By Lincoln DePradine More than a dozen years after the City of Toronto withdrew funding from the Caribbean Cultural Committee (CCC) and assigned the festival’s management and operation to the FMC, disagreement still exists on how, as well as who facilitated the transition of ownership. “The FMC is just managing something to make money […]
NEW YORK – The Brooklyn based West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA) has kicked off its 2019 Caribbean Carnival with performances and displays by dance troupes, stilt dancers, a steel pan ensemble, soca artistes and costume bands, among others. Hundreds of Caribbean nationals attended the opening event last Thursday during which WIADCA also presented […]
Trinidad and Tobago is hosting the Caribbean Festival of Arts, commonly known as CARIFESTA, or 10 days from August 16-25. CARIFESTA is an international multicultural event organized on a periodic basis by the countries of the Caribbean. The main purpose is to gather artists, musicians, authors, and to exhibit the folkloric and artistic manifestations of […]
By Stephen Weir When September rolls around the Toronto Caribbean Carnival’s Festival Management Committee (FMC) will lose one of its original members. Bajan Canadian Calypsonian Roger Gibbs has reached the end of his formal board term. After years of giving sage advice to Carnival, Gibbs will no longer be part of the management team […]
By Lincoln De Pradine St George’s, Grenada – Tourism officials in Grenada say they are on pace to surpass last year’s landmark arrival figure of 528,077 visitors. It was the first time that the Caribbean nation, which also comprises Carriacou and Petite Martinique, has had half-a-million tourists visiting its shores. “On top of the phenomenal […]
Carifesta XIV opened last Friday night with Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley calling for regional unity. In his speech last night at the opening ceremony at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Dr Rowley said he felt a tinge of sadness that we are still separated by borders as sovereign states. “Maybe one border […]
According to an August 12th press release, the Festival Management Committee (FMC), which stages the Toronto Caribbean Carnival (TCC), has appointed Mrs. Aneesa Oumarally as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The position was previously held by Richard de Lima. Oumarally is a current board member of FMC, and chaired the Governance Committee for the […]
This year marked the 52rd time the Toronto Caribbean Carnival/Caribana grand masquerade (parade) pranced along one of Toronto’s famous boulevards. Before proceeding we wish to assert that the use of the word “Caribana” is not an attempt to stir up controversy that has dogged the festival regarding its ownership. We are quite aware that the […]
By Stephen Weir Three months ago, plans for the 2019 Toronto Caribbean Carnival (Caribana for all us old timers) had all the makings of a plan for a funeral parade. The festival had lost Peeks, its name-sponsor, and behind the scene sources said that the Smart Phone App had not ponied up the total monies […]
By Nicole Georges: Roger and John Gibbs of “Sandpebbles” fame look forward to entertaining long-time fans and new audiences with all original music, at the upcoming Barbados on the Water Festival, at the Harbourfront (August 16-18). Now known as The Gibbs Brothers, Roger and John Gibbs plan to showcase songs of the Caribbean calypso and […]
