Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

Many have themes and some plan to travel Tribal 2018 Costume Launch Caribbean Camera By Stephen Weir: Used to be that when carnival ends in Toronto and the wrap-up band parties have been laid to rest, people move on to think about Parangs, Christmas and Hockey. Not so this year! Even though the 2019 parade is still nine months away, many of the Mas bands in the city have already announced their themes for next year’s parade and are holding events to showcase what’s in store for revelers! Judging by social media postings and one-on-one interviews, the first two bands to announce their themes for 2019 appear to have been Epic Carnival and Fantazia. Three other bands have revealed next year’s themes and the rest of the bands should be following suit soon.   “This year, EPIC Carnival is portraying the theme Persona. We want a unique theme that captures the energy, passion, imagination and culture of our masquerader,” Nadia Jethoo, the Epic Carnival Volunteer Coordinato

“I have no interest in the how to do things but with the openness to pursuing how we build a beautiful rainbow. Art is really a way of thinking about freedom.”-Michael Fernandes NEWLY RELEASED BOOK ABOUT CANADIAN ARTISTS WRITES ABOUT TRINI HALIGONIAN MICHAEL FERNANDES BY KJ MULLINS AND STEPHEN WEIR Caribbean Camera Trinidad-born Canadian Michael Fernandes is a true free spirit who is in love with life. The 74-year old artist and educator lives to engage people into thinking in new ways! The life and times of the artist are part the new book At Home, which was released across Canada this week. Fernandes was born and raised in Trinidad but he now considers Canada home. It was 60-years ago that Fernandes dropped out of school and moved to Montreal. He admits that he was on a “path of no good” and was not shocked when his mother insisted that he get out of Trinidad and “find his way” in Canada. While he may have been “a wild child” it was clear that Michael was talented. A

The Night The Great White Hope Lost It All By Stephen Weir - Caribbean Camera There is nothing noble about a fistfight. Blood. Flying Teeth. Broken Ribs. Brain Damage. A new all-Black (minus one) cast at Soulpepper Theatre says that sometimes fisticuffs can even tear a country apart.   Royale, running until November 11th recreates the Fight of the Century . This was a historic 1910 boxing match that brought US race relations to the canvas and made a black fighter King of the World. You probably know Marco Ramirez for the writing he does for TV more than for what he does for the stage. The American has penned for some big hits including Orange is the New Black, and the Marvel comic Netflix series, Daredevil. Ramirez is said to secretly love boxing because he sees it as “primal theatre”, two men stepping into the ring, and only one coming out with arms raised in victory. In his award winning play Royale, premiering at the Distillery District theatre, Ramirez has mixed

Etienne Charles Trinidad’s Best Jazz Trumpeter Bringing His Carnival Show to Toronto By Stephen Weir For Toronto bound jazz great  Etienne Charles  there is more to Carnival than just parading through the streets of Port of Spain.    No, for the Trinidadian trumpeter, the annual carnival is a source of profound inspiration for a musical tradition that dates back to colonial times.   The 35-year old trumpeter is coming to Toronto on November 16 th  for the North American launch  Carnival: The Sound of a People   Volume 1 , his new CD and to perform it live at the 1,000 seat George Weston Recital Hall in North Toronto.    The CD, recorded in part in Trinidad, has already been released to critical success in the Caribbean. “Carnival is an ocean made up of so many different hybrid influences,” Etienne Charles told the Caribbean Camera late last week.    “ In Toronto I want to make the statement that what you hear now isn’t all there is to Carnival. This CD (and my coming

HONEY BEAR SPAMARTINI By Stephen Weir - popular Facebook posting New cocktail. Drink to sip in the backyard while watching the 70 story condo towers being built down the street. I Invented the Honey Bear Spamartini this morning Honey Bear Spamartini 1.5 oz of Southern Comfort 2 oz of Orange Fresh-cut Juice 2 oz of Grapefruit Fresh-cut Juice 1 tsp of 'Pooh Bear' honey 2 ice cubes shaped like Daleks 2 cubes of Chorizo Spam 1 Maraschino Cherry Pour into an empty can of hot and spicy Chorizo flavoured Spam. Garnish with Chorizo Spam Squares, Maraschino Cherry, Umbrella and drink using a swizzle stick straw copyright sweirsweir ps - photo shoot in our dining room was not without humour - the bear quickly got drunk and tried to hibernate!

No mixed message for Obsidian Theatre Oraltorio: a Theatrical Mixtape is dope! By Stephen Weir Live theatre in Canada usually mean that the audience sits quietly and watches while the actors tell them stories about things they probably don’t know. Not so for  Oraltorio,  now in its final week of performances at the Soulpepper complex in the Distillery District. Clap, stand, dance, and give shout-outs to the two performers on stage. That is how ticketholders react to singer/poet  Motion and DJ L’oqenz in this 80-minute coming-of-age musical mash-up. More an musical event than a play, it is all about being young, female and part of Toronto’s evolving hip-hop scene. “This is so so dope,” said the young woman sitting beside me in the near filled Soulpepper Theater. For her it was all about the music – the two performers channelled everything from flag waving Soca singers to lyrical Jamaican market callers. And for me?  It sure was “dope”, but for a different reason. This