REFLECTION & REASON

After the madness of the G-20 summit, it was nice to see Toronto looking and feeling back to normal, and celebrating one of many cultures in the city at the 22nd anniversary edition of AfroFest at Queen's Park on July 10 and 11, 2010. Presented by Music Africa , a non-profit organization that supports and promotes African music and culture, AfroFest is the largest African music celebration in North America. The weekend features a marketplace for arts, crafts, jewelry, clothing, books, and other items, along with a variety of African and Caribbean cuisine, concerts, dancing, drumming, and rides and activities for children. Kya Publishing was there for the second year, featuring my book collection the "Urban Toronto Tales" (pictured below). There are so many African-Canadian writers, poets, and artists who also have stories to share, and voices to be heard; AfroFest provides a great platform for this type of networking. The beauty of the AfroFest is that small business own...

The Roots are fantasic. True musicians. Expert performers. On Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at Nathan Philips Square (Toronto), The Roots gave an amazing 2-hour performance as part of the Toronto Jazz Festival. To say they are legendary would be an understatement. There are so many hip hop artists and entertainers that come and go in the music industry--many are forgotten, many lack the ability to maintain a career that spans more than a few years, and many just simply don't have the genuine talent to keep their audiences engaged, and their fanbase active. The Roots are exceptional in all areas. Gathered under the tent at the festival's Toronto Star Stage, the crowd seemed to become increasingly electrified as the show went on. Original band members MC Black Thought and ?uestLove on drums, along with guitarist "Captain" Kirk Douglas , bass player Owen Biddle , keyboardist James "Kamal" Gray , percussionist Frank "Knuckles" Walker , and tuba player Damo...

Is it really that complicated? Toronto is a major metropolitan city. The 4th largest North American city, after New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. So why is it such an impossible mission for "us" to defend, achieve, and maintain a decent urban radio station that caters to the demographic that obviously exists here? I am not an expert in CRTC legislation, radio programming, or advertising. I don't know the politics that go on behind closed doors, in the boardrooms, on the air, or in the DJ's studios. What I do know is that I'm an average Torontonian who wants to be able to depend on a decent radio station for her news, entertainment, and a RELEVANT reflection of her lifestyle. The lifestyle of my peers, and the tastes of my generation and my community. I want to be able to hear what I like 24/7. This isn't even a concern or second thought in other places where they have at least two "urban" stations. Some cities have one station exclusively for hip h...

On Saturday, June 19, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel downtown Toronto, UMAC (The Urban Music Association of Canada) hosted two panels dedicated to uplifting and educating musicians through expert commentary and group discussion at the North by Northeast (NXNE) conference. The first panel, co-presented by the McKee Agency, featured (l-r) DJ Carl Allen, Michie Mee, Will Strickland, Derek Brin, and Chase Parsons. The Canadian music industry legends participated in a discussion entitled "How We Got Here: A Reflection of How Urban Music in Canada Got to Where it is Today" and shared their wisdom with the NXNE attendees. Moderated by Will Strickland, UMAC President, the guest speakers shared their experiences and perspectives on where Canada's urban music industry was as they were beginning their journey in the business, and also articulated where they believe the industry can and will go with the right support. Chase Parsons , of Chris Smith Management, believes that this g...

I love Sex and the City ...the TV show. I love Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha. I love how they think, how they interact, and of course what they wear! Sex and the City has meant so much to so many women. That's why it was disappointing that the storyline of Sex and the City 2 , the movie, didn't do the ladies, their men, or their lives, any justice. We don't want our favourite characters to get into conflict, but as any story-writer or movie-watcher knows, good conflict is necessary for character growth, development, and well...entertainment. I found myself glad to be watching the ladies again, however, still feeling like I didn't get the point of what I was watching. The opening wedding scene was beautiful, the landscape in the Middle East was beautiful. The shoes and the outfits were fabulous, as expected. But what good are fancy clothes and exotic locations without a good plot? Without giving the events away, I will say that: 1) The ladies were not faced ...

The Toronto Revellers released their costumes for the 2010 Caribana parade, last night (Saturday, May 8) at Everest Banquet Hall in Scarborough. This year's theme "Disco Fever" included colourful patterns, plenty of silver beads, disco balls, and music of the 70s, as the models displayed the selection of ensembles for Jamaal Magloire's (above) team of masqueraders. Ain't no stoppin us now! For registration information and official photos, please visit the Revellers' website at http://www.torontorevellers.com/ . Here are the highlights of each song-themed section:

It is time to eradicate the use of "Screwface Capital" in reference to the city of Toronto. The power of a great brand is undeniable, which is why I do not understand why so many have adopted and perpetuated the use of "Screwface Capital" to define a city that they love, and represent proudly to the world. Screwface by definition: -a mean face -a dirty look -an ice grill -to gawk -to scowl -deeply pissed off -highly intoxicated -a dirty or inappropriate facial expression -revealing nothing As a brand/nickname, "Screwface Capital" is definitely memorable...but is it favourable? Hardly. To say that we believe we are the "Screwface Capital" is to say that we don't think much of ourselves. Canadians in general have always struggled with defining our identity. Defining our culture and our people in relation to the Americans, in relation to the British, and accurately reflecting what we believe about ourselves. To promote the fact that we as Canadi...