Thousands of people paraded down Rene-Levesque in a vibrant, colourful celebration of all things Caribbean last Saturday. Every year, the Montreal Carifiesta carnival makes Caribbean Montrealers feel like they’re back in the islands. “My family is from Barbados,” said parade organizer Tenisha Collins. “We’re here to represent all the islands: Trinidad, Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, […]
By Stephen Weir The children came out in full force and in costume to play Mas at noon at the Malvern Town Centre. Kiddies from all of the competitive Mas bands taking part in this year’s Toronto Junior Carnival Parade danced and modeled in the courtyard inside the mall. They performed in front of a […]
By Stephen Weir Photographer and long-time film maker Jenny Baboolal will be talking about her environmental concerns around carnival celebrations at the Toronto Caribbean Carnival this year. The launch traditionally held at Nathan Phillips Square usually attracts 5,000 to 10,000 fans who are interested in the Carnival Arts. The parade can attract up to a […]
By Lincoln DePradine Pan Fantasy Steelband musicians are certain they’ll be participating in the “Pan Alive’’ panorama competition of 2019; a competition they’ve won in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. What they are unsure about is what selection they’ll be performing at the Ontario Steelpan Association (OSA) competition on August 2 at […]
By Stephen Weir OK break out the roti, fire up the air horn, put on the beads and glitter; it is Carnival time in Toronto. Last Tuesday, the organizer of the annual Toronto Caribbean Carnival held a loud fun kick-off to their 52nd year with a press conference at the lakeside Boulevard Yacht Club. While […]
When the Raptors decided to bang a drum about their amazing basketball win, the team turned to Steel! On Monday, Toronto’s All Star Steel Orchestra, (TASSO) was the only steel band performing in the city’s largest ever peacetime parade. TASSO is a Toronto youth based steel pan orchestra under the direction of musician and educator […]
Geraldine Stafford, chairman of the Caribana Arts Group (CAG), says she was surprised to learn of the ” termination” of Richard de Lima as Chief Executive Officer of the Festival Management Corporation (FMC) which has been running the Toronto Caribbean Carnival for more than 10 years. In an interview earlier this week, Stafford told the […]
Toronto Carnival bandleaders will receive less money from the Festival Management Corporation (FMC) this year because of funding cuts, according to an FMC official. The official told the Caribbean Camera that although the FMC has not received any “formal notification ” from the provincial government with respect to funding for Toronto Caribbean Carnival 2019, it […]
Just six months after Richard de Lima was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Festival Management Corporation (FMC) which runs the Toronto Caribbean carnival, his two-year contract has been terminated. The FMC has given no reason for the termination of his contract. When asked specifically about this matter on the weekend, lawyer Anessa Oumarally, chairman […]
Editorial Where is the carnival heading ? First we learned that Richard de Lima, the Chief Executive Officer of the Festival Management Corporation (FMC) which runs the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, was on “administrative leave.” Shortly afterwards. we were told by a highly placed FMC official that “Richard de Lima is no longer with us.” What […]
