Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

Sophomore band plans to paint Caribana Green in 2020 Last year photographer and long-time filmmaker Jenny Baboolal was a little green behind the ears when it came to starting a new Mas Band. Now almost a year later, not only is she going green again but also plans to be bigger and better than in she was in 2019. “My belief is that Going Green is a win-win proposition for everyone” Baboolal told the Caribbean Camera. “Everyone is aware of the climate change crisis and we all want to make a difference.” In 2019, Baboolal, and Calypsonian Roger Gibbs led a mini-parade of 20 masqueraders wearing green costumes, around Nathan Phillips Square during the City Hall Launch of the annual carnival. “This year I’d love to have enough people in green to encircle the Square.” The Going Green group has a message to the world. “ We must reduce our carbon footprint!” To that end the masqueraders will be at the launch and the parade having fun and spreading the world about their environme

Investing in Cultural Infrastructure in Hamilton  The Government of Canada supports the Art Gallery of Hamilton and the creation of a civic museum! HAMILTON, Ontario, February 11, 2020 The Government of Canada is committed to supporting the creation and renovation of cultural spaces to allow better access to the arts and heritage for everyone.  The Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister of Labour, and Member of Parliament (Hamilton West–Ancaster– Dundas), announced $112,875 in funding for the Art Gallery of Hamilton today. She made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage. The Honourable Filomena Tassi   This support, provided through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, will help fund a comprehensive feasibility study for a significant renovation of the Art Gallery of Hamilton. The study will explore improvements to the art gallery’s storage, displays and interpretation of its permanent collectio

Go Fund Dr. Kim. He Wants You To Join The Damn Pan Family Trinidad and Tobago’s 2020 Carnival is roaring down the track and Dr. Kim Johnson author and film maker has turned to social media to get his book about Pan on board!  Last week on Facebook postings began appearing about his IndieGoGo crowd funding campaign to reprint his seminal, Illustrated Story of Pan. The book will not be available for Carnival, but, the author is hopefully that by the time people start taking to the streets of Port of Spain, he will know whether or not there will be second printing of Pan history will be available to order. Dr. Johnson is a Director at the Carnival Institute of Trinidad and Tobago. He works at the University of Trinidad and Tobago and manages PAN We Are The World. His short films about Pan and the Carnival Arts are shown at festivals around the world including Toronto’s Caribbean Tales Film Festival. The original book was published in Trinidad and Tobago in 2011.  The initial print

Never mind Crawfish and Carnival, love infused Jazz at the George with Louisiana’s red-hot singer, Quiana Lynell  by stephen weir Hectic just doesn’t cut it when describing jazz singer Quiana Lynell’s life these days. Two better words just might be airport and hotel! The red-hot jazz singing sensation from Louisiana is en-route to Toronto for her long delayed Canadian debut concert.  But in between leaving her home two days ago in the Deep South and experiencing her first Deep North winter next week, she has taken her quartet to Europe to perform. The vocalist extraordinaire is booked into the George Weston Recital Hall, next Saturday night (Feburary 15th) as part of the Jazz at the George concert series.  The George bills itself as Canada’s best recital hall and one of the world’s top venues; it is part of the Meridian Arts Centre complex on Yonge Street in North York. On Wednesday, the Caribbean Camera's Stephen Weir caught up with the winner of the highly i

Desmond Cole Howls About His New Blockbuster Book The Howl Radio Show scored a big media scoop when they had author Desmond Cole on air the night before the official launch of his guaranteed blockbuster book The Skin We're In.  University of Toronto's CIUT-FM 89.5 landed a 20-minute late night (10pm) live interview on Tuesday in advance of Cole’s large sold-out launch  booked for Wednesday evening at the downtown Art Gallery of Ontario. Howl is one of the longest running book radio show in the country (20+ years). Show host Jane Bullis, took Cole through his new work, a book which looks at racism in Canada in 2017 and, as he says, punctures the smugness of a post-racial nation. Cole chronicles  the year 2017 – Canada’s 150th birthday  -- and the month of January 2018. It’s all about the struggle against racism in this country. It was a year that he writes, saw calls for tighter borders when Black refugees braved frigid temperatures to cross into Manitoba from th

--> Big Things Happening In Toronto This February. A Torchy Jully Black - by Jones & Jones At a Harbourfront media event on Monday, a few audience members remarked that Black History Month (BHM) should be moved from February to March this year. Why?   BHM could use the extra two days   - there is just too much happening to see it all in just 29 days. The presser was billed as the TD Black History Month Series Launch and there was a stream of big names on and off the stage.   Hip-hop veteran Maestro Fresh Wes was the ringleader and introduced appearances from top Canadian talent including Jully Black, Tonya Williams and Exco Levi. The launch was part promotional for the city’s February events and the other half was discussion on living the Black experience in Canada.   TD Bank was front and centre on Monday because of their ten-year involvement in funding BHM events including the presser.   Jully Black & Exco Levy - by Jones & Jones There

Killer Book About Killer Bug In The Running For The RBC Taylor Prize Timothy Winegard by Herman Silochan This is the last year for the RBC Charles Taylor Prize. The non-fiction Canadian book prize is closing down in March after marking 20-years of rewarding the country’s best authors. The Prize recently announced the last five authors on the shortlist to win the Prize. One of their books, Timothy Winegard’s history of the Mosquito will have Caribbean readers itching to buy insect spray and install bug proof screens. The female mosquito has, through history, killed more people with her bite than all the wars in the history of man. In the Caribbean, where the fears of dengue, malaria, West Nile and sickle cell, grow, the mosquito is to blame. Dr. Winegard is a Sarnia born, hockey-loving historian who now teaches at the Colorado Mesa University. He has served in both the Canadian and British Armed Forces and knows about war. He says the world is losing the battle against