Hamilton, Ontario,
other large City on Lake Ontario with Caribbean
Carnival weekend after Torontos
Leading up to the main parade climax, a number
of Caribbean music artistes will make an
appearance to Toronto where they will perform in
many smaller parties held around the city by the
resident Caribbean community. These parties are
generally called "Fêtes"
(Pronounced "fett") which is a French-creole
Caribbean word meaning Festival. These Fête will
usually begin in June-July and will be carried
out on the weekends leading up to the parade.
Each Fête held will tend have its own theme. A
"Wet Fete" means usually there will be a bubbles
machine at the venue which will soak party goers
while they dance the night away to up tempo Soca
music. The "You must wear-white Fete" means
you're supposed to wear nothing but white
clothing where all sorts of
black light effects will make everyone's
clothes a dazzling part of the party's light
show. The "Mad hatters ball Fete" is a fete that
you're supposed to wear your craziest
head-gear/hat that you can find.
Caribana has run annually since 1967, and was
originally performed as a gift from Canada's
West Indian community, as a tribute to
Canada's Centennial year.
This weekend traditionally coincides with the
Ontario statutory holiday
Simcoe Day named after
John Graves Simcoe who, among other things,
abolished slavery in
Upper Canada in 1810.
Contributing to this
Report
Launched in 1967 as a
Centennial Project, this world famous festival has
become a major international event and an expression
of Toronto's multicultural and multiracial
society. North America's fifth largest city is also
a proud model for 21st century living.
One of
three entrances into the Liberty Grand
building at the Canadian National
Exhibition.
On Friday July 25,
2008, over six hundred Caribana sponsors and
supporters attended a new gala event that organizers
plan to make a tradition. They paid tribute to
festival pioneers at the Liberty Grand on the
grounds of the CNE to honor the original
founders including some 40 members of two original
Caribana boards and Charles Roach Esq. who
was the first festival chairman.
We are well-aligned with the vision of our
founders," said festival chief operating officer
Eddison Doyle. "We are passing on the baton to
get new faces involved." as resported in the Toronto
Sun which is one of 17 major sponsors now signed up.
Caribana is a
landmark parade event and key tourist attraction for
the City of Toronto, in 2008 it attracted more than
1.2 million revelers for its 40th anniversary!
While the largest
Caribbean festival in North
America kicks into high gear on the Saturday before
the first Monday in August with its 1.5 kilometre
parade running all day along Lakeshore Blvd., the
organizers season of events begin at the beginning
of summer in June. Toronto has announced a
major new 10-day arts festival,
LuminaTO with a standout
multicultural Carnaval component,
Carnivalissima, anchoring the main 2nd
weekend in June.
The
City of Toronto, has been investing in its culture
as if it was going to host the Olympics. The city
slogan of
"To Live with Culture" has been translated
into a billion dollar spending program that whose
original purported ending in 2010 with the opening
Bell Festival Centre.
Toronto Caribbean Carnival
Caribana Festival is an
expression of Toronto’s multicultural and
multiracial society. Carnival is an international
cultural phenomenon, the great metropolis of Toronto
and its environs will come alive as the city
explodes with the pulsating rhythms and melodies of
Calypso, Soca, Reggae, Hip Hop, Chutney, Steel Pan
and Brass Bands during a phenomenal 6-week carnival
countdown season.
Caribana – 41
and still jumpin’ strong. This year organizers
launched
the inaugural Caribana Gala with a chance to
experience a piece of history. and proceeds from the
formal dinner and dance event will going directly to
the Scotiabank Caribana Foundation
The 2007
CARIBANA BAND OF THE YEAR was theToronto Revellers with
their production of by 'Viva Las Vegas' -
directed by Jamaal Magloire who finished just
ahead of Louis Saldenah Mas-K Club, the
longtime powerhouse who came out with Rainforest
There are a massive number of large
soca fetes leading up to Carnival weekend. Other
keynote events include the King and Queen of the
Bands Competition and the two-day Olympic Island
Caribbean Arts Festival. Toronto pioneered the
Carnival Caribbean boat cruises and has more than
any other Carnival anywhere.
is
a jammed as Carijama weekend with innumerable
events filled with a wide variety of music,
cultures and foods.
Exhibition Place
had decorating Masala! Mehndi! Masti!
2008, a celebration of South Asian culture. Lots
of merchandise for sale inside
CNE's Better Living Centre. Outside a
spectacular multi-generational presentation
connects today's world with the wonders of 5000
years of civilization, its ancient traditions
and modern influences as doors open to cross
cultural collaborations and diverse thinking.
Masala!Mehndi!Masti! will hold the World’s
Largest Dance Class at the Bandshell Stage at
the Exhibition Place on July 27, 2008 at 6.00 pm www.masalamehndimasti.com/
Bandshell Park, 60
Prince Edward Island Crescent
Map to this event
TTC: Dufferin Subway Station Take 329 Dufferin
South Bus, takes you directly into the CNE
grounds.
Toronto
International Beaches Jazz Festival
closed to vehicular traffic
about a dozen blocks of Queen St.
E. between Woodbine and Beech, and enjoyed a
record weekend which was estimated by the
producer at 750,000. As many as 45
performers per night could be enjoyed from
participating restaurants. clubs and at
designated sidewalk performance areas. It closes
on last weekend in July passing baton to Toronto
Carnival
23rd Annual Great
Latin
American Folklore Show
in Celebration of the 187th
Anniversary of Independence of
Peru.
July
27, 2008 02:00 PM -8PM
18
countries, 23 dancing groups and
400 top artists will perform at
Nathan Phillips Square to
showcase an extravaganza of folk
dances, costumes and typical
instruments from all Latin
American Countries and some
special guests from Europe,Asia
and Middle East.
more info: 416-588-3449
In
the world of wakeboarding, Wakestock
stands alone as the largest and most
progressive event on the planet with a
pioneering history of innovative firsts.
The anchor event of the WWA (World
Wakeboard Association) World Series,
Wakestock is the only wakeboarding
championship that features dedicated pro
events showcasing the sport’s four
diverse styles: Expression Session; Rail
Riding; Wakeskating; and Pool Riding.
Wakestock is also Canada’s largest
amateur wakeboarding championship, and
the only event in the world where an
amateur rookie has a shot at qualifying
to compete against the superstars of the
sport.
A festival that explores
ideas of “classical”
music from a broad range
of cultural
perspectives, including
musical forms from South
Asian, Chinese, African
and others.
Island Soul
August 1-4, 2008Crisscross a
series of Caribbean cultural
borders – shaped by African,
Indian and European
influences – across artistic
disciplines.
Full Schedule
AUG 8-10
South Asia Calling
examines
how South Asia has
blended borders through
the arts and culture,
uncovering the
similarities and
uniqueness of the
different countries that
make up this incredibly
diverse region.
Encompassing India,
Pakistan, Bangladesh,
Sri Lanka and Tibet.
AUG 15-17 The Hot
& Spicy Food Festival
serves up
diverse hot food and
flavors from around the
globe, and occasionally
pairs a spicy dish with
a complementary sampling
of the hot sounds of the
region. One of our most
popular festivals.Hot,
sour, sweet and salty!
AUG 22-24 TAIWANfest
World in
an Island
A
festival that promises
to reveal how little we
know about the world's
influences on Taiwan.
With fusion concerts
such as Eastern
Legends and
Music without Borders,
the festival showcases
how old traditions have
taken on new dimensions.
AUG 28 - SEPT 1
Ashkenaz FESTIVAL
Now one
of the largest and most
prestigious events of
its kind anywhere in the
world, Ashkenaz 2008
will once again feature
the best and brightest
of the global
Yiddish/Jewish culture
scene
BrazilFest Toronto
Sunday,
September 7, 2008
2:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Sunnyside Pavilion
1755 Lakeshore West
Toronto, Ontario
5th
Annual Brazil Fest Toronto : Festival De Verao/
Brazilian Summer Festival
Toronto International BrazilFest - Recipient of the
Top Choice Award 2007 for Festival
/Outdoor Event of the Year"
On Sunday July 20, 2008 - BrazilFest Toronto was
Rescheduled for Sunday September 7 2008 due
to heavy rainfall.**
This
celebration of Caribbean culture is part of
3 weeks of festivities that kick off with
the launch on July 15th from noon to 2 pm at
Nathan Philips Square.
The parade begins
at Exhibition Place (Lake Shore Blvd)
Saturday, August 2, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. and
runs along the lake. The parade ends at
Sunnyside Park at approximately 6:00 p.m.
Island. A full 2008 program
schedule is listed below.
CARIBANA™ 2008 OFFICIAL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Luminat’eau:
Carnival H2O (formerly “Carnivalissima”) Friday June 13 - Sunday June
15, 2008; Noon - 6:00 p.m. Harbourfront Centre
Luminato month long event closing at
Harbourfront.
Calypso Tents
Music Series Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays from June
13 - July 13, 2008; 8:00 p.m. - Midnight De Great Iron Pot,
55 Nugget Avenue, Scarborough | Calypso
City, 25 Cecil Street, Toronto
This is an exciting annual showcase of
Canada's best Calypso and Soca original
music for the Caribana Festival. The series
runs three nights each week (Friday Sunday)
at various venues in Toronto, each night
featuring a different cast of singers and
'live' bands performing Calypso in its best
storytelling tradition: social and political
commentary, humor and wit.
Scotiabank
CARIBANA™ Official Launch Nathan Phillips Square, City Hall
Tuesday July 15, 2008; Noon - 2:00 pm
This official
ceremony launches the activities for the
2008 Caribana Festival Season. Patrons can
meet and mingle with Federal, Provincial and
Municipal officials, Caribana
representatives and sponsors while sampling
Caribbean and international cuisine. It is a
snapshot of what's in store over the coming
weeks.
Scotiabank
CARIBANA™ Junior Carnival Shoreham Drive | Yorkgate Mall
Saturday, July 19, 2008; 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Junior
Carnival provides festival-goers and the
surrounding community the opportunity to
experience the thrills and joys as young
masqueraders participate in their early
festival years
Roots
to Rhythm - Art Exhibition
Royal Ontario Museum Thursday July
24 – Monday Aug 4, 2008; Noon
- 9:00 pm A
Visual Art Exhibition – COLOURblind
International – ‘Roots to Rhythm’
produced by the Association of
African Canadian Artists. An
intriguing collection of over 60
works that have been influenced by
our journey.
Carnival Sea,
by Darrell McCalla.
Scotiabank
CARIBANA™ Caribana Gala Liberty Grand – Exhibition Place
Friday July 25, 2008; 7:00 pm – 1:00 am
An elegant evening of style and glamour,
celebrating Caribana and paying tribute to
its pioneers. Proceeds from this event will
be directed to a Caribana Foundation.
'Kaiso 365'
Calypso Monarch Finals Leah Posluns Theatre, 4588 Bathurst
Street, Toronto
Saturday July 26, 2008; 8:00 pm - 1:00 am
This is where the Calypso Monarch is
crowned. Come and see the best and biggest
Canadian Calypsonians battle for the crown.
From the topical to the lyrical, the sweet
Soca rhythms will lift you out of your seat
and get you moving.
Tickets are
available for sale:
Advance: $35.00
Door: $40.00 Results
King & Queen Show Lamport Stadium
Thursday July 31, 2008; 7:00 pm - Midnight
On the Thursday evening before Caribana Day
the Kings and Queens of the Bands meet to do
battle. Like peacocks they will primp and
preen, eliciting “oohs” and “aahs” from the
audience. It is an
honour for any
participant to be enthroned the King or
Queen of Scotiabank Caribana 2008. The King
and Queen symbolically have the keys to the
city, freedom of the streets. Their
movements are supposed to be uninhibited.
Band members and onlookers alike are to give
them the respect, even if mockingly, usually
accorded to real-life royalty Advance Tickets: $27.00 Door
Admission: $35.00
Pan Alive Lamport Stadium
Friday August 1, 2008; 7:00 pm - Midnight
A thrilling evening showcasing the musical
and tonal qualities of the steelpan as
members of the Ontario Steelband Association
compete before a panel of judges. This
Panorama of the North is the biggest
opportunity to hear this wonderful
instrument in all its glory. The evening is
devoted entirely to the capturing rhythms of
the steelpan.
Scotiabank
CARIBANA™ Parade Exhibition Place (Lake Shore Blvd)
Saturday August 2, 2008; 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Commencing at
Exhibition Place and proceeding west along
Lake Shore Boulevard
for 3.6 km. Exhibition Place and Lake Shore Boulevard will come alive with
the sights and sounds of Carnival!
Tickets to Exibition Place:
Advance
Tickets:
Adults - $18.00 | Children / Seniors -
$15.00
Door Admission: Adults - $25.00 | Children /
Seniors - $20.00
De CARIBANA™ Lime
— Island Festival Olympic Island
Sunday August 3, 2008; 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
This event
features a full day of performances from a
variety of artistes, highlighting the
diverse cultures of all the Caribbean
people. Activities include a food
competition, song, dance, theatrical drama
and storytelling. Sunday,
August 3, 2008; Noon – 8:00 p.m. Advance Tickets: Adults - $10.00 |
Children / Seniors - $8.00
On
Saturday August 2nd at 12:00 pm, CBC TV will broadcast the
Parade LIVE across Ontario with CBC host, Christine Birak.
This will includelive streaming of all the music, dance and
costume at the parade Caribana Parade, Saturday, Aug. 2,
Special programming on television, radio and
the web turns CBC into Caribana Central, connecting the city to
the sizzling music, dance, art, culture and food of the islands.
Coverage kicks off on Tuesday, July 15, as the
festival launches at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto. On
Saturday, Aug. 2, CBC Television in Toronto brings viewers live
coverage of the Caribana Parade. CBC hosts Christine Birak and
Andrew Craig join the revellers to bring viewers
face-to-face with the spectacular music, dance and costumes. CBC
Radio's Garvia Bailey will report live from the parade
route. CBC Newsworld will provide highlights of the parade to
the rest of the country throughout the day.
On Wednesday, July 30, CBC Radio 2 presents CBC's First Annual
Calypso Tent, a special concert hosted by Andrew Craig at Glenn
Gould Studio featuring nine former Caribana Monarchs. Crowned in
past festivals, these performers' sweet calypso rhythms lift
audiences to their feet. CBC Radio 2's CANADA LIVE will
broadcast the concert on Monday, Aug. 4.
CBC will follow Caribana action throughout the festival,
including the masquerade at Caribana Junior Carnival on
Saturday, July 19, and the late night battle at the Caribana
King & Queen Show on Thursday, July 31, among many other
exciting events.
Follow this special on-line component oncbc.ca/caribana.
Tune into CBC TV in Ontario on Sat. Aug. 2nd beginning at
noon to see the Caribana Parade live. This show will be
broadcast in a special one hour program again on CBC TV in
Toronto at 11 pm and on BOLD. CBC Newsworld will also do special
live hits from the parade across the country from noon to 2 pm.
On March 7, 2008 Scotia Bank and the
Festival management Committee (FMC) of CARIBANA announced
earlier today, a two year partnership that will see Scotia
Bank become the title sponsor of North America's largest
Caribbean festival (CARIBANA). The announcement was made at
CARIBANA's first press conference for 2008 at the Scotia
Plaza with Mayor David Miller and various members of the
press present.
According to Mr Joe Halstead (Chairman of the FMC), the
initial agreement is for a two year term and Scotia Bank has
also requested the 'right of refusal' for another three
years if all goes well. "We are proud to have one of
Canada's premier banks as our title sponsor, which is not
only important as far as the funding of the festival for
2008, but it also sends a message to the rest of corporate
Canada that it is okay to come on board and join in
to support CARIBANA".
Scotiabank Caribana™
for 2008 has sponsored a series of events beginning with
---Luminat'eau: Carnival H2O (formerly Carnivalissima) on June
13-15;
---COLOURblind International, Roots to Rhythm - a visual art
exhibition; July 24 - August 3;
----The Junior Carnival July 19th,:
---the Scotiabank Caribana Gala on July 25;
--- the 'Kaiso 365' Calypso Monarch Finals on July 26th;
---the King & Queen Show July 31st,
--- Pan Alive, August 1st. and the festival will close with the
Scotiabank Caribana Parade and De CaribanaT Lime-Island Festival
on August 2nd and 3rd respectively.
"Caribana is one of
Toronto's oldest and most spectacular traditions,"
said Mayor David Miller.
"I have enjoyed leading
the parade and meeting Torontonians along the route from
all backgrounds and all walks of life. Caribana not only
enriches this city culturally, it contributes over $300
million annually to our economy. After 40 years, this
event is stronger than ever and I look forward to its
continued success." [March 7,2008 as FMC & Scotiabank announced their
multiyear partnership agreements. ]
Scotiabank is committed to supporting the
communities in which we live and work, both in Canada and abroad
recognized as a leader internationally and among Canadian
corporations for its charitable donations and philanthropic
activities. In 2007, Scotiabank provided more than $43 million
in sponsorships and donations to a variety of projects and
initiatives, primarily in the areas of healthcare, education,
social services and arts and culture. For more information,
please visit www.scotiabank.com.
breaking
down barriers
to creating a universal pulse, a unifying mosaic of movement…
TICKETBREAK Corp., Canada's fastest growing
full-service ticketing company is proud to continues its
partnership with the Caribana Festival for 2008. TICKETBREAK
will be exclusively handling all on-line ticket sales as well as
offering our 'Entry Management' solution on site.
Sunday July 27th - The LOVE Festival - at Polson Pier, 11 Polson
Street, Toronto, ON - Multi room music event featuring; Pool
Parties, Rainbow room, Bikini Fashion Show, Exhibition, Live to
air, Live Bands, Live performances, Outdoor DJ's Yoga with
Medicine Man.
Carnaval's roots run deep.
Caribana is just the biggest and oldest Carnival in town.
Connecting the Caribana with two of its most prominent cousins;
Pride Week and Luminato Caribana has become the mission of the
Blue Devil Mas in 2008.
Before pride week begins there is the
Pride Toronto
Media Launch and VIP Party then there is the Official Pride Week Kick-off Launch
Party. These are the links go to the official events at
the official site pridetoronto.com
The Flag Raising Ceremony at City Hall
Pride Toronto
kicks off with a flag raising ceremony at City Hall.
Citizens, politicians, friends and community members
hear the Mayor read the Pride Week proclamation, raise
the Rainbow Flag and enjoy food and entertainment
Pride Awards and Gala Dinner
The
Community Fair & Marketplace:Sat & Sun
Seven
Entertainment Stages over three days Friday to Sunday
The Pride Toronto Community Fair provides activists, community and
non-profit groups with a public forum to explain their
role in our community, educate about their mission,
recruit volunteers and garner support for their cause.
Family
Pride: Sat & Sun This child-friendly, interactive space provides an oasis
for families of all kinds. Family Pride features crafts,
games, children's entertainment by Rainbow Songs and
face painting as well as on-site daycare on the Saturday
and Sunday of Pride Weekend.
The
Dyke March: Saturday
a focus on women. It is open to women loving women of
any race, culture, orientation, ability, health,
economic group, family structure, faith or age. The
March is for women only; however, men are encouraged to
support the women from the sidelines.
The spectacular
Pride
Parade on
Sunday
The Pride Parade is the climax of the Pride Week
celebrations. During the week the past and future of the
culture in concert with all who choose to support us is
celebrated. The Pride Parade is the community's
opportunity to express freedom, gratitude and pride for
being able to live in harmony in the moment.
June is Pride Month for our Planet.
Particularly noteworthy are celebrations in Carnaval
sister cities of London, New York and
San Francisco.
“I try to break down the
boundaries between the arts, and carnival does that,”
says Theodoro Dragonieri, multidisciplinary artists and
head of the Arts Department at Dante Alighieri Academy more about the
2007 Luminatoe]
![[F]](../2005/topic.gif){kind=small}
More RSS Feeds 
Caribana Toronto
News
A festival that explores
ideas of “classical”
music from a broad range
of cultural
perspectives, including
musical forms from South
Asian, Chinese, African
and others.
On
Saturday August 2nd at 12:00 pm, CBC TV will broadcast the
Parade LIVE across Ontario with CBC host, Christine Birak.
This will include 
