All posts on March, 2022

Just when you think it can’t get any worse. Soca artist Blaxx is back in the hospital and Reggae Artist Jah Cure sentenced to six years in jail. And just when you think it can’t get any better, it can. As restrictions are being eliminated, Montreal is gearing up for a summer filled with events. Dexter “Blaxx” Stewart who suffered from a serious lung and kidney infection two years ago is now hospitalized, having contracted Covid-19. The popular soca star is currently at the Arima General Hospital in east Trinidad where doctors say he is stable but is being monitored …

Writers, music journalists and music historians have for decades tried to describe what funk is. Bob Dylan said that, “if you remember the 60’s you weren’t there. Well, if you can describe what funk is, chances are, you probably don’t really understand it. Funk isn’t defined, it’s felt. Now a linguist of the English language, might describe “Funk” as something that smells really bad, like “that’s a funky smell”. A linguist might also describe it as a sad, troubling or dark and blue mood, like “he or she is in a deep funk”. Now the first description, meaning something of …

Dear readers, have you ever had a moment when things just do not work out as you planned? I think we’ve all been there at one time or another. We prepare and plan, all the while praying, yet things don’t workout as expected. Sometimes we had a vacation planned and the dates were set, your leave from work confirmed, you purchased your tickets and took care of all the logistics and then for one reason or another … you don’t end up going on the trip. Sometimes you get refunded or credited but many times in these cases we begin …

Permit me to be as pellucid as possible so that no misunderstanding or misapprehension arises. First I am in no way, shape or form trying to convert the tragedy in Ukraine to an issue about Black folks, It certainly is not. Nor am I endeavouring to negate the suffering that the people of Ukraine are enduring. I have already done my character assessment of Vladimir Putin, and that was long before this current invasion. Nevertheless, even in the midst of war and strife, it is obligatory for all people of goodwill to ensure that their fellow humans are treated fairly …

There is nothing sweeter than to see your enemies fight a losing battle. The effort expended to disqualify the highly recommended federal appellate, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, for the highest judicial position in the U.S., a seat at the Supreme Court will fail. One cannot fight excellent and exceptional qualifications, backed up by an impeccable record and experience. So those who are searching for a reason or an excuse, other than the fact that she is a Black woman, will draw blank. If it is just a process then let it be fair. President Joe Biden’s proud choice is an …

By Gemma Raeburn-Baynes This year’s Spice Island Cultural Festival is back at Vinet Park in Little Burgundy on July 9. Organizers say the two-year hiatus gave them an opportunity to reboot and revive the event. As such, they say the festival looks promising As Montreal reopen to festivals and other outdoor events following the pandemic, the Spice Island Cultural Day Association of Montreal (SICDAQ), celebrating its 5th anniversary this year, is eager to bring live music back to Vinet Park after two years of holding the Festival virtually. Organizers are inviting Montrealers to “come experience the rich culture of Grenada, …

Rosie Awori (LJI) Across the community, women leaders come from an array of disciplines from academia to health to administration and are finding themselves at the helm of community organizations. And they are helping to chart a path forward for their respective associations and for the Black and Caribbean community. These intrepid female leaders are also finding ways to mix their personal and family lives together with their commitment to community to help lift lives. JOAN LEE – Committed to the cause When her daughter received a scholarship from WIBCA, Joan Lee’s curiosity peaked into the workings of thew association …

By Melissa Murphy (LJI) “Come on board. We’re waiting for you!” These are the words of Karen Rice, who today, two decades after becoming what is believed to be the first English-speaking Black female bus driver in Montreal, continues to be a trailblazer for diversity, behind the wheel at the STM. So those words can be construed as a call for others in the community to follow in her footstep. Through her colorful journey of tenacity, triumph and of course, tribulation, the veteran bus driver understands what it means to create your own path to ensure you’re able to leave …

Rosie Awori (LJI) The history of Little Burgundy is colored by the story of Quebec’s Black community. It’s a story of belonging, survival and resilience, one that reaches back to the founding of a nation that for long chose to ignore the role that people of African descent have played in helping to build its foundation. They came among the first group of explorers helping to chart the lay of the land that was to become Canada then they were brought here as chattel slaves working to build and support a fledgling economy of a new nation and elevated to …

Rosie Awori (LJI) Inevitably, 32 years as a neonatal ICU nurse will change something in you. It’s only natural, being in an environment for an extended time where the miracle of life plays itself out almost on a daily basis. For Montrealer Bev Benskin it’s a life-altering experience. “ I love that I can make a difference. To be able to walk with the parent as they journey through the emotional turmoil of having a critically ill child,” is how she sees it. “Also I love the fact that I can work with a one-pound baby and with proper care and …