Watch Soca Monarch 2012 for free on a big screen tonight.

If you are trying to decide whether to stay home and wach a live stream of Soca Monarch on PPV or go out and lime with your partners, now you can do both. Dexter is throwing a free soca Monarch lime at his mascamp. You can walk with your drinks and take in the show .

THIS FRIDAY Feb 16th (CARNIVAL FRIDAY) FREE LIME!! Come Watch Intl Soca Monarch for FREE and on a BIG SCREEN! Tribal Knights (TRIBAL CARNIVAL) MAS CAMP 83 Dynamic Dr. (Markham & McNicoll) Unit 11-12 Come LIME with EXcel Mix Radio's Soca Chefs during our SOCA GRILL FRIDAYs Show throwing down some sweet soca from 8pm while we watch the INT'L SOCA MONARCH FINALS LIVE on BIG SCREEN!! Yes I said FREE and on BIG SCREEN!! Walk with your juice!! Leh we LIME! Spread de word! Congratulations to our good friend and family KI! New 2012 Chutney Monarch! The Tribal team wish you all the best tonight! The Power Soca finalists * Machel Montano (Defending) * Fireman (St. Vincent) * Destra Garcia * Prophet Benjamin * Blaxx * Erphan Alves * Hardnoxx (Antigua) * Swappi * Michael Mursor (Barbados) * Nadia Batson * Iwer George * Shurwayne Winchester Groovy finalists: * Kes (Defending Monarch) * Destra * Blaxx * Erphan Alves * JW + Blaze * Kerwin Du Bois * KI * Machel Montano * Nadia Batson * Patrice Roberts * Chucky * Benjai * Shal Marshall * Super Jigga TC Like Us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter

Toronto-lime.com is shutting down.

Well, when I saw this post on facebook this morning I thought it was a hoax. As I did some searches its being repeated by a bunch of people who should know, so I guess its true, Jef is moving on.

You have to give Jef Lo all the respect in the world. When he started his site, there was nothing in its league. He has inspired many other business models that are now prominent. He created an online presence for soca in Toronto and worldwide. Best of luck in your future endeavors.

Originally Posted by iReporter

TORONTO-LIME.com closes its doors

Toronto, ON, Canada - Wednesday February 8, 2012 -: Founder and president, Jef Lo announced today that TORONTO-LIME.com will be no more after 16 years online. After being touted the number one Caribbean website for so many years the question is why?

"It's time for me to move on" says Jef. "In the initial start-up, the mission was to give Caribbean content a place on the worldwide web. Back in 1996, the only information that would appear in a search engine for the keywords 'Soca/Calypso' was about Harry Belafonte. Over the years TORONTO-LIME.com has inspired many to post their knowledge and content online. Today there’s nothing Caribbean you cannot Google. I think I've reached my goal."

When asked if this was a move to early retirement, Jef said laughingly, "Business was good, but not that good." According to Mr. Lo, his immediate plans are to take some time off before returning to his other business (Soca Bookings), where his focus will now lie in artist management and public relations.

TORONTO-LIME.com is now officially off-line. The highly prominent domain name will be up for sale within the next few weeks and speculation on how high bidding will reach for the heavily sought-after brand is anyone's guess

Ontario place closing this summer

 Today it was announced that Ontario place will be closing this summer for a much needed revamp. For the last couple years Caribana has been using the facility to hold the family oriented "lime" on the two days following the big parade. It was nice venue for the event and more easily accessible than the Toronto Islands.

We don't know yet where the event will be moved to... perhaps back on the centre island? Maybe Downsview? We'll see what happens. Anyway, below is an article about the Ontario place closing. 

Its such a great physical location, I really hope they keep the public access and not sell off the land to some condo developer. I don't care for the casino idea, but then again I went to Vegas and didn't gamble.  

Ontario Place shuts some facilities for revamp

By Antonella Artuso, QMI Agency

Ontario Place is seen in this 2010 file photo.

TORONTO -- The majority of Ontario Place's attractions, including the iconic Cinesphere, have been closed permanently to allow for a revitalized tourist destination.
An advisory panel led by Conservative John Tory has been told that members can consider anything, including a waterfront casino and condos, to ensure the faded beauty by the lake starts paying her own way rather than soaking up $20 million in taxpayer's money each year.
"We're not ruling anything in or out... I'm sort of lukewarm on more casinos, frankly," Tory said. "It's got to be something that is extraordinary."
The panel will work for free and is expected to provide options by this summer.
The move means the loss of 48 permanent full-time jobs and 600 summer jobs, although the government says it will look for money to replace the lost student positions.
"It sits on some of the most valuable real estate in the country if not North America," Finance Minister Dwight Duncan said Wednesday. "However, the park does not draw enough people to its gates to keep it sustainable in its current form. The transformation of Ontario Place is also an opportunity to modernize an iconic attraction and improve the way it delivers cultural, leisure and entertainment services to Ontario families."

Duncan said the government is hoping to bring in private capital although the goal remains to keep Ontario Place open to the public.
Attendance has been dropping from a high of about 2.5 to 3 million visitors when it first opened to 563,000 last year when the facility opened its doors for free.
Fans of Ontario Place have balked at changes made there in the past -- in particular, a decision to tear down the beloved open-air, free-with-admission Forum concert hall and replace it with the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre in 1994-95.
Up in the air is the fate of the Cinesphere, which looks like a giant white golf ball, and is the first permanent IMAX theatre in the world.
Tory didn't rule out re-purposing the Cinesphere, though the government says the closures are permanent.
The only facilities staying open at Ontario Place are those that make a profit, including the Molson Amphitheatre and the parking lot.
Tourism, Culture and Sport Minister Michael Chan said Ontario Place may reopen in time for the 2015 Pan Am Games, but will definitely be back in business in 2017 when the country turns 150 years old.
"A new Ontario Place will be our birthday gift to all Ontarians and Canadians," Chan said.
NDP MPP Gilles Bisson said he is very concerned about what the government has in mind for a beloved provincial attraction.
"Is it going to be developed into condominiums -- who knows what it's going to look like at the end," Bisson said.
Joe Halstead, chair of Ontario Place Corporation, said parents and kids will miss the activities in the short term, but he hopes there will be much more for them to do in the future.
"It is the beginning of a new Ontario Place," Halstead said.
Councillor Mark Grimes, chair of the Exhibition Place board of governors, said he and the mayor's office were surprised by the provincial announcement but he believes he can work with Tory on a plan that benefits both properties.

BLC MASquerade Brunch and Show

Sunday January 22, 2012

2pm-6pm

1083 Pape Ave, Toronto (Legion Hall)

$25/each or 2 for $40 - kids under 12, free

Hummingbird Dance and Performing Co, DJ Jay Williams

Pan, Calypso and More...

Door prizes

Buffet Lunch, Cash Bar - Wheelchair accessible 

and then there was Barrie...

Barrie's 5th Caribfest was a nice finish to our carnival season. Several bands represented, with Saldenah and Carnival Nationz masqueraders in particular who came out in good numbers to get their las lap. Most bands had very few masqueraders, not sure why (??). Fortunately, since there was no more judging & need for security, we all one, so many felt free to jump from band to band. Another BIG reason I love playing mas at Caribfest so much.

The route changed this year, we weren't parading through the side streets and then downtown, they kept us to the Lakeshore... hmmmm, familiar?!? How did you feel about that? It felt about the same distance, I don't know if that's bc at times there was no movement.

It was also better to get back to not charging admission into the park. The food & shopping vendors were out in full force again, which is fantastic, I love to see that. There were complaints last year of garbage, and I saw organizer Ricardo picking up litter in the park this year, so he really was on it!

So great meeting up with so many familiar faces!

I want to say thank you to all the readers who check out the blog, take the time to comment, and come and say hi at all the events. I've really enjoyed meeting so many of you fabulous carnival divas and divos this season!
It started to drizzle at @2, but the light rain didn't kill the vibe, in fact, because it was our last jump up, it felt like people took that as a cue to get on bad! After some jerk chicken, we took in a bit of the performance in the park. I spotted lightening at 7:00 so we made a run for it, and then the downpour came during the show, which put an end to it for us.I'm putting together a slide show of our 2011 carnival pics to display on the blog (we have soooo many more than what we've posted!) Helps to get through the dull 7 months without Caribana when we're on hiatus.

If you'd like to include your own photos, email them to me at karabana01@yahoo.ca.

Mas Toronto Hamilton Mardigras Carnival 2011 1(3/3)

Barrie Caribfest

This is an e-mail sent out by Revellers to their masqeraders, and it contains some of the best info I have seen so far. For example, I was wondering why I don't recognize lots of this years performers..... It turns out they are French Creole singers... who knew? So we are in store for a bit of a different flavor.

The 5th annual Barrie Caribfest will take place this weekend, August 12 - 14, 2011 at Centennial Park in Barrie. The 2011 event will feature the culture of the French/ French-Creole Caribbean. This will include the music, food, dance and crafts of French/French Creole speaking islands. There will also be soca and reggae music from Trinidad and Jamaica.

Toronto Revellers will be there!!

There will be a new parade route that will run beside beautiful Kempenfest Bay, creating a wonderful vantage point for the colourful and elaborately designed costumed to be highlighted as the masqueraders dance and make their way to Centennial Park.

The parade starts at 1:00 pm and ends at 5:00 pm.

Saturday, August 13, 2011 - 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Lakeshore Drive

Costume parade on the NEW parade route

Caribfest 2011 New Parade Route:

Lakeshore Drive (Intersection of Lakeshore Drive and Entry to South Shore Centre)

West on Lakeshore Drive

Pass Intersection of Lakeshore Drive and Tiffin Street

North on Lakeshore Drive

Pass Intersection of Victoria Street and Lakeshore Drive

Parade Ends at Boat Launch Parking Lot Between Toronto Street and Victoria Street

For the Toronto Revellers who are participating in the costume parade, the band will be meeting in the marshalling area for 11:00am (driving directions below)

SEE YOU THERE!

For additional info please visit www.caribfest.ca!

---

DRIVING DIRECTIONS

To Marshalling Area for Band Leaders and Masqueraders from Toronto

a. North on HWY 400

b. Exit at Essa Rd.

c. Turn Right on Essa Road

d. Turn Right on Burton Avenue (Burton Avenue Turns into Yonge Street)

e. Turn Left on Minets Point Road

f. Turn Left onto Lakeshore Dr.

g. Follow Lakeshore Dr. to Marshaling Area

To Marshalling Area for Band Leaders and Masqueraders from North of Barrie

a. South on HWY 400

b. Exit at Essa Rd.

c. Turn Left on Essa Road

d. Turn Right on Burton Avenue (Burton Avenue Turns into Yonge Street)

e. Turn Left on Minets Point Road

f. Turn Left onto Lakeshore Dr.

g. Follow Lakeshore Dr. to Marshalling Area

Sometimes, you need an outsider to remind you what you have

Hi Folks,


We take Caribana for granted. We get all wrapped up in politics, funding, which band is the best, who have the biggest feathers and most expensive costume. We fight among ourselves and complain about mas not being what it was back in the day, and not being what it's supposed to be now.

We focus on everything that went wrong and fell short.

I have this auditor buddy of mine, he is from Chicago but his job takes him all over North America. He basically spends more than half of his time living out of a suitcase. He is in his mid twenties, he’s not West Indian and him and 3 college buddies (who had never been to Toronto) decided to come for Caribana.

I asked him to throw together a paragraph outlining his experience of the festival as a first timer. I expected them to talk about what parties they went to, maybe mention the food they tried and some comments on the parade.... probably complaining about the barricades (I couldn’t convince them to play mas)

What I got was raw emotion. It reminded me why I love our festival and city. It’s only from the outside looking in, that you can get this kind of perspective.

There are lots of North American Carnivals, and we have been to a few of them, but they don’t have what we have here. We need to cherish, protect and nurture this thing.... it's special.

This is what he wrote:

Below is a quick paragraph about my friend’s first experience in Toronto and Caribana,


“'Best time of my life': probably the most concise way to describe Caribana 2011, without fully diving into the rich detail it deserves. I've never seen so many happy people in one place, it felt like one big family. The weekend was an epic sensory-overload. The experience is also utterly exhausting: I've never danced so much and slept so little in my life. Do not come to Caribana expecting to sit back, relax and enjoy the beautiful Toronto summer sun. It is an experience you have to create and participate in to gain full benefit from. Caribana is, after all, about people coming together to celebrate culture and party,


An experience as great as Caribana could not be possible in any other North American city than Toronto. No other place has the perfect balance of diversity, openness, acceptance, self-identity, and sheer size needed to pull off such an incredible large-scale cultural celebration. Since its genesis in the late 60s, Caribana has evolved from a small re-creation of Trinidad's Carnival into an epic landmark festival celebrating the music, art, culture, costumes, dance and food from the Caribbean and beyond. Caribana is, after all, about people coming together to celebrate culture, party and have fun.”

What do you think?

Trini-in-Toronto

Hamilton Mardi Gras 2011

Carnival Nationz celebrating their clean sweep.

It may have been smaller this year, with only 5 bands participating, but the fantastic feeling at their 10th parade was still there. There's a lot to be said for being able to properly play your mas with no concerns.

It was fun meeting so many of you!

Tribal Knights was definitely where the party was at!

It was great to see all the usual suspects were there.

Thankfully we weren't rained out during the parade, the downpour came at 5:00, and actually it was refreshing from the humidity to end the day jumping in the rain.

First time Caribana masqueraders, if you didn't go to Hamilton, be sure to get in your las lap at Caribfest in Barrie - more bands are going.