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...

Pop-up Concert at the Canadian Music Week Conference By Stephen Weir Grammy-nominated Panamanian American singer Aloe Blacc was in Toronto last week at the Canadian Music Week conference.    He performed on stage at the Sheraton Centre conference and met with the media. Blacc was here at the request of the US Consulate who were at the music conference to promote the Toronto premier of a new IMAX movie which stars Aloe Blacc.  America’s Musical Journey  opens next month at the Ontario Science Centre and at other museum and science centre IMAX theatres across Canada. The 40-minute large format film follows Blacc as he travels to New Orleans, Chicago, Nashville, Miami, New York and California to explore the roots of American music. It is all about making music and sharing music and how the influence of the greats like Louis Armstrong and Elvis Presley helped shape today’s sounds. Aloe Blacc is best known for his chart-topping “ I Need a Dollar ” and ...