It was deja vu on Sunday for two teen-aged mas’ players from Whitby, Ontario Evan Murphy, 14, and Canesha Edwards,16 who were adjudged king and queen respectively in the 2017 Junior King and Queen competition, organized by the Peeks Toronto Caribbean Carnival, were repeat winners in the 2018 competition. Murphy from Venom Carnival, portrayed ” […]
By Oscar Wailo In my early years as a columnist for The Caribbean Camera, my most joyful moments were inspired by what we called “Caribana Season.” Yes, for us, Caribana (now called Peeks Toronto Caribbean Carnival) was not simply the Saturday masquerade, but a full season when the calypso tents opened, steelbands gathered up their […]
Veteran carnival bandleader Louis Saldenah, popularly known as Sally, has won the “band of the year” award no fewer than 18 times in his illustrious mas’ producing career in Toronto which started in 1977. This year he is presenting Wonders of Spring, a band with 17 sections […]
By Lincoln DePradine An agreement has been reached that ensures steelpan music will form part of the entertainment package for the 2018 Peeks Toronto Caribbean Carnival. This follows a meeting last Thursday with officials of the Ontario Steelpan Association (OSA) and the Festival Management Committee (FMC), the organizers of the carnival, as well as representatives […]
It all started in 1966 with a call from City of Toronto’s Parks Commissioner Tommy Thompson. The Commissioner had dropped in at a Caribbean airline office in Toronto to float an idea about a West Indian celebration in 1967 of Canada’s one hundredth year of Confederation. Why not a Trinidad-style carnival? Michael Martinez, the office […]
By Lincoln DePradine Funding for the 2018 Peeks Toronto Caribbean Carnival from the three levels of government amounts to less than $1 million, with the City of Toronto as the largest contributor. Toronto Mayor John Tory announced on Tuesday that the city’s allocation to the event, organized by the Festival Management Committee (FMC), was […]
If you ‘re a newcomer to Toronto and were in close vicinity of Nathan Phillips Square around noon on Tuesday, you may have thought that you were in the Caribbean. The music onstage in the Square was unmistakably Caribbean and there were masqueraders showing off the artistry of carnival. But yes, you were still in […]
By Stephen Weir, photographs by Dan Moreland Wave after wave of young masqueraders showed off their wildly colourful costumes at the Caribbean Carnival’s Junior Parade media launch held at the Malvern Town Centre mall in Scarborough on Tuesday. “ This year we really want to bring it back to the kids and to the families,” […]
By Stephen Weir Readers of the Caribbean Camera are familiar with the carnival pictures of Don Moreland. The paper has been featuring his pictures of the launches of both children and adult mas’ bands for Toronto Caribbean Carnival 2018. Currently, the longtime mas’ photographer is making the rounds of the mas’ camps to elicit support […]
By Stephen Weir, photographs by Don Moreland For the youngsters who play mas’ with Fantazia Carnival, the natural elements aren’t hurricanes and volcanoes; they are gentle breezes, friendly sunsets and warm blue water. On the weekend the band held a launch party for the revellers who will be taking part in the July 21 Junior […]
