Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

  FOR TWO DAYS THE DOWNTOWN DUNDAS SQ WAS TRINI TO THE BONE David Rudder by Anthony Berot The roar from Dundas Square Park on Sunday was so loud that one could hear the noise from a block away. A live soccer game on the big screen? Nope. It was the king. King David, to be specific. Calypso great David Rudder was on the park's outdoor stage, singing many of his songs that have made Trinidad and Tobago the motherlode of Calypso music for almost a century. King David was just one of the headliners of the past weekend's Trinbago Festival. The free outdoor fete was a celebration of the culture, history, and impact of the Trinidad & Tobago diaspora in Canada. The event was staged under the auspices of the Trinidad & Tobago Consulate in Toronto and in support of the Caribbean Scholarship Foundation. Joel Davis Trinidad and Tobago gained its independence from the United Kingdom on August 31, 1962. Last year marked the 60th anniversary, and it was the first time Trinbago was cel...

David Rudder joins very elite group of noteable Caribbean people STEPHEN WEIR Next time that Calypso singer David Rudder appears on stage, the audience should give him his new dues by shouting out as loud as possible Cheers  To The Honourable King David! Earlier this month the Trinidadian Canadian performer received the Order of The Caribbean Community (OCC).  The award bestows  styling  The Honourable  upon Rudder’s name! Rudder, who is often referred as King David,  was in Port of Spain on the 10 th  of August to receive the prestigious award at the Diplomatic Centre in St, Ann’s. According to an information bulletin of Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs the decision to award 69-year old Rudder the OCC was made  back in July at the annual   Caribbean Community and Common Market   (CARICOM) Heads of Government Conference in Suriname. The Honourable David Rudder was unable to atte...

 Sir David Wants You To Drive In To See His First Show In A Year   By Stephen Weir:   If you are a David Rudder fan and have missed seeing “Sir David” perform during the pandemic, honk your horn this July 31st.  And if you really want to hear some of the new material he has written over the past year or so, honk again and flash your high beams.   On Saturday July 31 st  Soca legend  David Rudder  will be performing live in Toronto for the first time since the shutdown.  He will be outdoors, on stage at the  City View Drive-In  playing for a lot filled with parked cars!  The car-only venue is back this summer since the relaxation of Covid restrictions in the city. The drive-in is located adjacent to the  Rebel Night Club  on Polson Street in the Toronto Harbour District.   Trinidad’s David Rudder is based here in the GTA and has had to quarantine along with the rest of the city.  It has been quiet for a norma...

Miss Dolly, David Rudder and  Macomere Fifi  Are All On Board for the Friday July 31 st  Emancipation Day Underground Freedom Train Ride  Live and Online FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 30, 2020 ...  This year’s 15 th  annual Freedom Train Ride is going live and virtual! Get on board live on A Different Booklist Cultural Centre’s YouTube page beginning at 10:45 PM on the eve of Emancipation day, Friday July 31st, 202.0 The  Emancipation Day “Underground Freedom Train” Ride  is symbolic of the role of the Underground Railroad within Canada’s history. This train ride is recognition of the historic date of  Emancipation Day  on August 1 st  when slavery was abolished in the British Empire. It is also a celebration of the power and potential of the peoples of African descent. A Different Booklist Cultural Centre (ADBCC)  and the 2020  Freedom Train Ride Committee  are pleased to announce this year's Cond...

So what is King David up to at home? By Stephen Weir Need quarantine relief? Here's what the Soca King is doing at home Congratulations dear Caribbean Camera reader. You've made it through another week of Ontario’s virtual virus prison. You're seen every movie on your Netflix hit list. You're somewhere between finally doing you taxes or buying yourself a dog so that you have an excuse to be out walking the streets. Don’t get cross. The Caribbean Camera’s Stephen Weir has got your back.  This week he talked to David Michael Rudder, aka King David, about how the Soca star and his family are handling the shutdown. David Rudder has been singing about the Caribbean experience for over four decades now. At the age of 67 he shows no signs of slowing down. In fact while he isn’t performing live right now, he is very active on the Internet producing a must read Facebook account that is newsworthy, thought provocative and entertaining. Earlier this week we c...

Good live Caribbean Music coming to Scarborough this month  and Ossie says that is The Truth! By Stephen Weir: Next Saturday night Ossie Gurley wants people to wear costumes to his new gig at Scarborough’s Spades Night Club, but cautions anyone dusting off   and climbing into their Caribana gear.   “Sure come in Mas, but please make sure your costume isn’t too big for the door!” Ossie Gurley and his band, The Truth, have signed up to perform the last Friday and Saturday of every month at Spades.   Their first night is next Friday, October 25 th . Saturday October 26 th is their Halloween costume party! “ There hasn’t been a regular commitment by bands in the city for a longtime,” Ossie Gurley told the Caribbean Camera.”   We are doing this to get the community out, have fun and support the culture. We will do this every month for as long as people come out!” Ossie Gurley and The Truth  has been entertaining audiences across Canada since...

Don’t Cry For Me Caribana by Stephen Weir Just because the annual Toronto Caribbean Carnival is now official over there are some amazing events still taking place around Toronto featuring the Carnival Arts.   Switch on your What’s App and mark the following must attend events down. David Rudder – The Toronto Exhibition is in full swing. Walking the midway it is hard to remember that there was a parade here two weeks ago!   Listen to David Rudder giving a rare outdoor concert may having you wining on the CNE grounds one more time.   Expect King David to be Trini to the Bone and still wondering where his Hammer has Gone next Wednesday night August 28th when he performs at the CNE Bandshell.   Ossie Gurley and Truth was the back-up band at many Caribana events this summer, they will be providing the music for Rudder at the free concert (with admission to the CNE). Show starts at 7.30. Plantain Canada ’s first Afro-Caribbean music festival takes pla...