Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

--> Superstar Machel Montano performing at a rare afternoon costume launch. Machel Montano on College Street By Stephen Weir    The Atlantic Mas camp, with the help of Soca superstar singer Machel Montano, has saved the best for last!   Bandleader Akil Heywood says that their third annual costume launch will be held at the Rebel Nightclub (Polson Pier) the afternoon of May 19 th . “Not everyone wants to stay up until 3am in the morning at a costume launch.   We are holding a launch in the afternoon, with Machel Montano performing on stage at the Rebel nightclub. The Rebel nightclub is one of Toronto’s largest and most popular concert destinations,” said Mr. Heywood. “We are calling the launch an ‘Invitation to Dance’ with a theme we call Semba,” he continued.   “ It is the Victoria Day long weekend, the perfect way to spend holiday Saturday.” Getting the Trinidad based performer known as the Soca King, to perform at a costume launch is no mean feat. Mac

When Death Come Run  (but not till Martin’s play is over) By Stephen Weir for the Caribbean Camera Rehearsals are well underway for a new play which the playwright describes as a mash up of old time Jamaica and British theatrical farce. When Death Come Run by Torontonian Yvette Martin, opens the evening   (8pm) of   Friday May 4 th at the downtown Al Green Theatre. “ The play owes a lot to Agatha Christie written from a Jamaican perspective,” Martin explains. “Despite the part-patois title of the play, When Death Come Run is aimed at a general English-speaking audience”, The two-act play is set in the rainy Parish of Portland, Jamaica in the early 1970’s. The play, a comedic mystery focuses on two brothers in their late 60’s, Joshua Jenkins, the local tailor (John Phillips) and his brother Jerimiah Jenkins, the local grave digger and part time medicine man (David Smith). Along with their extended dysfunctional family they all try to come to terms with their own de

--> DEXTER ON STAGE WITH HIS DAUGHTER CELENA SEUSHAHAI AND MC SHELDON FRANCIS (SKF) Saturday night's main event for fans of Carnival   By Stephen Weir for the Caribbean Camera Sunday morning at the Grand Deluxe Ballroom in North Toronto and sunrise only three hours away. It was very late even for a Mas Band costume launch, when Tribal Carnival founder Dexter Seusahai and daughter Celena Seusahai wearing the show stopping costume lowered the music and told the wildly clapping fans where their family run band is heading. "We have been up. We have been down. Now the sky is the limit!" yelled Dexter Seusahai. He told the 500+ strong audience that Tribal Carnival will compete for the first time in three years in the large band class (1,000+) for this year's August 4 th Toronto Caribbean Carnival (Caribana) Parade, 2018. Established in 2007 Tribal has emerged as one of the festival’s most successful Mas Bands. Tribal has not only competed su

The BIG BIG costume launch is this weekend TORONTO REVELLERS SET TO WOW THE CITY By Stephen Weir for the Caribbean Camera Make way for the Big Big Man.   This Saturday night band leader, former NBA Star and Toronto Raptors Assistant Coach, Jamaal Magloire is hosting the Toronto Revellers Masquerade Band costume launch. A 1,000+ crowd is anticipated for the April 7 th fete which is themed as Extinction: Love Our Planet . It will be held at the York Mills Gallery on York Mills Road  at 9:00 p.m. Toronto Revellers are using Carnival as a platform to bring awareness of a very serious global crisis– Mass Extinction.  “It’s not whether plants, animals, reefs have the will to survive, its whether humanity has the will to save them.  By being conscious of our environment, we determine the fate of our planet for future of generations to come,” says Magloire.  “Each costume will portray the beauty of the world that surrounds us!” Magloire will be joined on stage