Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

Lakecia Benjamin'd Sax Schooling Toronto   Stand back. Don't sit down; Lakecia Benjamin will blow you out of your seat anyway. Jazz fans in the city have wanted to see and hear her since 2012 when she burst onto the world stage with her saxophone with the release of her first album, "Retox".  She has been in this country only a few times, playing backup alto sax for some of America's top performers, including Missy Elliott and Alicia Keys. But next Friday, she will take to the Meridian Arts Centre North stage, and it will be her music, her hip look, and her own band for the very first time on a Canadian stage. Although she wasn't sure which country the Caribbean Camera was calling from when we reached her at her home in NYC last week, she was excited to talk about her upcoming tour, which includes stops in Turkey, Germany, Norway, and this single Canadian performance, making for a busy fall schedule. She told us she was up for all the gigs that she will be pla...

Abbey Lincoln (above) Canadian movie about six iconic Black female stars coming to Canadian TV Feb By Stephen Weir Yes when you look south you realize it is a tough time to be anything but white in the Land Of The Free these days. But, as veteran American actress Pam Grier says “ our culture is revered and it inspires people all around the world."   Pam Grier (left) in Hit Man How It Feels to Be Free  is a new documentary movie that airs on CBC’s GEM TV on February first. The full-length movie celebrates  six iconic Black female singers and actresses (including Grier)   and documents their fight for diversity and inclusion. Toronto’s  Yap Films  worked with singer  Alicia Keys  to produce this revealing look at the American dream machine.     How It Feels to Be Free ,  tells how six trailblazing performers,  Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Diahann Carroll, Nina Simone, Cicely Tyson,  and  Pam Grier , changed American ...