Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

The Fordes pull it off with last Sunday’s ‘Ol Time Costume Launch By Stephen Weir If no more Mas bands come out of the woodwork and sign up for this year’s Toronto Caribbean Carnival, the costume launch season officially ended early last Sunday just before tip-off of the Raptor’s championship series game. Long time Mas producers and designers Jacky and Clarence Forde brought along Blue Devils, Dame Lorraine and many other traditional Carnival characters to their ‘Ol Time Mas! Launch at Scarborough’s Queen Victoria Pub. Blue Devil Costume The Forde’s Toronto Mas Arts is keeping characters like the Fancy Sailors, Robbers, Dame Lorraines, Moko Jumbies, Pierrot Grenades, Stick Fighters and Blue Devils in the parks and streets of Toronto this summer.   These traditional carnival characters are being used in their outdoor theatrical presentations and in this summer’s Toronto Caribbean Carnival events. The Fordes are adept at turning lemons into big jug

For one night only it was all about Soca, Mas costumes and Carnival F U N  By Stephen Weir  All photographs by Anthony Berot Sunlime mesmerized almost 500 fans of Carnival on Friday night in North Toronto.   It was almost a full house for the annual Sunlime Mas Band Costume launch. Using the theme of Mesmerize, over 70 male and female models took to the stage of Eglinton East’s   Latvian Cultural Centre with one mission in mind – Hypnotize the willing audience into joining the Mas Band!   Using colourful, bare-as-you dare costumes and contemporary dance moves, the 10 sections were successful in capturing the attention of the crowd.   Most of the costumes were sexy, no matter your size, while some, including a Rasta costume for men, was downright fun! “While most other bands lost masqueraders last year we continued to add for the third year in a row,” explained band spokesman Niles Koski. “We're expecting to continue to grow with more sections and more masquer

2019 CARNIVAL KICK-OFF By Stephen Weir The 2019 Toronto Carnival kicked off early early last Saturday morning, or late late Friday night (take your pick) with Tribal Carnival holding the first Toronto band launch of the season. A non-stop parade of stunning looking male and female models strutted across the Grande Luxe ballroom stage to show an enthusiastic audience what people will be wearing on the road August 3rd for the annual Caribbean Carnival Parade. Established in 2007 Tribal is one of the festival’s most successful touring Mas Bands. Tribal has not only competed successfully in Toronto’s annual festival but is also a driving force in the annual Cayman Islands’ spring Batabano Carnival. This past weekend’s costume launch attracted an estimated crowd of 500 revellers who came out to see Tribal’s costumes and sign up to play Mas with Tribal. Band founder Dexter Seusahai stood on stage and opened the show just before midnight with a silent tribute to people who