Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

March 31 will see an Epic costume launch.  Now that the Trinidad Carnival is over, Toronto Mas camps are getting ready to kick-off the 2023 Toronto Caribbean Carnival season. In a matter of weeks there will be late night costume launches and the opening of mas camps and pan alleys. E.P.I.C Carnival will be the first of the bands competing in this year’s summer parade to hold a costume launch. It will happen at the 400-person Grand Luxe Event Boutique on Bayview Avenue in North York on Friday March 31st.   “ Yes, we are coming out first this year and we can’t wait to kick off the season some EPIC costumes,” said Band leader Jerrol Augustine (aka “Stretch”). “Passion is the theme for 2023 and our 13 sections will tell a story of each of the designers’ passion!” The Mas Band has not yet revealed its costumes yet. However, it is already pre-registering revellers who wish to play mas with EPIC this year.  “On our website you can connect to buy $30 band launch tickets, pre-register to secure

  CRIME ALONG DE CARNIVAL ROAD UNPUBLISHED STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH by a slightly crushed sweirsweir The good news about the Saturday July 30 th  parade is that no was killed during the day-long festival.  The bad news is there was a serious stabbing near the west-end of the parade route and an unconfirmed report that police also arrested a man carrying a gun. Constable Laura Brabant with the Force’s public relation department confirmed that a man had been stabbed near the intersection of British Columbia Rd and Lakeshore Blvd at the far-end of the Canadian Exhibition Grounds. The stabbing occurred at approximately 5:30 Saturday afternoon while the parade was still in progress. At the time police reported that the victim had a “serious injury” which has since been downgraded. He was rushed to hospital by ambulance officers search the area looking for the stabber. He was not found. “I can further advise that the victim’s injury is non-life-threatening in nature.” Said officer Brabant. “Ther

  Henry, so how do we get to hear the music? Last week the Caribbean Camera published a news story about 55 Still Alive, a Calypso song written by performing artist King Cosmos, that is meant to commemorate the 55 th  anniversary of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival. Last week the song was still being worked up and we didn’t tell readers how to hear the new music.  Bad mistake, you the readers let us know that it was unfair to hold back on the tune. Well, we hate to do this again but Calypso fans will have to wait until the end of the month.  The song drops June 1 st  on Spotify, Apple Music and all the other social media music platforms. What will you hear? The call-and-response style song pays tribute to  Canada’s largest multi-cultural festival from past to present. Composed, written and produced by King Cosmos (Henry Gomez) is all about the originators, artists, organizations and stakeholders who nurtured the festival since its inception in 1967.  Mixed and mastered by Ossie Gurley, c

D’New Regulars will be Off-Duty Next Sunday Night By Stephen Weir    When it comes to Carnival Canada’s longest serving Mas Man, Michael Williams ( pictured below ) he is never off duty, except next Sunday. He started the D’Regulars in 1973 and now 49-years later with a slightly different name, he will be presenting a costume launch for this year’s Mas Band. Canada’s Armed Forces generals are not probably going to like what William’s troop of models are going to be wearing on stage at the Spade Bar & Lounge. But given that the D New Regulars theme is “Off Duty”, enlisted or not, Soca party people will want to jump up and jump in.   “We have five sections of which four of them tie right into military uniforms,” explained Williams. Two sections have naval themed mas costumes (think male and female white navy uniform tops and of course skimpy bottoms)and two sections based on camo army fatigues.   “I designed all of the costumes and for the fifth section I looked back into the old day

The Energy in the Hall on Saturday Night?  It was E.P.I.C By Stephen Weir The E.P.I.C. Carnival Mas Band lived up to the meaning of its name – Energy. Passion. Imagination. Culture – and then some. After the two year lay-off staging a costume launch (because of Covid) came out of the gate just smoking! The Saturday night’s Costume Launch at Scarborough’s Grand Cinnamon Convention Hall was a passionate preview of what they are going to bring to the street at the Toronto Caribbean Carnival in 2022.  According to our photographer Herman Silochan there over 1,000 people at the launch to see the costumes of a dozen sections over the course of the midnight show.  The theme this year?  Energy of course. And lots of it. With section names like Pulse, Shockwave and Animale it is only natural that their costumes work the Energy theme. Lots of electric blue and fire red are worked into the costumes’ colour scheme, and like the other Bands that have launched before skimpy is the watchword (althou

Brampton Debut for the Freedom Mas Band of the Toronto Carnival By Stephen Weir. Pictures by Des Photography   This early bird didn’t get any worms, Johanna Grant, got something significantly tastier.  By holding her new Freedom Mas Band costume launch on Sunday she won bragging rights to having thrown the first Band launch of Carnival 2022. She is also the first to open the doors to their camp and begin the business of making masquerade outfits. She set a couple of other milestones this weekend. Her new band is the only group that is now based in the city of Brampton. They will be proudly waving the Black, Green and Gold along Lakeshore Blvd in Toronto’s Grand Parade on July 30 th .  “After a 16 years hiatus, the Jamaican Band is       back, fully equipped with costumes to give    revellers the full   carnival experience ,” said Johanna Grant shortly after her day long fete ended. “We are excited to bring back the Jamaican culture to the Toronto Carnival formally known as Caribana!” “

Brampton debut for the Freedom  Mas Band of the Toronto Carnival By Stephen Weir. Pictures by Des Photography This early bird didn’t get any worms, Johanna Grant, got something significantly better.  By holding her new Freedom Mas Band costume launch on Sunday she won bragging rights to being the first Band to hold a launch for Carnival 2022 and also the first band to open their Mas Camp doors and start making masquerade outfits. She set a couple of other milestones on the weekend. Her new band is the only group that will be based in the city of Brampton, and proudly waving the Black, Green and Gold down Lakeshore Blvd in Toronto's Grand Parade on Saturday July 30 th. “After a 16 years hiatus, the Jamaican Band is back, fully equipped with costumes to give revellers the full  carnival experience ,” said Johanna Grant shortly after the day long fete ended. “   We are excited to bring back the Jamaican culture to the Toronto Carnival formally known as Caribana!” “Honest, one of the r

                                                T h e Parade Is A Go In 2022   Jamaal’s Revellers the First Band To Announce Launch   By Stephen Weir   Dust off your pans, tune up your singing voice, break out your costume. It is going to happen (probably).    Laverne Garcia the chair of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival confirmed to the Caribbean Camera that it is full speed ahead for the 55 th Toronto Caribbean Carnival's Grand Parade on July 31 st along the Lakeshore.  It was probably the worst kept secret at City Hall. The major events in the city from Pride to the Toronto Film Festival have all been given permission by Toronto and the Province to stage their annual events -- provided of course that Canada does not get hit by another wave of Covid.    “We will ensure compliance with all public health and safety precautions as the safety and health of the community is our top priority,” Garcia confirmed to the media last week. “This year marks our 55th Emerald Anniversary,

Slave Clothes On The Mink Mile? Only on Emancipation Day   Photos and story by Stephen Weir:  According to well-known activist, organizer and owner of Canada’s largest diversity bookstore,  Itah Sadu  what happened on Sunday on Bloor Street was neither a demonstration nor a parade.  Maybe not but the Mas models, actors in chains wearing slave clothing and children holding Black Power signs walked the  Mink Mile  on Sunday afternoon – it was an August 1 st   Emancipation Day  to remember.   “No, this was an act of love,” explained Sadu. “ We billed it as  E mancipation on Bloor  -- an animation of the  Bloor Street Cultural Corridor  from Yonge and Bloor (aka the Mink Mile) to Christie and Bloor adding to the all the terrific August First Emancipation Day activities here in Toronto.” Actors in slave clothing carry their chains  Yonge & Bloor in Toronto It started after lunch at one of the busiest intersections in Canada – Yonge and Bloor Street.  Over 60 musicians, models, street ac