An exhibit, curated by well-known photographer Michael Chambers, entitled "Bathurst Stripped" is celebrating the history of a street in Toronto that was home to many immigrants from the Caribbean. Chambers has produced a photo-based installation of a barrel. This piece recognizes the contributions and sacrifices of the new immigrants and "The Barrel Children." A recent photo of Linda Carter who was the first black model in Canada to achieve prominence in the 1970s wraps the barrel which is filled with items such as corned beef, books and toys - things sent back to families in the Caribbean.
Dr. [Alvin Curling], master of ceremonies, opened the celebration with "Still I Rise," a poem by Maya Angelou. The Canadian national anthem was sung by Tiffany Gooch followed by the singing of 'Lift Every Voice" by Jemini Campbell. Premier Kathleen Wynne said [Herb Carnegie]'s impact on the community was profound. She spoke of Alexander. Ontario's former lieutenant governor, who lived in his home for 48 years in Hamilton before passing away in 2012. She said the deed for the house read 'no Blacks or Jews shall live here'.
[Nicole Brooks] says part of her mission as an artist, whether in film or theatre, is to really uphold looking at stories about her roots. "And so when I discovered that the catalyst of the witch trials was because a slave named Tituba from Barbados was accused of teaching obeah to young white women in the town, I sat back and reflected on how did these Puritans knew the word 'obeah'," says Brooks. Brooks says she is not breaking any rules or being untraditional because the definition of an opera is "a play that's sung." 'It doesn't have any attachment to say it has to be in classical form or that a particular genre of music makes it an opera," says Brooks who is giving a voice to these women. When she held a workshop of Obeah Opera she had to deal with some people who thought she was critical of the Puritan's Christianity and others, including her mother, who were concerned about her exploration of obeah. She answered them by noting that in the contact between captured Africans and white Puritans, there was a connotation that everything African was bad.
New York: Cruising into History was the theme at a luncheon last Wednesday, hosted by editorial director of Essence Magazine, Susan Taylor onboard the Serenade of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean luxury liner. To commemorate Haiti's bi-centennial anniversary of independence, Ron Daniels, executive director of the Center for Constitutional Rights, developed the concept of Cruising into history. On August 12-21, 2004, `Cruising into History' will celebrate the 200th anniversary of Haitian Independence.
Launch of Caribbean Culture Week on January 18 at Savacou Gallery, NYC. Loris Crawford is Director of the Savacou Gallery, which hosted Caribbean Culture Week.
August 17 marked the 123rd year of PanAfrican leader Marcus Garvey's birth. It is also 35 years since Burning Spear recorded 'Marcus Garvey', one of the seminal albums of popular music. [Spear] agreed, and in a matter of weeks, he and back-up singers Rupert Wellington and Delroy Hines were at Randy's studio in downtown Kingston, where [Ruby] had assembled several of Jamaica's top musicians to record a passionate homage to the country's first national hero.
Harriet Tubman, William Hall and Mifflin Wistar Gibbs were among those whose courage and conviction advanced our nascent society's ideals of freedom and equality. Thousands braved a perilous path to freedom through the Underground Railroad, conducted by valiant leaders like Harriet Tubman.
This is a narrative of Jamaica told on a musical crescendo, no 'bungar.ung'. Just the words of Jah. `Equal Rights: Reggae and Social Change' is seeking to transform the bare walls of the Jamaica Music Museum, stringing together notes of this truly Jamaican genre. "Since reggae is Jamaican, we have used it to convey the message," said Herbie Miller, director/curator of the Jamaica Music Museum. "It is a journey highlighting socio-political and spiritual sensibility." The realm of the `happy go lucky' Jamaica transitions to Ska depicting plain and modern art building the crescendo of social change as the legendary Bob Marley and the Wailers resonate 'Get Up Stand Up', evolution of musicians on the frontline of social change.
Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer on Saturday. August 1 urged citizens to ensure that the horrible and dehumanising system of slavery is never allowed to happen again while encouraging closerunity between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Africa. "Therefore celebrating our Emancipation should inspire us to unite as citistens of the Caribbean to ensure that we never allow ourselves to be subjected to any form of slavery^'Spencer said in a message marking the 175th anniversary of the end of slavery.
"The initiative increases the visibility and presence of Black, African and Caribbean queers in Canada," says Akim Ade Larcher, Founder of Stop Murder Music (Canada) "It's the first of its kind in Canada and I'm proud to announce it during Black history month."
