Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

Rashaan Rori Allwood and Kathryn Patricia Cobbler - three city tour in February KATHRYN PATRICIA COBBLER In a celebration of Black History Month, two exceptional Canadian musicians of Caribbean descent, Rashaan Rori Allwood and Kathryn Patricia Cobbler, are set to dazzle audiences with their multi-media performance titled "Unyielding Roots." This powerful presentation of original compositions aims to reflect upon the complex experiences of the Caribbean immigrant and African diaspora within the context of North American colonial landscapes. Joy Bullen, the long-time creator behind Black History Month Music, designed this event to showcase young Black Canadian musicians breaking stereotypes and making history. Since 2015, the initiative has been a platform for artists excelling in areas where Black voices have often been silenced. "Unyielding Roots" will be performed in Halifax, Ottawa, and Toronto, in collaboration with cultural and not-for-profit organizations acro...

  THEA JACKSON TAKES CARNIVAL COSTUMES TO ATLANTA Yesterday, it was a sunny 17 degrees Celsius in Atlanta, Georgia, while Toronto experienced wet and snowy conditions with a temperature of minus 4 degrees. No wonder Toronto’s international costume designer, Thea Jackson, has Georgia on her mind these days. Jackson has recently returned from the Atlanta “Bandlaunch,” where she showcased her latest mas costume designs to revelers planning to participate in this spring’s Atlanta Caribbean Carnival. The annual event is scheduled during the city’s Memorial Day May 27th Weekend. In front of a full house in Atlanta, her designs were displayed to an enthusiastic crowd. Her show reflected pure Toronto style, featuring beautiful costumes, models, and Soca music. Jackson designs for the city’s Madd Colors Carnival Mas Band. “2024 is a special year for the band,” she shared with The Caribbean Camera. “Madd Colors Carnival is celebrating 15 years with their theme ‘Chrysalis,’ and the section I...

The Prince of Soca Takes Over Flow 98.7 ( my article in this week's Caribbean Camera ) In a blockbuster announcement, Dr. Jay, Canada's renowned Soca DJ, has revealed his return to live radio with his signature show, SocaTherapy airing on Flow 98.7 FM. Mark your calendars for Sunday, January 14th, from 6-9 pm, as Dr. Jay brings back the beats and vibes that make him the Prince of Soca. While his radio roots trace back to 2001 when he started at Flow FM, Dr. Jay is returning to a different Flow this time. The radio landscape in the city has evolved, and he will now be on what was formerly known as G-98.7, a station founded by the late Fitzroy Gordon. The new owners acquired the naming rights to Flow, the first Black radio station launched by Denham Jolly back in 2001. This Flow from Flow to the new Flow marking a unique twist in Dr. Jay's radio journey. Having spent a decade at the original FLOW, Dr. Jay reminisces about his radio experiences, including stints at G-98.7 and...

 New Good Luck tradition  from  Toronto's Demi-Monde Always thought that if you can get a TTC transfer at 1 second after midnight on January 1st you will be blessed with good luck in the new year. Put it to the test. Bundled up at 11.45 on the last night of 2023 and walked down to the Eglinton subway station at Yonge St. Got there with a coupla minutes to spare. Just me, a female busker playing an electric piano and any song I wanted to hear and a couple of TTC employees. I stood by the transfer machine and took this picture of me pressing the transfer machine at year's end, and here is the lucky transfer I got a second later a second into 2024. One TTC employee clapped and banged fists with me. Got home and checked a lottery ticket my wife had got me for Xmas. Won $50 so obviously I was right about the first transfer luck power. Still have two unused transfers on my desk. Don't ask, they aren't for sale.

The dangers of drinking bat shit! Diver Caves Into Bat Infested Waters!  Mayan River Runs A Small Price to Pay for Cenote Diving By Stephen Weir This picture, taken in a freshwater Yucatan Cenote (cave) was snapped at the exact moment in time that I realized that in 48-hours I was going to be sick. Really, really sick. Montezuma Revenge. Aztec two-step. GI's. Dysentery. And, let's now forget: flux, loose stools, runs, tourista, trots, and the one I coined after I got back from sink hole diving in Akumal, Mexico, the Mayan Riviera Runs. Not dissing Mexico's Mayan Rivera water system, the cleanliness of their eating establishments or the quality of the ice cubes. This was something self-inflicted and it could have happened in any "fresh" water cave in the world. Blame it on the sanitary habits of flying animals or Cenote diving being just too amazing for my own good. The east coast of Mexico’s Yucatan State is a flat, dry land void of rivers, lakes or much vegetati...