Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

Model Beverlyn Asante wears golden headdress by Dawn Grant Black History Month: No Time To Sleep.  Events almost every hour of the day for 28 days straight By Stephen Weir It’s not a big secret – Toronto is about to become the epicentre for the country’s most important Black History events this February. At a press conference on Tuesday, Black History Month organizers and key officials from the Toronto Dominion Bank unveiled a record number of 90+ different February events that will occur for the most part in the GTA. The presser was held at A Different Booklist Cultural Centre on Bathurst Street. It was a full-house with radio, television and print journalist on hand to learn about all-things-Black beginning next week. Damcers' Duet Inside The A Different Booklist's Community Centre Music. Fashion. History. Food. Performance.  There is a mammoth formal gala, crazy good concerts and small unique happenings for 28 days in a row.  It all begins next

In Trinidad These Toronto Angels Walk Softly And Carry A Big Cheque By Stephen Weir Tony Chankar was a hard man to track down this Christmas holiday. The Scarb orough printer and community leader was in Trinidad visiting family and literally out everyday of his trip spreading the love on behalf of Toronto’s UNI-TNT with those in need. It took three-days of trying before we connected by phone. “Well today we gave $15,000 TT to the RapidFire Kidz Foundation here in Trinidad and Tobago” said Mr. Chankar. “This money, which we raised in Toronto, is helping the kids who are in the hospital over the holidays at the San Fernando General Hospital. It is Trinidad’s big hospital and there is a real need.” “We did a presentation today to the organization which gives presents and baskets to everyone in the Children’s ward. RapidFire is a church driven charitable foundation in Trinidad that has been doing outstanding work in the community for a number of years.” Tony Chankar and his

2018 Books in Review – 8 For 18.  By Stephen Weir (original story from edited version in the Caribbean Camera)   Caribbean Canadians and authors who write about Caribbean issues in the Great White North continued to hold their own on the Canadian literature scene this year. From award-winning novels to children’s titles about the black experience, these are top 10 books that book sellers, the media and of course the Caribbean Camera recommend you consider before the clock ticks out on 2018. Esi Wins  - Photo From The Giller Prize 1. WASHINGTON BLACK.   Esi Edugyan’s latest novel is truly the book of the year in Canada, and, is also racking up sales the US and the Caribbean.   No, she isn’t Bajan – the BC writer’s parents are from Ghana -- but she nails 19 th  century slaving Barbados better than anyone else in Canada ever has.   Her most recent novel,  Washington Black , won this year’s $100,000 Scotiabank Giller Prize and was a finalist for both the prestigious UK M

Same day afternoon show added Mighty Sparrow surprise guest for Snowflakes Tribute to Greats   By Stephen Weir If you saw the advertisement for the giant Snowflakes  Tribute to the Greats  concert in last week’s Caribbean Camera, did you catch organizer Wendy Jone’s drift when she mentions special guest star in the ad?    No? Well, the cat is now out of the bag, the special guest is the world’s most famous Calypso singer: The Mighty Sparrow and an afternoon show has been added to accommodate the demand for tickets!   It has been a long long time since the Mighty Sparrow was last in Toronto.  He did make an appearance in 2014 at the Caribbean Tales Film Festival screening of the biopic The Glamour Boyz but he did not sing.  That will all change January 26 thanks to Patricia Ward (Sparrow’s Canadian based daughter) and Pan Fantasy’s Wendy Jones for making it all happen. “We have invited him to come and perform many times,” Wendy Jones told the Caribbean Camera. “ Las

X Marks The Spot For Last Big Fete Before Christmas   By Stephen Weir for the Caribbean Camera   The X-factor at last weekend’s Sagi Time fete was an early early Sunday morning performance by raising Soca star Olatunji. The Trinidadian singer flew into Canada just hours before taking to the stage in Toronto to entertain a room filled with his fans. With the holidays almost here, the  annual Sagi Time (short for Sagitarius Time) had a near full house for the last big bash before Christmas. Held at the Eglington East Latvian Community the fete combined good food, Trinidadian and Canadian performers and a well used large dance floor.   Trinidad's Olatunji Olantunji  (Edward Yearwood) earned global recognition when he won Trinidad's  International Soca Monarch in 2015, after singing his blockbuster single "Ola” (which he sang at Sagi Time). In September he was a contestant on the UK X Factor  and competed on the wildly popular televised show before being elimina

Bathurst and Bloor Underground. See You In 100 Years. By Stephen Weir A time capsule to mark the role that the Bathurst Bloor Annex Corridor has played in the history of Caribbean and African peoples in Toronto is soon going to be buried in the ground in a busy city construction site.  “ This is another way that we as a community can mark our history,” explained Itah Sadu, the owner of the A Different Booklist.  “This area, around the intersection of Bathurst and Bloor, has a real history – here we can trace our peoples right back to the Underground Railroad!” For now the time capsule sits in the front window of the Bathurst St bookstore and cultural space. And, as customers and the curious come inside, everyone is encouraged to sign small pieces of paper and place themselves inside equally small bottles and put it into the waiting plastic box time capsule. The Different Booklist is a fitting place for the Time Capsule to be created. The store features books written about

--> Birthday Message – No Talk of Retirement Until Louis Saldenah wins his 20 th Carnival Band of the Year title. By Stephen Weir Toronto, ON ...  It was a Carnival birthday party for the ages! Louis Saldenah, the most winning bandleader in Canada, used the R word only once while talking to the Caribbean Camera on Friday night at his birthday bash at the Windies Bar and Restaurant in Scarborough.   “ I’m 68 today and I am feeling great but you know I could easily walk away from all of this” he said.” But there are a few things I HAVE to do before I retire and turn it over to my (adult) children.” Louis Saldenah, the Trinidadian born bandleader of the Mas K Camp immigrated to this country 48 years ago. He brought to Canada a family winning tradition of mas. His famous father, Harold ‘Sally’ Saldenah, was one of Trinidad’s most successful bandleaders. 
 40 years ago, Louis Saldenah launched his first Toronto mas costume band (Shangri-La) and promptly won Car