Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

  Toronto FC Unveils "Energy Kit" Jersey  Amidst Fan Enthusiasm and Concerns Toronto FC has created a buzz with the launch of their new "Energy Kit" jersey earlier this week.  The soccer team’s announcement was accompanied by an attention-grabbing video featuring the North York New Dimension Steel Orchestra and Mas models wearing skimpy v mas costumes. The video, making rounds on social media platforms, has garnered significant attention. The team plans to wear the Energy Kit jersey during Toronto FC's annual Caribbean Heritage Night match against St Louis at BMO Field this Saturday.  The event will be a combination of Caribbean cuisine, pre-game tailgates with Soca DJs, steel pan band performances, and appearances by participants from the Junior Carnival Parade. Notably, Soca superstar Machel Montano will be part of the kit's  lookbook  and provide the campaign's soundtrack.  The Energy Kit will be sold at the BMO Field retail stands for $189 dur...

It sounds like the Clash of the Pitons! Toronto Caribbean Camera 07.30.2020 By Stephen Weir Three of St. Lucia’ s top soca artistes are going to face off in studio on Friday on the first ever Carib Beer Canada Sound Clash. Soca artistes Ricky T, Cooyah, and Umpa are going live at 8pm on an online broadcast created just for Canadians celebrating Carnival week.  It is a chance to see three international performers who have been missing from the summer Soca music scene here in Toronto because of the Virus shutdown. A Sound Clash, by the way, is a musical competition where crewmembers from opposing artistes pit their skills against each other. The planned one-hour unscripted show will be taking place inside a St. Lucia recording studio. “We are going to have some fun with the Clash, it is meant to be a cool thing for our fans to watch, here at home and in Canada,” Ricky T Thomas told the Caribbean Camera earlier this week. “It is this Covid 19 thing that we are a...

How Are The Royals Doing During This Virus Shutdown? By Stephen Weir No, we don’t mean Prince Charles (but we do wish him a speedy recovery) we are talk about the Kings and Queens of the Caribbean.  For the past few days we have been texting and checking the Facebook and Instagram accounts of people who have name recommendation with Caribbean Camera readers! After communicating with more than 20 people who are currently in solitary confinement, we can tell you, that most of our Royals are just like us.  Busy on social media. Eating too much.  Exercising too little. Jai Ojah (l) – King of Caribbean Radio - just at home de cluttering painting and walking playing my records at night. Basically my keeping in touch with friends and family. Enjoying my record collection on my turntable. Destra, Queen of Bacchanal (r)  – On Facebook, the famous Trinidadian Soca singer posted a 1970s era British comedy TV skit of a spinster who accidently sprays Crazy Glue on her c...

The Grand Old Grande Parade.  Best hang on to your feathers. Sure the parade is in its 52nd year and it is very much the same old same old. However, there are additions and changes to the grand old Grand Parade that spectators should be aware of to get the most out of the August 3rd  world famous road march. First of all the parade is bigger, noisier and longer than last year – the route is 8km in length almost twice the distance in2018.  The parade is larger and will take much longer to play out along Lakeshore Blvd and in the Exhibition Place grounds. Third, the pan orchestras are back in the parade and will certainly make themselves heard above the roar of the crowd. Chris Alexander the head honcho at the carnival office spoke to the Caribbean Camera about the changes and upgrades to the Saturday parade. The bands, beginning at 9.30 am will present themselves in this order: guest bands, competitive bands and then non-competitive ban...

Machel Montano on stage at last year's Atlantic Carnival Costume Launch The Atlantic Will Make A Big Wave When It Comes Ashore at the Toronto Harbour on May 25th By Stephen Weir Atlantic Carnival, one of the newest mas bands taking part in the annual Toronto Caribbean Carnival Parade, isn’t going to be competing in this year’s massive August 3rd event.   That doesn’t mean you won’t see them out on the road, or hosting their signature gigantic mas costume launch – they have been granted special non-competing status in the 2019 carnival despite being banned from the parade! The Caribbean Camera has learned that the Festival Management Committee – the owners of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival – has just changed the structure of the parade itself.   They have decided to allow a number of Mas Bands to sell costumes to revellers and go down the road with the other competing bands while avoiding the judging process.   The bands are also exempted from taking part i...

Natalie Perera and Machel Montano in Bazodee huffington post blog - pending The King of Soca and perennial star of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, Machel Montano, has a mission.  Black. White. Brown. Yellow. Montano feverishly believes that Soca Music is the beat of the 21st century This weekend the Trinidadian singer is seeing his new movie Bazodee, opening in theatres across Toronto.  The feature film -- a musical -- is a fusion of Soca music and Bollywood movie styling. Fresh from a sell-out premiere at the just completed Caribbean Tales Film Festival in Toronto, Bazodee is being booked into Canadian theatres by Serafini Films.  They are billing Bazodee as "a 'Come Alive' Caribbean Musical featuring Machel Montano in his debut and the heartbeat of his Soca music, influenced by the traditional sounds of India and electronica." The movie will be shown at three theatres in Toronto, Brampton and Mississauga this weekend. 45-year old Machel Montano, th...