Canada - The performance of ‘Esso Tripoli Steelband’, Trinidad and Tobago’s representative of the nation musical heritage for Canada’s centennial celebration ‘Expo 67’ in Montreal was a watershed moment in North American culture and arts. Canada's Caribbean community responded with Toronto’s Caribana which soon rose to become North America’s largest street festival. Caribbean carnivals in New York, Toronto (Caribana) and London (Notting Hill) each attract around 2-3 million people annually and net hundreds of millions of dollars/pounds into their respective economies. A commonality between these events is a cultural legacy that is born out of slavery and diversified with the arrival of indentured labourers. The branded name ‘Caribana’s is the envy of many as it is so unique that it became a global phenomenon that was soon immortalised in “Toronto Mas” by the legendary Mighty Sparrow. However, behind these monumental events, the motivation for authenticity and success were doggedly driven by the innovativeness of the tireless and dedicated artists of the diaspora. Many gave up their fulltime jobs to devote their careers as perfectionists to this artform and the City rose to meet their aspirations.
Calypso, Carnival, Steel Band: Expressive Cultures of the Caribbean Diaspora
The Toronto carnival route took centre stage and was proudly channelled through the heart of Toronto on a busy Saturday morning; starting from Bloor and Yonge Streets passing by Toronto’s City Hall and ending up with a concert at Nathan Phillips Square. Spectators lined the route and cheered as they did in Trinidad and occasionally joined the bands for a ‘jump up’ that characterises a street parade. But it was a victim of its own success and soon started to decline as the route began to shrink and was eventually taken out of the city to its outskirts. While the City is reserved for parades such as Pride and other Festivals, Caribana today stands as a mere shadow of its past glory on a very compact diminutive route along Lake Shore Boulevard into Exhibition Place. Here, bands are subjected to a paid concert-like performance in a stadium and even after its brief street parade, barricades are used to keep out the very spectators who created this global phenomenon.
Frustrated by the direction Caribana was being pushed, the late Professor Christopher Innes held Canada’s first carnival conference in 2008 titled“Carnival, A People’s Art’ and ‘Taking back the Streets’ at York University, July 31 - August 3 to coincide with Caribana. Visitors from around the world witnessed first-hand many of the unfortunate changes and aired their views through this conference. Professor Innes reiterated his exasperation with Caribana and the loss of its identity at the UK’s Steelpan Conferences between 2010 to 2016. The 7th biennial steelpan conference in London in 2018 was dedicated to him through presentations by Professor Paul Lovejoy and Dr. Érika Melek Delgado of The Harriet Tubman Institute, York University. Another project initiated by the late Prof. Innes was to digitise the Mas band and costumes of the late Kenn Shah, a Caribana pioneer who passed away in 2002 and to whom Caribana was dedicated to that year. This project, based on archives from his family, is in progress by current university staff and will also be reported at this meeting.
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When I attended, I observed equipment set up recording the event. Does anyone know if they have been published?
Thanks...
"The branded name ‘Caribana’s is the envy of many as it is so unique that it became a global phenomenon that was soon immortalised in “Toronto Mas” by the legendary Mighty Sparrow."
Speaking of which, I had not listened to this CALYPSO in decades!!! And then I recently posted it on THIS FORUM and listened to it again -- and I just cannot believe what I heard in the LYRICAL TALE. I thought about writing up a little analysis of the lyrics but I changed my mind ....
While the name CARIBANA is yet another controversy, The Birdie immortalized it in calypso.
Memory Lane...
Andre: TELL SALO that he HAS TO START using the E-PAN to MAKE SOME GLOBAL PAN MUSIC!!!
After he and yuh nex padna call the man invention a GIZZMO, and the man so dotish, instead ah he correct Cecil Hinkson and Andre Roger Dellevi for calling he e-pan ah GIZZMO, de man come on the forum an playing he pulling me up, nigger stupid.
All I was telling de man was that considering how long it did take people tuh make ah electric piano, more dan 200 years, an considering de short space ah time it take HE tuh invent ah electronic pan, less than 60 years, I see electronic pan as de future of pan.
De man eh try tuh read an understand wha I really write inno, yuh wha him understand wha yuh talking bout?
I hope that Andre Roger Dellvi and Cecil Hinkson apologize tuh de man personally, FUH DEYSELF, fuh calling his invention AH GIZZMO.
Not sure what your problem is and who you calling "nigger stupid"???
Salmon Cupid knows precisely where I stand regarding his amazing invention to innovate the steelpan.
You raised this issue before about calling the e-pan a gizmo in this forum and it was addressed, yet you choose to misrepresent the true facts, so you must be all about causing chaos and discord, hmm... The pot calling the kettle black (no pun intended)... Is their a chip which needs removing from your shoulder?
Anyone who does not understand the rapid use of technology in our modern worldneeds to do some research...
This forum full ah mad people, is not only me.
This is what I wrote sir:
This is the link that I referenced to support the E-Pan as the Pan of The Future.
Will electronic pianos eventually replace Steinway concert grands?
Unfortunately he (SC) does not seem to understand where I stand, neither do you sir! You don't nahe to leke me, you should attempt to understand what i write though. I did not come on this forum to look for friends, or to influence people, that is Dale Carnegie's fame.
We were speaking to the complete lack of understanding with regards to attributing to me, calling the e-pan a gizmo, which you once again ignore, something I never-ever implied but you insist on erroneously inferring.
As for the timeliness of the e-pan innovation at this point in time, Salmon keeps repeating the fact that his innovation is not meant to replace the traditional steelpan, as he himself states, "It is about the creation of a new addition (again note it is not a replacement) to the steelpan family of instruments employing state-of-the-art technology."
And as the very old saying goes... "And te tide and te time þat tu iboren were, schal beon iblescet."
Respect!!!
...on no one! Peace.
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