Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

 Concert cancelled ticket agency returns refunds It is Friday evening, and the last thing you want to see on your Facebook or Instagram account just appeared. The upcoming Sunday festival for which you have tickets has been canceled! This happened last Friday afternoon. In a shocking turn of events, concert promoter Ian Andre Espinet announced the sudden cancellation of the highly anticipated Toronto Soul Music Festival just 2-days before it was set to take the stage at the Rebel Nightclub on Polson Pier. Scheduled for last Sunday, November 19th, the festival promised a stellar lineup featuring renowned artists such as Jully Black, Glen Lewis, DVSN, and several other acts. The Toronto Soul Music Festival aimed to be a multi-disciplinary, multi-faceted celebration of Soul music and its associated genres and culture, specifically highlighting and honoring Black music and culture. In an email sent out at 7 pm Friday evening, Espinet conveyed the difficult decision to pull the plug on...

--> Big Things Happening In Toronto This February. A Torchy Jully Black - by Jones & Jones At a Harbourfront media event on Monday, a few audience members remarked that Black History Month (BHM) should be moved from February to March this year. Why?   BHM could use the extra two days   - there is just too much happening to see it all in just 29 days. The presser was billed as the TD Black History Month Series Launch and there was a stream of big names on and off the stage.   Hip-hop veteran Maestro Fresh Wes was the ringleader and introduced appearances from top Canadian talent including Jully Black, Tonya Williams and Exco Levi. The launch was part promotional for the city’s February events and the other half was discussion on living the Black experience in Canada.   TD Bank was front and centre on Monday because of their ten-year involvement in funding BHM events including the presser.   Jully Black & Exco Levy - by Jone...

Pioneer of Black Theatre In Canada To Retire   By Stephen Weir Philip Akin has announced that he will be stepping down after 14 seasons as the Artistic Director of  Obsidian Theatre. I n 2000, Akin, along with 12 other prominent Black artists came together with the vision for an organization by and for Black theatre creators. Obsidian Theatre was formed, after  a black volcanic glass that alluded to creation and breaking new ground. He served on the board of directors, and as the company’s administrative producer before becoming Artistic Director in 2006.  He will remain in his position until 2020; the search for new artistic leadership begins now. As an artistic leader Philip is known for speaking his mind, always in support of Black artists, even if it isn’t the popular opinion. In a release sent to the Caribbean Camera Akin talked about his willingness over the years to kick butt. "It was part of my DNA that walls should come down, and if it took smas...

Two Different Approaches For The Saturday night Battle of the Bands By Stephen Weir  Photographs by Stephen Weir  Jully Black from reggae singer to Soca sailor Two Mas Men went head-to-head on Saturday night and both came out winners, each in their own way.   A pair of Caribbean Carnival Band launches were held on the same night – one in North Toronto and the other in Malvern.    The two band leaders   - Raptor celeb Jamaal Magloire (Toronto Revellers) and Will Morton (Fantazia) took two different approaches to showing off the costumes that their bands will be wearing on the road this summer. In the business of Mas, the winners and losers of a Battle of the Bands, is ultimately not determined by the number of people that attended (in which case Jamaal won hands down) but rather by the number of costume buyers who decide to sign on the bottom line as a result of the fashion show.   The Revellers won at the gate, and Fantazia had th...