This year soul fusion stage is a part of the overall plan and music lovers will be exposed to the diversified Toronto music scene. “We feature everything from Bangra to soul, some acoustic stuff, so it’s grown a lot.” Allen has been a deejay for about 35 years and for 25 of those years he hosted a show on CKLN Radio.
12-year-old Jaeden at Junior Carnival launch
Finalists for this year’s Calypso Monarch Contests on July 28 have been selected by the panel of judges who listened to the singers at two of the city’s calypso tents – The Professionals Calypso Tent and Kaiso Forum. Master’s Cove Calypsonians were forced to appear at the other tents to be judged. The singers who are attempting to wrestle the crown from (Tara Woods) Macomere Fifi, the reigning champion include Dennis James and (Pat McNeilly) Pan Man Pat, Professionals; (Bryan Thornhill) Structure -- Forum; (Newton Lewis) Spivey, Masters Cove; (Henry Gomez) King Cosmos and (Alfred Caton) Dynasty - Forum; (Joel Davis) Connector, Professionals and (Michael Thomas) Redman – Forum. The contest will be at the Chinese Cultural Centre’s P.C. Ho Theatre in Scarborough.
The one calypso session I experienced at the Master’s Cove was truly refreshing especially seeing a 12-year-old performer Jaeden Shabazz bring the house down with his presentation of “I Like School”. It was encouraging to see Colin Benjamin, president of the Organization for Calypso Performing Artistes and his wife present. The Master’s Cove certainly offered patrons a balanced programme Smokey (Cleve Henry) appealed for unity among Caribbean people to offer the world a stronger vision of their cultural offering. (Otis Lewis) Taurus did his nine year old composition, “The Message” in which he called on young men in the community to put down their guns. Still very apt. Jiselle DM, decked in her parks and recreation uniform sang about “Everybody’s Important”. This editorial reminded us that the type of work you secure to earn a livelihood does not matter. We all have a role to play in society. Loveman Kent drove in form Montreal to remind us about Caribana, complete with costumed carnival dancers. Spivey, the new Montreal Calypso Monarch showed off to the audience the material (Kent Merchant) that earned him the new title “Cry for the Little Children” Brown Sugar, Spivey, Miss JD contributed a gospel touch to the evening with “Closer Walk With thee and “Precious Lord” and June Smith What’s Going On? Is an editorial on social behavior among men and women.
For those who prefer to remain close to water they have a plethora of diverse activities to select at the Harbourfront Center, despite the construction work being undertaken on Queen’s Quay. Experiencing the world in one location is what Harbourfront promises every family member.
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