Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

King Costume Designer at the Ontario Science Centre to Pick Up His Award Summertime memories of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival Parade may have begun to fade, but for fans of the Caribbean Arts. one memory will never disappear.  Who can forget Heart Beat of the Thrill of Life, the incredible King Costume worn by first time designer Nicholas Guy at the August King and Queen Competition.  It was a two-sided costume that depicted the final battle of angels and demons, where good triumphs over evil.  Guy’s costume won it all that night including the coveted annual Ontario Science Centre Innovation in Mas’ Award. He won both awards on behalf of the Louis Saldenah’s Mas K Camp. On Sunday afternoon at a packed Ontario Science Centre, Nicholas Guy was honoured on stage for the construction of that breathtaking costume.  Guy spoke at length at the ceremony about the costume and the relevance of the Carnival dream! In the audience were members of the Mas K Club, friends and his parents

It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This By Stephen Weir The stars glittering above were most certainly aligned.  There will never be a Caribana King and Queen Competition as good as what happened last Thursday night at Lamport Stadium. What do we mean? In point form here’s why it was an event for the carnival history books. Clear warm skies. No wind. A stadium filled to capacity with hard-core fans of the carnival arts. Drama. Pageantry. And, two big surprises at the podium. According to Weather Canada, when the gates opened at the downtown soccer stadium, it was a sunny cloudless 25 degrees Celsius. When the contest ended just before midnight it was 20 degrees Celsius – just the right temperature to cool down an estimated audience of 10,000 as they streamed out of Lamport. Most of the crowd left the open-air stadium long before the winning announcements were made. Those that did stay greeted the names of the new King and Queen with loud gasps and then applause. Judges  d

--> Birthday Message – No Talk of Retirement Until Louis Saldenah wins his 20 th Carnival Band of the Year title. By Stephen Weir Toronto, ON ...  It was a Carnival birthday party for the ages! Louis Saldenah, the most winning bandleader in Canada, used the R word only once while talking to the Caribbean Camera on Friday night at his birthday bash at the Windies Bar and Restaurant in Scarborough.   “ I’m 68 today and I am feeling great but you know I could easily walk away from all of this” he said.” But there are a few things I HAVE to do before I retire and turn it over to my (adult) children.” Louis Saldenah, the Trinidadian born bandleader of the Mas K Camp immigrated to this country 48 years ago. He brought to Canada a family winning tradition of mas. His famous father, Harold ‘Sally’ Saldenah, was one of Trinidad’s most successful bandleaders. 
 40 years ago, Louis Saldenah launched his first Toronto mas costume band (Shangri-La) and promptly won Car

It was a Kiddies Launch Weekend in Toronto By Stephen Weir  Photographs by Don Moreland Two days. Three launches.   Close to a 1,000 kids and parents spent part of their weekend taking in costume launches for this year’s Kiddies Parade. On Saturday and Sunday trio of Mas Camps held parties and fashion shows for junior revelers who want to play Mas this summer.   Sun Lime Mas, Louis Saldenah’s Mas-K-Camp and Tribal Carnival held free costume launches to show children what costumes they could wear in the coming July 21 st Junior Carnival. On Saturday Sun Lime Mas did just what their name says.   Under a warm sun, the Kiddies Band Launch was taken outdoors onto a large wooden stage that had been built behind their St. Clair Avenue East headquarters (Kennedy/Midland).   Parents and friends sat in lawn chairs and limed while the children lunched on hot dogs and treats and waited for the show to start.    Over a dozen young children – both female and male – came