Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

Saturday 100,000 People Watch and Take To Toronto Caribbean Carnival's Virtual Road  By Stephen Weir:  It was the perfect parade that the world will never see live.  Beautiful people in costumes, soaring pan, word perfect Calypso. No gaps on Lakeshore Blvd. No arguments amongst the  Mas Men.   No stormers.  No rain, thunder or lightning.  Perfect, but,  sigh,  the city really misses you  Toronto Caribbean Carnival. “When you total up the viewers on all the different platforms from Twitch to Instagram to Facebook, we had 100,000 watching the  Virtual Road Carnival  on Saturday alone,” said  Aneesa Oumarally ,  Chief Executive Officer  of the  Festival Management Committee.  “The whole world did watch. We heard from (happy fans) in Atlanta, Cleveland and other great American cities who told us they are coming to Toronto next summer to be with us live.” Ourmarally’s viewership numbers have been confirmed by  CBC News , while some social media sites say when one takes into account repo

 BUSY BEING CREATIVE IN HER DOWNTOWN TORONTO DIGS Rhoma Spencer is an actor, director, storyteller and broadcast journalist who began her career in her birth nation of Trinidad and Tobago.   On stage, performing in TV shows, movies parts, and public events; heck, I have even seen her in costume at a high profile Scarborough funeral last year. Up until the virus shutdown Spencer was one of the busiest live performance actresses in Toronto.  Over the weekend she did a Question / Answer with our reporter Stephen Weir. Question 1:  Where are you spending the quarantine? If you are alone, do you have ways of communicating with friends and family? Answer 1 : I spend it at home in downtown Toronto with two other family members in my three bedroom townhouse. Question 2:  As an actress and entertainer and performer, you seem to be always involved in very cool projects. What was 2020 shaping up to be for you before the shutdown? Answer 2:  The year started off with a bang i

Rhoma Spencer uses the Force in the new play, The Solitudes By Stephen Weir Take a bow, Rhoma Spencer, take a bow. You are the toast of Toronto’s theatre world for your current role in the new assembly play The Solitudes. Critical reviews. A quarter page colour picture of you in the Toronto Star. And there is an incredible TTC poster of you with hands on hips glaring and scaring all of us riding the Red Rocket this month. Rhoma Spencer is an actor, director, storyteller and broadcast journalist who began her career in her birth nation of Trinidad & Tobago. On stage, performing in TV shows, movies parts, and public events; heck, I have even seen her in costume at a high profile Scarborough funeral a few weeks ago. Now based for the most part here in Toronto, Spencer continues to be one of the busiest live performance actresses in the city. This week she is a brooding, scowling and sometimes hilarious presence on the Harbourfront stage with the Alunia T

Etienne Charles on stage in Toronto, photo by Maria Nunes Etienne Charles in Toronto Carnival. The Sound of People Madly Clapping Volume 1 By Stephen Weir with notes from Ken Bruzual Trinidad born jazzman Etienne Charles proved the old adage never listen to the Rumour Mill. Word on the street earlier this month was saying that his big venue concert was going to be cancelled because of slow ticket sales.     Although not a total sell-out thanks to Caribbean Camera support Charles’ concert turned out to be hottest ticket in Toronto last Friday night. Described as one of the most “exciting young jazz artists today” Michigan based  Etienne Charles , launched the new “Jazz at the George Series” at the George Weston Recital Hall (the Sony Centre’s North York Theatre).   Charles, his five sidemen, a guest pan player and three costumed performers, also used their first Toronto performance as the North American launching pad for their brand new CD Carnival, the Sound of A

Carnival Themed Fete At the Art Gallery Of Ontario Attracts Hundreds and Hundreds Rhoma in costume at the AGO - photo by Craigg Slowly By Stephen Weir for Caribbean Camera Rhoma Spencer, Macomere Fifi, traditional costumed carnival performers and dancer Jasmyn Fyffe took the AGO by storm last Thursday night as part of the art gallery's First Thursday fete. The theme last night was Carnival, and thousands crammed into the Toronto public gallery to jump up. Rhoma Spencer, a well-known Trinidadian Canadian actor and producer, recreated the custom of Viey la Cou (The Old Yard), where traditional Mas was performed over two centuries ago. The characters that she brought to the Dundas St W building were larger than life. There was Dame Lorraine, a Trinidadian mas character of the 18th century, was known for love of dance and shakes it up in a big way with huge padded breasts and an equally large padded butt. Pictured with the Dame is Rhoma Spencer dressed as the Midnigh