As mas’ aficionados get ready for the big “jump up” in August at the Peeks Toronto Caribbean carnival, the Caribana Arts Group (CAG) is looking forward to re-asserting itself ” as the rightful owner of the festival ” which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. “We will soon be announcing detailed plans about where we intend […]
Two teen-aged mas’ players from Whitby were adjudged king and queen respectively on Sunday at the first Junior King and Queen competition to be held in the 50-year history of the Toronto Caribbean carnival. Evan Murphy, 13, from the band, Venom Carnival, who portrayed ” Centipede Bite,” won the Junior King title. Winner of the […]
Nearly one hundred masqueraders in colorful costumes took over Nathan Phillips Square on Tuesday for the official launch of Peeks Toronto Caribbean carnival 2017. Dancing to a torrid calypso beat, the mas’ players came from no fewer than eleven bands which will hit the streets on August 5 for the grand parade of the carnival, […]
Last Sunday, the Mighty Sparrow (Slinger Francisco) celebrated his birthday. Amazingly, at 82, the man recognized as the Calypso King of the World hasn’t missed a beat and his memory is better than that of people half his age. And yes, he is still composing. He told me that he was working on a Calypso […]
At press time, The Caribbean Camera learned that The 2017 Toronto calypso monarch competition, which was scheduled to be held on July 30, has been put off to ” a date to be fixed” in October. Pat McNeilly (Panman Pat), president of the Organization of Calypso Performing Artists (OCPA), confirmed on Wednesday night that the competition has been put […]
The Caribana parade started out on Toronto’s Yonge Street 50 years ago. This year Caribana was back on Yonge Street as Canadians celebrated the country’s 150th anniversary of Confederation. A small dedicated group of officials and members of the Caribana Arts Group (CAG) – less than 20 – some waving flags, had joined the parade […]
More than 100 young masqueraders from several bands which will be taking part in this year’s junior carnival parade , showed off their colorful costumes at the Malvern Town Centre in Scarborough on Tuesday. Present to witness the mas’ spectacle were proud parents, carnival representatives, sponsors and members of the public. Among the “special guests” […]
Bandleader Will Morton ‘s face lights up when he talks about his mas’ presentation for Peeks Toronto Caribbean carnival 2017. In Morton’s own words:”It’s beyond imagination.” In fact his theme this year is ‘Beyond.’” Will said Michelle, one of his associates, came up with the idea for “Beyond.” ” This mas’ is going to blow […]
Back in 1967 it started out as Caribana. By the first decade of the twenty-first century it came to be known as the Toronto Caribbean carnival. Recently, it was called the Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean carnival. And now as it gets ready to hit the streets of Toronto for its 50th anniversary, it ‘s called Peeks […]
Hundreds of carnival aficionados showed up on Saturday for the launching of Whitfield Belasco’s” Looking into D future” at the Toronto Plaza hotel on Wilson Avenue. The veteran carnival artiste and bandleader impressed mas’ enthusiasts with no fewer than seven sections of amazing “futuristic presentations – equality, equity, hope for the future, freedom, prosperity, golden opportunity and serenity […]
