'CURRYBANA' at Caribana

TT entertainers Fay Ann Lyons, Bunji Garlin, Roy Cape, Kess The Band with Kees Dieffenthaller, Blaxx, Rita Jones, Olatunji, Shurwayne Winchester, Nadia Batson, and Kerwin DuBois will be in Toronto to perform this year. The big soca show “Carnival in Yuh Backyard” is on July 31, at the Downsview Park, Toronto. It will feature 25 artists and five bands.

As part of the Caribana experience, Currybana will be staged on July 30, with a clash of three top TT bands. The stage will see a flow of hot chutney artistes coming out of three bands, Raymond Ramnarine and the band Dil-E-Nadan, Ravi Bissembhar and the band Karma,and JMC 3Veni with Vishal Kris Persad. This will take place at Mirage Convention Center, 1917 Albion Road, Toronto.

The fetes will start from July 30 and go until August 1 with festival boat cruises, live soca, calypso, dancehall, reggae and chutney music.

Toronto’s Caribbean Caribana festival has grown exponentially since its start in 1967 and is currently North America’s largest cultural festival. What was once a three-day event has now grown into three weeks of celebration, absorbing most of the city with its infectious feel-good vibes.

Over a million tourists are expected in Toronto during the last week of July to experience everything Caribana has to offer. According to Raymond Ramnarine the beauty of Caribana is the varied audience it attracts. “Everyone from families across Canada and the US, young singles looking for a good time, to celebrities throwing Caribana themed parties in clubs across Toronto.”

Caribana Festival 2010 officially kicked off July 15 with the Scotiabank Caribana official festival launch at Younge and Dundas Square.

Thousands of people attended the afternoon affair that featured live music, an array of Caribbean food, insightful art displays and theatrical performances that showcased Caribbean inspired life.

Lots of youths are involved in the Pan Alive, the steelpan competition, the Junior Carnival Parade and the King and Queen Competition.

Toronto Caribana’s signature event is still, of course, the parade itself – known now as the Scotiabank Caribana Parade being held Saturday,July 31 at Exhibition Place and Lakeshore Boulevard from 10 am to 6 pm. More than 10,000 masqueraders will participate as they strut and dance down the 3.6 km route in elaborate costumes, set to the vibrant Caribbean beats of the famed mas bands.