CariVaughan Sunday, Aug 4

As they say, remember our last lap in Vaughan! If you're not too tired from Caribana, head over to (Melville Ave.) Major Mackenzie & Rutherford for the parade at noon.

http://www.carifestival.com/

Enjoy yourself in the mas

This is for everyone who, like me, may have had some stress leading up to tomorrow. Whatever your bacchanal was, with friends, costume drama, whatever, just remember, like I'm doing, I'm playing mas, I'm grateful. We are truly blessed to be able to do this thing we love every year. This isn't meant to be a downer at all, I always think of Rupee's song and remember our family members and carnival friends who are no longer with us to play mas with. I think of them and enjoy myself even more for them.

               

Enjoy yourself in the mas.  

Can't wait to see you tomorrow! OXO                                                                                                                                                                                    

ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS RE: 2013 SCOTIABANK TORONTO CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL

by Darling Nicky

INFORMATIVE ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

RE: SCOTIABANK TORONTO CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL

1.       On the topic of:  Limited bleacher seating
The Bleachers have always been on a first-come first-serve basis.  This year the regular theatre style seating is not possible because of the available route inside the Exhibition Place as well as the availability of bleachers inside Exhibition Place.
This year we have created a different experience inside Exhibition Place so patrons can see the Parade from many different vantage points while having the opportunity to experience different activities during the day.

2.       On the topic of: Paid entry (children and senior prices)

The prices for the parade are as follows:
Seniors General Admission $15
Adults General Admission $20
Family Pack (2Adults/Seniors, 2 Children) $60
Children under 2 years Free
Vip Cabana (Tent with food and Non Alcoholic drinks) Single $80
Vip Children (Under 12 Years) Single $25
Vip Cabana  for 10 people brought as a group $750

3.       On the topic of: Concert while parade is taking place 

This is an added attraction. We have provided additional entertainment for the last two years and patrons loved it and requested that we continue doing it. This year we enhanced it and promoted it.

4.       On the topic of: Paid and free entrances

The Paid Entrances are at the Princes Gates, the TTC and GO trains entrances,  and at Saskachewan Blvd near the Dufferin Gates.  You can walk down  Dufferin through the Dufferin Gates  and onto British Columbia Drive to the Jamieson Foot Bridge to cross to the South side where it is free.
You can enter the free area via Straughan Ave in the east and Jameson Ave in the West.  You can also come off the GO and TTC and walk east on Manitoba to Strachan Ave to access the south side of the Lakeshore Road.

5.       On the topic of: Midway for children – price range

The midway rides are very affordable. We had it at the Junior Carnival and it was packed with children

6.       Concert location and time – who has access to it

The concert is inside the Bandshell at Exhibition Place. Once you paid to enter the grounds, the concert is free
We have a method to identify paid patrons entering the Bandshell area

7.       On the topic of: Parade route seating

The parade route has never had seating in the past.  Anyone wanting to sit along the route should bring a bag chair with them.
About Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival
The Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival is an exciting three-week cultural explosion of Caribbean music, cuisine, and revelry as well as visual and performing arts. Now in its 46th year, it has become a major international event and the largest cultural festival of its kind in North America. As Carnival is an international cultural phenomenon, the great metropolis of Toronto and its environs will come alive as the city explodes with the pulsating rhythms and melodies of Calypso, Soca, Reggae, Chutney, Steel Pan and Brass Bands. The Festival Management Committee oversees the running of North America’s largest outdoor festival.
Corporate sponsors of this year’s festival include: Scotiabank, Chevrolet, The Toronto Star, CTV, CP-24, FLOW FM, The Province of Ontario, City of Toronto, Tourism Toronto, The Greater Toronto Airports Authority, the Ontario Science Centre, Toronto Public Library, Eglinton Square Mall, and the Liberty Grand.

Does Prime Minister Stephen Harper have something against North America’s largest Caribbean festival?

 This is an article I pulled from today's Toronto Star
Does Prime Minister Stephen Harper have something against North America’s largest Caribbean festival?

That’s the question organizers of the 2013 Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival are asking themselves on the eve of the festival’s closing weekend in Toronto, which culminates Saturday with a massive parade watched by up to a million people.

The reason for their question is simple: the Harper government has once again this summer stiffed the two-week festival by offering it a measly last-minute grant of only $13,000.

The grant was so small that organizers were forced to turn it down because the cost of staging the cultural events required to qualify for the money would far exceed the size of the grant.

In fact, Ottawa has slashed spending for the Caribbean festival for the last four years. “The funding has been dropping drastically in recent years,” says Chris Alexander, the festival’s chief administrative officer. “Because of that we’ve had to cut costs and cut programs.”

In 2009, Ottawa provided a grant of $124,800. That figure dropped to $44,600 in 2010, $56,600 and $40,800 last year. The funds are earmarked for cultural arts programs such as dance, calypso, folk music and art, not the main parade.

In comparison, the City of Toronto is kicking in $525,000 this year and the Ontario government $510,000. The total festival budget is more than $2 million,

The federal snub is particularly curious considering that Ottawa still heavily supports the Calgary Stampede, Quebec Winter Carnival and many cultural events in Ontario, such as the Stratford and Shaw festivals. All of these are long-established events, compared to the Toronto Caribbean festival, which is relatively young in comparison and appeals to a more multicultural audience.

Some in Toronto’s Caribbean community have gone so far as to describe the Harper government’s decision to slash funding as “cultural racism.”

That may be too harsh a description. But Ottawa’s move to cut funding is puzzling. It’s especially odd given that the festival generates millions in taxes for Ottawa.

“We’re not asking for a lot,” Alexander says. “We don’t think of it as a handout, but as an investment, with very high returns in terms of tax revenues for the government” and intangible returns when it comes to promoting multiculturalism and diversity.

First launched in 1967 as Caribana, the festival has grown to become the biggest Caribbean-themed carnival in North America. Some 1.2 million people participate each year in the festival, with more than 300,000 coming from outside the Toronto area.

An economic impact study released in 2010 estimated the economic impact of the festival at $438 million. That tops figures for the Calgary Stampede or the Quebec Winter Carnival.

In recent years, festival organizers have worked hard to draw corporate sponsors so they aren’t so dependent on government funds. In the past, many corporations backed away from the festival after reports of financial mismanagement.

But today a new team of professional managers has restored credibility to the festival and attracted major sponsors, such as Scotiabank and Chevrolet, as well as a lengthy list of media sponsors, including the Toronto Star, CTV, CP24, Flow 93.5 and Toronto.com.

Joe Mihevc, a Toronto city councillor who has long supported the festival, felt so strongly about Ottawa’s failure “to pay its fair share” that he spoke openly about it three weeks ago at the official festival kickoff.

Of the three levels of government, Ottawa is the main beneficiary of the festival. And yet the festival “doesn’t seem to be politically significant” to the Harper government, Mihevc adds.

For Mihevc, the Caribbean festival is just as much a cultural event as the Stratford or Shaw festivals. It’s concerts, children’s events, band competitions — not just a big parade. That’s why he feels so strongly that Ottawa should match the city and provincial funding.

“They need their bums smacked,” Mihevc says of the Harper government.

At the very least, Harper needs to explain to the Caribbean community why he’s cutting funds to a cultural event that has become as iconic for Toronto as the Stampede is to Calgary Stampede and Winter Carnival is to Quebec.

Bob Hepburn’s column appears Thursday. bhepburn@thestar.ca

Thursday evening King and Queen Show, Toronto Caribbean Carnival (Caribana's Crown Jewel) 2013

So Thursday evening, all roads lead to Lamport Stadium, 1151 King street West.
Admission is $35 in advance and $40 at the door (Seniors pay $35) Please note there is no discount for children. I know this is a bit of a sore point since many families attend this event. But it is one of the only opportunities the festival has to make money it needs to run. Also, seating is limited. One day they might move the event  to a larger venue (Panam games might accelerate this movement in 2015.)

That aside, this is really a must see show. You really can't compare the view of the massive King and Queen costumes under stadium lights to seeing them on the road. Also Destra is supposed to make an appearance and that is always an added bonus.
If you don't have tickets yet, I advise you to arrive early. Its general admission and lines start to form around 5pm.
Also, parking is a challenge. The entire Lamport parking lot is taken up by bands assembling costumes. So you are forced to find street parking or visit one of the neighboring lots. There is a lot at the corner of Liberty and Atlantic, but it fills up quickly. Also, there is a cheap rate after 6pm. My advice is to show up before 6, secure a spot and lime in the parking lot until the cheap rate kicks in.
(This is also a good place to park on Grand parade day for about $5.) I shouldn't be exposing my last Caribana insider secret, see how much I help you guys?

Don't forget, Afropan always has a panyard lime after the show. (Their yard is at the foot of Jefferson). So you can always lime there for a while and wait for the traffic to die down. 

Wanna do something FREE Friday night, but you think you are too young for Calypso Rose?

I'd question your thinking and suggest you need to know what came before soca, chutney soca, ragga soca, groovy soca etc.

But, I understand that Calypso may not be your thing and its Caribana, not Trini-Bana. So maybe you want to take in some Reggae also (Saturday and Sunday).

Kerwin Dubois comes on at 9pm @ Nathan Phillips Square and yes its FREE!!!!!!!


Enter Irie Music Festival Part 3

Nathan Phillips Square

TIME	FRIDAY AUGUST 2, 2013	SAT AUGUST 3, 2013	SUNDAY AUGUST 4, 2013	MONDAY AUGUST 5, 2013
2:00PM		Opening Remarks	Opening Remarks	Opening Remarks
2:30PM			Django	Urvah Khan
3:00PM		Samba Squad	TD Dancers	Keon Love
3:30PM		Irie Performer		Chach
4:00PM		Leroy Jr	Dance Showcase	Farahri
4:30PM			Dance Showcase	Lady Pista
5:00PM				Maccie Paquette
5:30PM		Nu Evolution	Jahsmin Daley	Kaleb Simmonds
6:00PM	Opening Remarks			JD Era
6:30PM	DJ	King Ujah	Korexion	Domanique Grant
7:00PM	D’Enforcas			Masia One
7:30PM	TBA	Comfort	Humble	Shi Wisdom
8:00PM	DJ	Musical Sniper	Jahbuddah
8:30PM	D’Enforcas
9:00PM	Kerwin Dubois	Richie Stephens	Half Pint	Closing Remarks
9:30PM
10:00PM	Closing Remarks	Closing Remarks	Closing Remarks

Caribana Friday night FREE event you can take your kids to (Island soul festival)

We have been blogging in support of Caribana for the last 7 years and I know how much life can change in that time. When you started to fete, you were free, single and disengaged. Now, you might be happily toting a bundle of joy and studying how to make sure that your kids get some kind of connection to this culture that we love so much.

So, its Friday night (Caribana eve) and you think you’re not able to hit a jouvert fete and still get up play mas tomorrow. Plus, if you go and fete, you need to get someone to watch the kids. Maybe you could leave them with Grandma, but maybe she would like to go out too?

I have the perfect event for you, and it’s not going to cost hardly anything at all.

Load up the minivan and take everyone (especially grandma) to Harbourfront Centre. All you have to pay for is parking (or take the TTC). It’s called the Island Soul Festival.

At 6pm they have this art exhibit called Testimonials about Haiti (see you can be a good parent and work in something educational.)

After that you can grab some food at the world café. They have lots of options there beyond the typical jerk chicken and curry, you can sample some stuff from other cultures as well (more education).

Now the good stuff:

Kobo Town will be performing at 7:45pm. I know you might not know them, but watch the video.  They take traditional Calypso and fuse it with world beats and the result is profound.

Then at 9:30pm -11pm

You get the chance to take in a living legend and pioneer in Calypso.

Calypso Rose is an ambassador of Caribbean music, a living legend, a charismatic character, the uncontested diva of Calypso music.

Now you are getting all this entertainment for FREE. All you have to do is find yourself there.

They even have a little shopping area and a licensed patio, so you can take a break and go and shop or take a drink ... something for everyone.

So come and breeze out right by the lake.

This is really a venue and an event that makes our city special. Did I mention its FREE.

Carnival moves n' grooves dance workshop

Are you a new masquerader looking to learn some hot moves for the road? Maybe you are a veteran winer girl/boy and you just wanna mingle with some new like minded individuals.

Come and practice wuking up your waist.

Check out Pan Alive

This is a video of Pan Fantasy's wining performance from last year's Pan Alive competition

Plan to attend next Friday. It is really a good time. Especially if you live in another city where you don't have the opportunity to see full pan orchestras, you really need to take in the show.

And its early enough that you can check out the show and still hit a jouvert fete after.
 

Ticket info

Fog up the place, don’t clog up the place

If you are accustomed to hoping the fence and storming a band, things are going to be a lot more difficult for you this year. There are going to be more fences and lots more security who will actually be opening the fences and escorting you off the route if you manage to get in.

There is still time to join a band, volunteer or at the very least go and buy a steelband jersey, get a wrist band and go and push pan. All these are viable options, but storming is going to get more and more difficult.

For the people who have bought their costume, you might be thinking to yourself, my band is going down the road about 11:30am and we might reach the end of the route around 1 pm. What do I do now? 

Well, the FMC has you covered, you can get off the route, walk back to the CNE, and take in a live performance by none other than Destra Garcia. She is coming on about 2pm in the band shell. And they have listed other performers also.

The organizers are trying to encourage you not to walk back up the route as they say this contributes to congestion. They will be putting security in place to prevent this.

You might say that you paid $200+ and you will walk where you damn well please. There are only a few thousand masqueraders and many, many more stormers, so they should deal with the guys not wearing a costume who shouldn't be in the parade and leave me alone.

That is a valid point, and the organizers are making every effort to keep non-masqueraders off the route, but they are also asking for your co-operation. If you want to leave the route, head back to CNE, take in Destra, then take a jump back down with a panside or some other band (if they will have you, you might have to take a wine on a band security to hop the rope :).  I don’t see the harm in that, but they are asking don’t walk backwards up the route.  Besides, you don’t want anyone to ruffle your feathers as you try to swim upstream against the flow of the bands.

So, get a wristband or wine to the side. Fog up the place, don’t clog up the place.

Trini-in-Toronto

Toronto Caribbean Junior Carnival 2013!

 

 

Trini-in-Toronto says: I love going to the Junior Carnival. It reminds me of mas when I was a kid. Every band kinda does something different, and the kids really have a good time. Its so nice to see a bunch of happy people getting together to celebrate mas and youth. Nobody walks around screw face... its really nice. When my Canadian friends tell me, I've always wanted to check out Caribana, maybe I'll come down this year. I always say come to kiddies and get a taste. This is where we put our best foot forward.

 

There was a vast improvement over last year. We started the parade on time at 11am, there was no log jam of bands, and the last band crossed the stage before 3pm. Excellent work by the organizers, the mas bands and all the volunteers.

As far as I could see, everything went really smoothly.

Band of the year winners:
 1st Toronto Revellers
 2nd Saldenah
 3rd Carnival Nationz
 4th Tribal Carnival
 

 

(This is Karabana now) - I really enjoyed Jr. Carnival this year at Downsview. It looked like  the assembly area worked well, and the judging point was certainly fast moving (Kudos Curtis!) The parade route was shorter, which is better for the wee ones, especially in the blazing hot sun. There were plenty of food vendors in the park and fun activities for the kids. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JUNIOR FEMALE OF YEAR 

1st Place

Masquerade Theme: THE BEAUTY OF NATURE  

Theme For Female of the Year: THE BUTTERFLY MENAGERIE  

Band Leader: DEXTER SEUSAHAI  

Player:  CANEISHA EDWARDS

2nd  Place

Masquerade Theme: THE REEF

Theme For Female of the Year: D'ZEBRA FISH

Band Leader: MARCUS EUSTACE

Player:  KAI CASTLE

JUNIOR MALE OF YEAR 

1st Place

Masquerade Theme: ONCE UPON A TIME

Theme For Male of the Year: JACK AND HIS BEANSTALK

Band Leader: JAMAAL MAGLOIRE

Player:  JALEN MAGLOIRE 

2nd  Place

Masquerade Theme: THE BEAUTY OF NATURE

Theme For  Male of the Year: MANTIS, THE PREDATOR

Band Leader: DEXTER SEUSAHAI

Player: COURTNEY ST. Louis

JUNIOR FEMALE QUEEN  OF YEAR 

1st Place

Masquerade Theme: HEAVEN AND EARTH

Theme For Female Queen  of the Year: HEAVEN CAN'T WAIT 

Band Leader: LOUIS SALDENAH 

Player:  FAITH HERMELIJN 

2nd  Place

Masquerade Theme: THE BEAUTY OF NATURE

Theme For Female Queen of the Year: THE LOTUS QUEEN

Band Leader: DEXTER SEUSAHAI  

Player:  CELENA SEUSAHAI 

JUNIOR MALE KING OF YEAR 

1st Place

Masquerade Theme: THE BEAUTY OF NATURE  

Theme For Male of the Year: MARAHOOTAH THE GUARDIAN

Band Leader: DEXTER SEUSAHAI  

Player:  MALIK ADAMS

2nd  Place

Masquerade Theme: ONCE UPON A TIME

Theme For  Male of the Year: ANANSI WEAVES A TALE

Band Leader: JAMAAL MAGLOIRE

Player: TY WILLIAMSON

JUNIOR BAND OF THE YEAR 

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

FIRST: ONCE UPON A TIME - JAMAAL MAGLOIRE 

2 HEAVEN AND EARTH - LOUIS SALDENAH 

3 THE REEF -  MARCUS EUSTACE 

4 THE BEAUTY OF NATURE DEXTER SEUSAHAI  

5 MINI LEGENDS WILL MORTON 

6 IN FLIGHT MERVYN SKEETE 

7  CELBRATING OUR  HERITAGE - WHITFIELD BELASCO 

8 HOME FOR CARNIVAL - OSEI BRAND 

9 LOST CIVILIZATIONS - NARISSA ALI 

10 SUGAR AND SPICE - COREY HOWARD 

11 MAMA THIS IS MAS - MICHAEL WILLIAMS