Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

400 reasons to listen to Reggae Music out front of the American Consulate!  Atlantic Mas puts on  carnival style BLM demonstration  By Stephen Weir for the Caribbean Camera In Toronto this year’s Fourth of July was marked with a Caribbean style protest parade through the downtown streets. And, maybe because a Mas Camp from the Toronto Caribbean Carnival organized the event, this was a protest that managed to score important political points along with a good dash of Jump Up. The Atlantic Mas bandleader Akil Heywood spoke to the media in an hour-long media scrum outside of the Toronto city hall last Saturday morning. There have been many Black Lives Matter (BLM) demonstrations in Toronto this year, but Heywood noted to the Caribbean Camera that there has been little or no representation from the Caribbean community.  Turn up the Soca and Reggae music that all changed after the media scrum ended and the afternoon protest march began. Talk about a demonstration...

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...

--> Make Way For Montano’s Toronto Caribbean Carnival Story and Photographs by Stephen Weir Forget Peeks, the name sponsor of the Grand Parade. This year the annual festival could well be called Machel Montano’s Toronto Caribbean Carnival. The 2018 Mas Camp Costume Launch season ended last Saturday evening at the Rebel nightclub when Atlantic Mas held the 11 th and final mas fashion show.   What a way to go -- the King of Soca, Machel Montano stood on stage and told Torontonians to go down the road with him this August 4 th .   “Get your costume from Atlantic Mas and join me as we party till 6 am” the Trinidad singer told the estimated audience of 1,000+ at the high-energy costume launch. The world’s most recognizable Soca performer jetted in from New York City on the weekend, to perform at the costume launch and introduce his own Atlantic Mas section. “I am going to be on the (Atlantic Mas) truck! And after the parade we party” he said from the...

--> Superstar Machel Montano performing at a rare afternoon costume launch. Machel Montano on College Street By Stephen Weir    The Atlantic Mas camp, with the help of Soca superstar singer Machel Montano, has saved the best for last!   Bandleader Akil Heywood says that their third annual costume launch will be held at the Rebel Nightclub (Polson Pier) the afternoon of May 19 th . “Not everyone wants to stay up until 3am in the morning at a costume launch.   We are holding a launch in the afternoon, with Machel Montano performing on stage at the Rebel nightclub. The Rebel nightclub is one of Toronto’s largest and most popular concert destinations,” said Mr. Heywood. “We are calling the launch an ‘Invitation to Dance’ with a theme we call Semba,” he continued.   “ It is the Victoria Day long weekend, the perfect way to spend holiday Saturday.” Getting the Trinidad based performer known as the Soca King, to perform at a costume lau...