All posts on 2022

If putting out a new single for the summer as well as performing at Canadian Music Week and putting together a new band wasn’t enough, Montreal singer songwriter and creative genius Aliah Guerra goes and gets put on the cover of Guitar Girl magazine in the U.S. with an interview in the mag to booth “This was a summer jam that was inspired by some events that I went to last year. There were some boat parties and some other parties that I went to with my family in Toronto. There was a lot of music from the 70’s and …

Harriet Tubman was a key figure of the Underground Railroad, a large movement in North America consisting of several individuals who worked together to aid slaves in their escape from their captors. Born into slavery, Tubman and her two brothers escaped from slavery after the death of their owner in 1849. After one of her brothers had second thoughts about their escape and returned, Tubman joined them. She, however, escaped again, this time using the secret network of the Underground Railroad. Tubman traveled by the light of the North Star, using nighttime cover to avoid those who hunted her. A …

On Saturday, October 15, a wide cross-section of Montrealers are expected to join officers and members of The Jamaica Association of Montreal at their Annual Heroes and Heroine Banquet, an auspicious occasion to celebrate their country’s seven national heroes, Sir Alexander Bustamante, Marcus Garvey, George William Gordon, Norman Manley, Nanny of the Maroons, Samuel Sharpe and Paul Bogle. One of the many highlights of the evening will be a featured address by Vassell (George) O’Gilvie, a former Montrealer now residing in Poughkeepsie, NY, where he is recognized as an acclaimed clinical social worker and psychotherapist. The graduate of Dawson College …

On September 24, The Women’s Ministry of the Church Of God Of Prophecy hosted a business exposition at the church-hall showcasing a range of entrepreneurial endeavors among the congregation and in the community. It was a lively and dynamic event that drew a steady flow of spectators throughout the afternoon to the 16 booths on site. OWEN-The seafood man, shrimps, lobsters, salads, Excellent for parties, weddings, any occasions 514-569-0456 JASMINE-D STYLES. Hair and Beauty supplies 514 235 1946 VIVIENNE- BV EXPRESSIONS: Printing Company, prints everything., from tumblers 514 347 7606 SARAH 12 year old- CE CE’S GIFTS AND CRAFTS 514 …

In the run up to the October 3, provincial elections in Quebec, immigrants have been the target of the ruling Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) in its bid to maintain its hold on a percentage of the staunch nationalist vote where strong anti-outsider sentiments are harbored. Both Premier Francois Legault and one or two of his top ministers were caught in the slackness of denigrating immigrants with outlandish statements, suggesting in one instance, that their increased presence here will be suicidal for the Quebec population and in another, that they are lazy and a drag on society. Both the premier and …

Black community organizations across Canada stand to benefit from a $200 million fund recently announced by the federal government. The Black-led Philanthropic Endowment Fund is geared specifically towards sustaining entities identified as “charities and social purpose organizations.” At a press conference held on Parliament Hill on October 3, Ahmed Hussen, minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, launched a call for proposals from Black-led organizations that has the capacity to administer the fund and ensure that it meets the parameters set out by the government. Minister Hussen says the fund is his government’s response to calls from community organizations across …

Montreal’s Yellow Pad Sessions (YPS), presents OPTIMISTA an ambitious multidisciplinary art project intended to inspire and encourage during uncertain times through a celebration of human spirit. The series takes place over four themed nights spanning late 2022 to early 2023. Courage, Compassion, Love, and Community are each represented on dedicated evenings of multidisciplinary art, including award-winning and critically-acclaimed films, performers and keynote speakers. The first instalment, Courage will be showing on October 15 at QUAI 5160- Maison de la Culture Verdun will feature special guest Gamal ‘G’ Turawa who will be flying in from the UK to launch the series …

After two spectacular comeback shows coming off the Covid-19 restrictions, organizers of the West Island Blues Festival say they are looking forward to building it into a blockbuster event that involved the entire region. Festival co-founders Errol Johnson and Jim Beis were at the 40th Gala of the West Island Black Community Association (WIBCA) at the Gerry Robertson Cultural Center in Roxboro on September 24, beaming with pride and doling out checks to charities in the area, as they have been doing since the event was launched 18 years ago. Both were proud to announce to gala guests that the …

I confess that I have been covering a bit more Soca oriented topics in my article this past summer. It’s not that I like one over the other but in the summer Soca music and Caribbean Carnival festivals can be easily found all over North America. As to my Dancehall and Reggae audience I haven’t forgotten to update you on what’s going on. It’s hard to overstate the impact that this small Caribbean country of Jamaica has had on music and pop culture worldwide and Reggae /Dancehall music has been no small part of that legacy. So what has been …

By Nompumelelo Moyo (LJI) As the congregation of St Paul’s Anglican Church in Cote des Neiges welcome their new spiritual leader after the retirement of Archdeacon James Bennett, the CONTACT was privileged to get an interview with Montreal born Bishop Oge Beauvoir who has previously been working in Haiti expressed his excitement to be back home and working with the community. With a career spanning over a decade, Bishop Beauvoir might be new to the congregation but he brings a vast array of experience in his calling both as a spiritual leader and as an administrator, which renders him more …