Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

Toronto Carnival Is Losing One Of Its Originals. Roger Gibbs Sings Goodbye. By Stephen Weir When September rolls around the Toronto Caribbean Carnival’s Festival Management Committee (FMC) will lose one of its original members. Bajan-Canadian Calypsonian Roger Gibbs has reached the end of his formal board term.  After years of giving sage advice to Carnival, Gibbs will no longer be part of the management team and will not be involved with the 2020 Festival in an official capacity. “ It's been 14 years!” Gibbs told reporter Stephen Weir. “I was invited to join in 2005 by (the late) Charles Roach.” Gibbs grew up in a musical family and began his career in Barbados singing with Caribbean dance bands in the 1970’s. He joined as lead singer of the Sandpebbles and toured extensively throughout the Caribbean, Canada and the USA. He came to Canada in 1986, and since then Gibbs has worked non-stop within the arts industry. From 1993 until 2013 he was a performing member of COB

--> City already looking forward to 2019 By Stephen Weir  Photos by Craigg Slowly While Torontonians have already put away their costumes for another year, in Niagara Falls, last weekend close to 10,000 tourists and locals alike had some Caribana schooling. This is the third year that the Niagara Caribbean Festival has been held in Niagara Falls.   Some of Toronto’s top Mas Models joined the musical group Kobo Town, Connector, the P.K. Hummingbird Steel Orchestra and a fleet of food trucks to hold a carnival pop-up in the Queen Victoria Park directly opposite the American and Canadian Horseshoe Falls . This is the third year that the Caribbean Community Engagement group –   in partnership with the Niagara Parks Commission – has held the   Caribana inspired festival. The CEE is headed up by Yvette Martin, a longtime Ontario stage manager for theatre, festivals (including Caribana) and concerts across the country. “Tourists from around the world came ov