By Neil Armstrong
The inclement climate on Simcoe Day didn’t dampen the spirit of those that stood within the rain as they belted out tunes or danced to the musical notes of musicians on the annual JAMBANA One World Pageant in Bramptono.
Celebrating Emancipation Day in Chinguacousy Park, the occasion featured the legendary Fab 5 Band, Juno Award winner Kirk Diamond and the Motion of Ahryel, Joshua Lucas, Spexdaboss, Ammoye, the all-female reggae band Rayzalution, DJ Rych Kidd with hosts Grasp T and Nate.
Produced by Jones & Jones Productions Ltd, based by Jamaicans Allan Bucka Jones and the late Denise Jones in 1987, the household pageant represents Canada’s rising cultural variety.
Denise Jones died in December 2020 of glioblastoma, a mind most cancers, at her dwelling in Brampton and was buried in Portland, Jamaica. Her sons Jesse and Jerimi, and Allan, proceed to prepare the annual celebration.
In its 26th staging of the annual Island Soul, a pageant celebrating Caribbean tradition over the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, previously Caribana, weekend, Harbourfront Centre featured a number of artists, together with Trinidadian singer and songwriter Nailah Blackman, reggae singer Etana, veteran musician Jay Douglas, guitarist Maurice Gordon, singer Jah’Mila based mostly in Nova Scotia, “dancehall godfather” Johnny Osbourne, and the screening of a documentary movie sequence, “Sounds and Strain: Reggae in a International Land,” that includes Johnny Osbourne and Nana McLean.
On the top of the golden age of reggae, a few of Jamaica’s brightest stars left their homeland behind to shine their mild in an unlikely hub of Caribbean creativity — Toronto.
“Sounds & Strain: Reggae in a International Land” follows the journeys of those icons. This charming five-part anthology sequence takes viewers from Kingston, Jamaica, to Kensington Market in Toronto by uncommon archives and infectious beats to see and listen to how reggae made roots in Canada towards all odds.
The sneak peek on the Harbourfront Centre showcased two unique episodes earlier than the total Nationwide Movie Board of Canada documentary sequence launches on August 23. After the movie screening, there was a panel dialogue with Nana McLean, Johnny Osbourne, and administrators Graeme Mathieson and Chris Flanagan.
Over at Stackt Market, an artsy advanced designed out of delivery containers, there was Blockobana — an annual African, Black and Caribbean LGBTQI+ affirming house — “to share meals, lime and soar up.” The organizers, a few of whom are of Jamaican heritage, observe that, “Caribana weekend is and has at all times been queer, and it’s our time to have fun.”
In the meantime, there have been flag elevating ceremonies in Brampton and Toronto to commemorate Jamaica’s 62nd anniversary of independence underneath the theme, “Jamaica 62…One Like to the World!”
Organized by the United Achievers’ Membership in Brampton, many gathered on the group flagpole at Ken Whillans Sq., Brampton Metropolis Corridor, on August 3.
A day later, the Jamaican Canadian Affiliation held a flag elevating ceremony on the Jamaican Canadian Group Centre. The consul normal famous there that there are a lot of issues that fill Jamaicans with nationwide delight however “maybe amongst the best on that checklist is to see the black, inexperienced and gold flutter excessive, particularly in a overseas land.”
This was adopted by a service of thanksgiving to have fun Jamaica’s independence on the West Toronto Church of God that includes sevaral clergy members from the group.
The 62nd Jamaica Independence and Jamaican Canadian Anniversary Gala will probably be held on August 10 on the Jamaican Canadian Group Centre in Toronto.
