Harbourfront Centre celebrates Black History Month

January 10, 2012

Kuumba presented by TD - Feb. 3-5, 2012

In celebration of Black History Month,
Harbourfront Centre proudly presents the 16th edition of Kuumba, a
weekend-long festival (Feb. 3-5, 2012) that invites members of the
public to explore and celebrate the heritage, traditions and culture of
African-Canadians.

This year's festival features a rare live appearance by legendary reggae
music producer, Clive Chin. VP Records/17 North Parade Celebrates 50
years of Jamaican Music is a once-in-a-lifetime music event that
commemorates Jamaica's Anniversary of Independence with an exclusive DJ
workshop on the history of Jamaican music led by Clive Chin. He is
best-known for establishing dub as a standalone musical form and for
producing hits for some of the greatest reggae musicians including The
Wailers, Dennis Brown, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Augustus Pablo, Peter Tosh,
Gregory Isaacs and Black Uhuru. Chin is a musical pioneer, producing the
Java Java Dub album in 1973, arguably the first-ever dub album and will
be signing copies of the album following the event.

Known (Un)Known, hosted by former MTV personality Tika Simone, is one of
Toronto's most buzz-worthy, all-ages, independent-artist events to
showcase urban music stars of tomorrow, today. The inaugural Known
(Un)Known session features local artists on the cusp of superstardom
including R&B songstress Rochelle Jordan (who Vibe Magazine has dubbed
the "female version of Drake"); 2011 Stylus Award-winner Shi Wisdom; 88
Days of Fortune, a Toronto-based urban music and multi-media collective
featuring hip hop artist and recording/mixing engineer KJ, MC Spek Won
and Abstract Random, a young Toronto-based group featuring Jamilah
Malika, LoverSun and Ayo Leilani.

Other musical highlights include the Honey Jam Then & Now ($10) special
Black History Month reunion concert and photo exhibit showcasing iconic
images from the past 16 years of Honey Jam, the longest-running talent
showcase in Canada. Hosted by Michie Mee, this event features Honey Jam
alumni performing original songs including Jemeni, Belinda Brady,
Kellylee Evans, Kim Davis, Eternia, Natasha Waterman, Saidah Baba
Talibah and more!

Kuumba goes high-fashion at Fashion Blackout-a multi-faceted event that
shines a spotlight on black and diverse designers, models and
influencers in the fashion industry. The event kicks off with a
screening of The Colour of Beauty, a shocking documentary that examines
racism in the fashion industry, followed by a Walk This Way fashion
workshop with Canadian model Stacey McKenzie and panel discussions with
fashion designers and influencers including top fashion blogger Miss SLY
(Noëlly Sam), leading agent Norwayne Anderson (NAM) and fashion
journalist Sarah Nicole Prickett.

This winter, Harbourfront Centre presents programming that questions the
BIG iDEA of "Perspective." Join us Feb. 3-5, 2012 to gain perspective on
black history and to celebrate the vitality of Toronto's African and
Caribbean communities, by showcasing works by innovative Canadian and
international artists. Most events are FREE and take place at
Harbourfront Centre (235 Queens Quay West, Toronto). For more
information and to purchase tickets the public can call 416-973-4000 or
visit harbourfrontcentre.com.

Kuumba event listings:

MUSIC

Honey Jam - Then and Now (Hosted by Michie Mee, with DJ Mel Boogie)
* Ticketed event $10
Friday, Feb. 3, 7-10 p.m. (Brigantine Room)
For the past 16 years, Honey Jam has been Canada's premiere all-female
talent showcase featuring a wide variety of local DJ's and artists
representing hip hop, jazz, gospel, reggae, blues, r&b, dance and spoken
word. This celebration features performances by Kellylee Evans, Eternia,
Jemeni, Kim Davis, Belinda Brady, True, Saidah Baba Talibah, Motion,
Natasha Waterman and more!

VP Records/17 North Parade celebrate 50 years of Jamaican Music with
Clive Chin
Saturday, Feb. 4, 8-10- p.m. (Lakeside Terrace)
To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Jamaica's Independence, reggae
music legend Clive Chin presents an exclusive DJ workshop on the history
of Jamaican music. Chin is a Chinese-Jamaican record producer whose
credits include recordings by Dennis Brown, Lee "Scratch" Perry,
Augustus Pablo, Peter Tosh, Jackie Mittoo, The Wailers and Black Uhuru,
among many others. Chin was a musical pioneer, producing the Java Java
Dub album in 1973, arguably the first-ever dub album. Chin will be
signing copies of the album following the event. Hosted by CBC
personality Garvia Bailey.

The Known, (Un)Known
Saturday, Feb. 4, 9:30 p.m.-12 a.m. (Brigantine Room)
Hosted by Tika Simone (MTV's The Hills Aftershow), The Known, (Un)Known
is an all-ages independent artist event that showcases Toronto's urban
music stars of tomorrow, today. This session features Rochelle Jordan,
Shi Wisdom and 88 Days of Fortune's KJ, Spek Won, Abstract Random and more.

Youth Workshop and Hip-Hop Performance by P.E.A.C.E
Sunday, Feb. 5, 4-6 p.m. (Lakeside Terrace)
People Everywhere Actually Co-existing Equally (P.E.A.C.E.), is a
mission to bring awareness to the power of action in our communities.
Identifying with hip hop culture, Jamaican heritage and African roots,
this workshop uses musical inspiration and sound therapy to generate
positive energy and share ideas.

T&T 50th Anniversary of Independence Celebration with Pan Fantasy
Sunday, Feb. 5, 3:30-5 p.m. (Brigantine Room)
Celebrate Trinidad and Tobago's 50th Anniversary of Independence at this
musical extravaganza produced by the award-winning Pan Fantasy
Steelband. The celebration kicks off with a medley of classic calypso
songs that spans generations, to contemporary numbers featuring a
special homage to legendary calypsonian Mighty Sparrow.

DANCE

Lua Shayenne: Afro-roots dance workshop and performance
Sunday, Feb. 5, 3 p.m. (Lakeside Terrace)
Lua Shayenne presents traditional African and Afro-contemporary dance
works that draw on the aesthetics and values of African culture to
challenge stereotypes.

FILM

Celebrating the Cinematography of Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago:
Joebell and America, directed by Asha Lovelace (Jamaica)
Friday, Feb. 3, 6:30 p.m. (Studio Theatre)
Based on the true story by Earl Lovelace, Joebell and America tells the
story of Joebell, a gambler who concocts a risky plan to escape to the
promise and fantasy of America. Prepared to leave everything behind,
including his newly-found romance with the village beauty, Joebell sets
out for his final destination. The film received the Best International
Narrative Feature Award at the Women's International Film Festival.

Celebrating Black Canadian Filmmakers:
Devotion, directed by Dawn Wilkinson (Canada)
Friday, Feb. 3, 9:30 p.m. (Studio Theatre)
Alice, a bi-racial 11-year-old girl, has recently lost her mother in a
car accident caused by her father's drunk driving. As father and
daughter begin a new life, Alice is haunted by nightmares and memories
of her mother's death and the new woman in her father's life. Winner of
the Best Feature Award at the San Francisco Urban Kidz Film Festival,
the Star! Audience Choice Award at the ReelWorld Film Festival and the
1st Annual Tony Stoltz Completion Fund Award.

Celebrating the Cinematography of Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago:
Saturday, Feb. 4, 1:30 p.m. (Studio Theatre)
A series of short films celebrating the richness of Jamaican and
Trinidadian cinema.

* Caribbean Skin, African Identity, directed by Mandisa Patin (Trinidad
& Tobago)
Caribbean Skin is a documentary that examines the concept of African
identity as it has evolved over generations in Trinidad & Tobago. In it,
the director explores her own identity using the Emancipation Day parade
and its rituals as a starting point for her journey. Interviews with
African-Caribbean scholars define and explain some of the complexities
of race in this society.

* Directions, directed by Renee Pollonais (Trinidad & Tobago)
No one gives directions like a Trinidadian. In this short dramatization
of that endearing and frustrating phenomenon, a number of persons are
asked to give directions to a well-known Port of Spain landmark, with
hilarious results. Directions received the People's Choice Award at the
Trinidad & Tobago Film Festival.

* Entry Denied, directed by Christopher Browne (Jamaica)
Entry Denied follows the story of a young Jamaican footballer from the
ghetto of Kingston who is refused a visa to take up a scholarship at a
university in the US. Dramatic events and coincidences conspire to take
the story to an alternate conclusion.

* Now Jimmy!, directed by Mary Wells (Jamaica)
Now Jimmy! is a short documentary that explores land rights issues. The
film follows a riveting and unusual story about the title character, a
squatter who has built a out of salvaged materials on prime Jamaican
real estate. The film received the Outstanding Documentary from the
Caribbean Award by the Sheryl Lee Ralph Jamerican Film & Music Festival,
iscreened at TIFF and chosen by UNESCO to be a part of an international
selection of films from around the world for the new Radio-Television
Afghanistan.

Celebrating Black Filmmakers:
Lying Lips, directed by Oscar Micheaux in partnership with COMMFFEST
Saturday, Feb. 4, 5 p.m. (Studio Theatre)
Lying Lips is a 1939 drama starring Edna Mae Harris and Robert Earl
Jones (the father of James Earl Jones) that follows a nightclub singer
who refuses to "date" customers, so she's framed for the murder of her
aunt, convicted of the killing and sent to prison. However, her friend,
who is a police detective, doesn't believe she did it and sets out to
prove her innocence.

Celebrating Black Canadian Filmmakers:
Finder of Lost Children, directed by Ricardo Scipio (Trinidad & Tobago)
Saturday, Feb. 4, 7:30 p.m. (Studio Theatre)
Finder of Lost Children is the story of two half-sisters that meet for
the first time after the funeral of the father neither one of them knew.
These reluctant siblings make a road trip to deal with their father's
meager possessions and discover the existence of several other lost
brothers and sisters who are unaware of their father's passing. The film
was screened at the Hollywood Black Film Festival and at CaribbeanTales
Film Festival.

COMEDY

CANADA Vs. USA Comedy Clash
Saturday, Feb. 4, 7-9 p.m. (Brigantine Room)
Team USA (Sheldon Johnson and Zack Johnson) challenge Team Canada (Jay
Martin and Trixx) to a side-splitting duel of jokes and more jokes. The
event sees the best comics from each country squaring off in a serious
game of humour.

FASHION

Fashion Blackout
Saturday, Feb. 4, 2-4 p.m. (Brigantine Room)
Fashion Blackout is a multi-faceted event that shines a spotlight on
black and diverse designers, models and influencers in the fashion
industry. Join us for the screening of The Colour of Beauty, a shocking
short documentary that examines racism in the fashion industry; a Walk
This Way fashion workshop with Canadian model Stacey McKenzie and panel
discussions with fashion designers and influencers such as Montreal's
Miss Sly (Noëlly Sam), leading model agent Norwayne Anderson (NAM) and
journalist Sarah Nicole Prickett. Hosted by CBC personality Anne-Marie
Mediwake.

PANEL DISCUSSION

Identify and Address: A Panel Discussion about Black Women and
Leadership with The Congress of Black Women
Sunday, Feb. 5, 3-5 p.m. (Studio Theatre)
Identify and Address is a panel discussion created in partnership with
The Congress of Black Women of Canada. A group of selected panelists
will discuss and answer questions from the audience about issues black
women face.

FAMILY ACTIVITIES

A Celebration of Afro-diasporic Tradition through Storytelling with Itah
Sadu and Guests
Saturday, Feb. 4 and Sunday, Feb. 5, 2-3 p.m. (Miss Lou's Room)
Author and storyteller Itah Sadu shares the rich oral traditions of the
Caribbean, Africa and North America with tales that celebrate African roots.

OWARE: African Board Gaming
Saturday, Feb. 4 and Sunday, Feb. 5, 3-6 p.m. (Miss Lou's Room)
Learn to play or watch the hugely popular traditional African board game
Oware with MACPRI Oware Canada. Oware is the oldest ancient Egyptian
board game still widely played in the world today.

Rhythms of Guinea: Drumming Workshop with Alpha Rhythm Roots
Sunday, Feb. 5, 1-3 p.m. (Lakeside Terrace)
Participants can learn basic drumming techniques with Alpha Rhythm Roots
and discover the music, dance, traditions and culture of Guinea, Africa.

DJ SKATE NIGHT

Soca on Ice featuring Dr. Jay de Soca Prince
Saturday, Feb. 4, 8-11 p.m. (The Natrel® Rink)
DJ Skate Night explores hot Caribbean rhythms at the second soca party
on ice as Dr. Jay de Soca Prince heats things up with spicy soca and
calypso tunes.

MARKET PLACE

Village Market
Friday, Feb. 3, 6-11 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 4, 1-11 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 5,
1-6 p.m. (Marilyn Brewer Community Space)
Harbourfront Centre's Village Market features exotic, sustainable and
eco-friendly products of excellent quality and unquestionable authenticity.

ABOUT HARBOURFRONT CENTRE
Harbourfront Centre is an innovative, non-profit cultural organization
which provides internationally renowned programming in the arts,
culture, education and recreation, all within a collection of
distinctive venues on the 10-acre site it operates in the heart of
Toronto's downtown waterfront. harbourfrontcentre.com

ABOUT TD - THEN & NOW series
TD salutes the contributions of members of the black community to Canada
by proudly sponsoring the THEN & NOW series of cultural events. This
celebration of Black History Month, showcases 12 visual arts,
performance and cinematic events for the entire family. Visit the Then &
NOW website for more information.
 

Categories: Events