Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

Music, Dancing and Stunning Carnival Costume Fashion Show At Midnight  photo by Gilbert Median Toronto was buzzing with excitement over the weekend as two of the city’s biggest masquerade bands, Tribal Carnival and Carnival Nationz, held their highly anticipated costume launches. On Friday night, the Grand Luxe Hall was transformed into a magical wonderland as Tribal Carnival’s sold-out event with the theme “Once Upon A Time” took place. Each of the band’s 11 sections presented costumes that told a different magical story, ranging from Jab Jab to Swan Lake. The event was a massive success, with 50% of the costumes being sold on the night. On Saturday night, the Tam Heather Curling and Tennis Club in Scarborough played host to Carnival Nationz’s launch. The band has been a part of the annual Toronto Caribbean Carnival for 18 years, and this year’s theme was “Let’s Go Around the World in 100 Days.” A total of 17 sections modeled their stunning costumes, which will be worn during the Augu

  No Telling What Will Pop Up By Stephen Weir Photographs by Gilbert Medina   If today is Thursday and you are reading this before 9.30 pm you can totally get outfitted for the Grand Parade at a special registration Pop Up in Scarborough. Coming off a successful Costume Launch in Vaughan, the Carnival Nationz Mas Band has put together a temporary showroom in Scarborough where revelers can get up close and personal and with a roomful of very sexy costume and place orders before the Carnival frenzy begins.   Actually, at least according to Carnival Nationz’ Bryce Aguiton, the madness has already begun. “We had our Saturday night launch on the Easter weekend and the response has been amazing. The calls haven’t stopped. We thought that before we open our permanent Mas Camp we should hold a 3-Day Pop Up in Scarborough to take the pressure off the nonstop calls.”   It started Tuesday evening at the Cinnamon Ru Commercial Plaza on McNicoll Avenue. Running 6.30 to 9.30 all three nights it set

What will happen to Caribbean Carnival '20? By Stephen Weir The Caribbean Camera has learned that the Festival Management Committee (FMC) which runs the annual Toronto Caribbean Carnival will meet later this week to decide what is going to happen to this year’s annual July festival and their signature August 1 Grand Parade. With the announcement on Tuesday that the City of Toronto is cancelling all major events until June 30 (and leaving the door open to closing all further summer events) because of the virus pandemic, carnival stakeholders must decide if they are going to proceed with the parade, moving it to a later date in the year or simply postponing it until next year. For the FMC, the timing for its 2020 Toronto Caribbean Carnival, is now a big crapshoot. If the festival is to proceed with its mid-July kick-off, the mas’ bands have to begin opening their mas camps, holding band launches, building costumes and renting trucks for the parade. If the City ends up ex

The Junior King and Queen Showcase Comes To Malvern - Kiddies Parade To Follow Winning Queen Costume By Gilbert Medina for Caribbean Camera New venue. New vibe. New Super Cool costumes.   The Junior King and Queen Showcase was held outdoors on Sunday afternoon at the Malvern Town Centre in Scarborough.   The event attracted an estimated 2,000 people, many who stayed all afternoon to see the new big costumes that will be worn in this Saturday’s Children’s Parade. Over 30 children from the competing mas band camps took turns showing their stuff and their beautiful large bombastic   costumes.   By the end of the event, two children emerged as winners. Meet the new Junior King and Queen of Carnival, Miss Sadie Murphy from Carnival Nationz and Jalil Vincent Rampersad from Epic Carnival. The Queen wore a costume called Burrokeet Comes to Town and the King came as the Jester Grin. Despite this being the first time the Showcase has been held in Malvern (last year it was at

Costume Launch Season To Hit Toronto Really Soon By Stephen Weir Put away the parkas and break out the feathers and glitter.   Toronto Caribbean Carnival' s Band Launch Season is about to begin. The Caribbean Camera has received details about the when, where and hows for nine Mas Camp band launches that will be held this March, April and May in Toronto.   Although not all the details have been released to us, it is clear that the Mas Camps are planning larger, more elaborate themed costume fetes than in 2019. Last year eleven bands held costume launches, this year there are two notable bands missing from the current list is  Michael Williams'   D New Regulars and Forever Carnival and Atlantic Mas . Traditionally D'  Regulars are one of the last bands to announce and stage a launch, so we expect to learn soon about their spring event. Atlantic Mas is usually one of the first to announce; in 2018 Atlantic Mas brought Machel Montano from Trinidad to perf

Toronto   Caribbean Carnival Costume Fashion Shows The feathers, the fishnet stockings, the tights and the angel wings have been put away and now it’s the children’s turn to show their stuff on stage.  Now that  the eleven Toronto Mas Bands have held their late night costume launches,  it is time weekend costume daytime launches for children wanting to take part in this year’s Junior Carnival and Family Day. The costumes that are being shown in the Mas Camps are what youngsters will be wearing when they take part in the Junior Parade. Often called the Kiddies Costume Parade, the event is put on the by Toronto’s Mas Bands and volunteers from the Toronto Caribbean Carnival and will be held on Saturday July 21 st at Neilson Park in Scarborough.  Over the past weekend two large Mas Camps staged parties and fashion show for youngsters and their parents. Both the Toronto Revellers and Carnival Nationz report strong interest from parents and their children in the cost