A search for the meaning of the word “irie” online merits the following definition, courtesy of the Urban Dictionary: “To be at total peace with your current state of being. The way you feel when you have no worries.”
The seventh annual TD Canada Trust Irie Festival gets kicked off in style this Friday, and runs until August 4th. In between, there’s sure to be much peace, satisfaction, and nary a worry in sight, what with the incredible array of activities and events on offer. The festival, timed perfectly to coincide with the city’s other big summer party, Caribana, is a cultural celebration that works to foster greater understanding between the diverse cultures and nationalities that make up 2008 Toronto. Though known primarily for being a purveyor of fine African and Caribbean sounds, the Irie Festival also features a wide variety of activities that take place from Friday to the festival’s close on Monday. Divided between the central locales of Nathan Phillips Square and Queens Park, the festival will feature poetry readings, art demonstrations, a tropical food fair, and street performances. And just so the kids don’t feel left out, there’s a special children’s area that will be featuring a host of fun activities like face painting, colouring contests, and mini all-stars.
 Byron Lee | Lauching at Nathan Phillips Square between 12pm and 2pm, the Irie Festival opens with a series of dance-inducing performances by the Ngoma Drum and Dance Ensemble, singer-songwriter (and proud Montreal native) Treson, and the multi-instrumentalist, jazzy Afro-beat sounds of Kobena Acqua-Harrison. Saturday, Queens Park will host the legendary sounds of the multi-award winning bandleader and musician Byron Lee, accompanied by his Dragonaires. The pop ska sounds of The Arsenals will be joining in. If your tastes run fiery, head over to Nathan Phillips Square for the sexy salsa sounds of Café Cubano, along with La Plancha and Juno award-winning producer and DJ Billy Bryans along for the ride. Sunday in the Square features a litany of talented singers, all performing under a glorious, gutsy gospel banner. The internationally-acclaimed singer Kay Morris will be performing, along with youth group TC3, Texan born, Newfoundland-based music minister Jimmy Lee Howard, British hiphop sensation Sincere, award-winning R&B singer Roshana, and a host of others. The fun starts at 4pm. At Queens Park on Sunday, the Dance Immersion showcase takes place at 3pm, and features the talents of the Caribbean Dance Theatre, the Ishay School of Dance, the Ngoma Dance and Drum Ensemble, and the sinuous bellydance moves of Chemagne Martin. Other events include performances by the politically-charged reggae band Culture, with Kenyatta Hill (son of the group’s late founder and lead vocalist), as well as the roots rock reggae sounds of The Mountain Edge Band, who will be joined by singer Mark Steel. |
 J. Nichole | Along with the music, there are a number of important, thought-provoking events that make up this year’s festival. The Irie Film Series includes a number of historically themed works. 500 Years Later is a documentary featuring the voices of Bill Cosby and Paul Robeson Jr. among many others, and documents the history of the African continent, from the onset of slavery to subsequent colonialism, to the present-day scourges of AIDS, crime, and government corruption. Another film set to screen is the timely Congo: White King, Red Rubber, Black Death, a work originally made in 2003 that documents the forgotten history of Belgian king Leopold III’s murderous drive to exploit the country’s riches and its people. These, along with other, rarely seen titles, will be screened at Innis Town Hall at the University of Toronto as part of the commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. Authors and poets featured at this year’s festival include reformed gangster Kevin G. Brooks, as well as Dwayne Morgan, founder of Up From the Roots entertainment and J. Nichole, a musician and writer with eight books of poetry and two children’s books to her name. They, along with journalist and spoken-word poet Heron Jones, Sophia Shaw, Angelot Ndongmo, and Leroy Comrie will be reading at the Literary Tent, set up at the City Hall Rotunda, the same place where a number of accomplished visual artists will be showing their works. Influential Jamaican Canadian artist Ato Seitu’s works will be on display, along with those by African Canadian Robert Small, the self-taught Ras Stone, and the multimedia works of Tafewa Turner. |
 Culture | And if dancing, viewing, listening, and hopping from one event to another inspires an appetite, there will be a delicious selection of foods to fuel up on. Chefs featured at the event include Victor “Tipper” Henry, whose famous Caribbean tastes have made him a favourite of many visiting reggae artists, and Anthony Mair, who counts cooking for the Queen as well as the NBA Dream Team as a few of his accomplishments. The chefs’ work will be showcased throughout the Irie Festival at stations along Queens Park. The festival wraps up holiday Monday with Treson, as well as the rhythmic, rocking sounds of Toronto’s own Samba Squad, shaking up the crowd at Queens Park. Between the music, dance, films, art, readings and food, this year’s eclectic TD Canada Trust Irie Music Festival, with its mix of local and international flavours, certainly lives up to the definition of providing a good feeling, with no worries. The only stress you might encounter is deciding which event to attend, and which one you’ll have to sacrifice. Good thing the venues are connected by subway. |
For a full list of artists and events, as well as a detailed schedule, check the Irie website. www.iriemusicalfestival.com