Part of World Routes Summer Festivals 2010 at Harbourfront Centre

TORONTO, ON – Tropical grooves and vibrations take over the waterfront when the 13^th Annual Island Soul Festival returns to Harbourfront Centre from July 30 to Aug. 2. This FREE, long-weekend festival is dedicated to Caribbean culture and explores the lively music, colourful dance, insightful film and delicious food from the islands - all without leaving the city!

The roster at this year’s Island Soul Festival includes music from Jamaica, Trinidad and all islands in between. Highlights are Jamaican roots-reggae singer and activist Queen Ifrica presented by State Farm® (daughter of ska legend Derrick Morgan); veteran Calypso band Roy Cape and the Kaiso All-Stars; classic rocksteady group The Melodians; The Kingdom of Soca with Dr. Jay de Soca Prince; Jamaican crooner Frankie Paul and select members of Judgement Yard, a fraternity of skilled Rastafari musicians headed by Sizla Kalonji.

Island Soul also sets the scene for the Caribbean Tales Film Festival, a burgeoning film festival that presents the best of Caribbean cinema with two days of film screenings, thought-provoking workshops and Q&A sessions. In total, 13 films will be presented, including Queens of Sound: A Herstory of Reggae and Dancehall which focuses on Queen Ifrica’s (and other female reggae artists’) hardships and triumphs within the male-dominated reggae industry.

Island Soul revelers are also treated to a generous selection of Caribbean fare at various food demos and at the Best Caribbean Dumplings in Toronto Cook-Off.  The public can vote for the best Caribbean dumplings in Toronto at harbourfrontcentre.com/worldroutes/dumplings. Voting is open from June 15-July 15 and on Aug. 1, a cook-off will be held to determine the winner.

The big idea behind all programming in this year’s World Routes summer festivals is “globalocal”, or global to local, a theme programmed into each festival to bring together rich artistic traditions from around the corner to around the globe!

For additional information and complete event listings, the public may visit harbourfrontcentre.com/worldroutes or call the Information Hotline at 416-973-4000. Harbourfront Centre is located at 235 Queens Quay W. Toronto, ON.

Full Event Listings:

MUSIC:

Roy Cape and the Kaiso All-Stars
Friday, July 30, 8–9:30 p.m.
(Sirius Stage)
Roy Cape is one of the world’s leading calypso saxophonists and is the band leader of the renowned Kaiso All-Stars. Cape and his dedicated band of musicians, including Blaxx, the band’s lead male vocalist, have earned the reputation as one of the most sought-after brass band in recording studios, calypso shows and major concerts.

KOS (Kingdom of Soca) ft. Dr. Jay de Soca Prince, Earl Lapierre Jr. aka E-Man and more!
Friday, July 30, 10-11 p.m.
(Sirius Stage)
Flow 93.5 radio host, Dr. Jay is the number one soca DJ in Canada. He has helped to launch the careers of some of the most popular DJs and MCs in the soca scene including Jester, Marxman and D’Bandit. Earl Lapierre Jr., aka E-Man, became known as ESP (Extraordinary Steel Pannist) when he began playing the steel pan with Afropan Steel Orchestra. Since then he has turned into one of Toronto’s premier steel pannists.

Empress Divine
Saturday, July 31, 6:30-7 p.m.
(Redpath Stage)
Empress Divine represents a diverse female sound with a conscious under-standing of reggae music and dancehall. Well known on Toronto radio stations 88.1 CKLN and 105.5 CHRY, she is also well known in the Rastafarian community as a DJ/vocalist with soon to be released singles Chant Rastafari and Selassie is Within Me.

Queen Ifrica presented by State Farm®
Saturday, July 31, 9:30–11 p.m.
(Sirius Stage)
Queen Ifrica, daughter of ska legend Derrick Morgan, is the hottest female roots/reggae vocalist since Marcia Griffiths. Her vibrant sound, combining profound lyrics, a powerful voice and pulsating rhythms, has earned her the title of the new “Queen of roots-reggae”.

Judgment Yard with DJ Patrick Roots
Saturday, July 31, 11 p.m.–2 a.m.
(Brigantine Room)
Judgment Yard was established as a community centre in August Town, Jamaica and is like a home to many Rastafarians. Many of the members of the Judgment Yard fraternity are skilled musicians (Jomo Rainbow, Fiyah Yard) who consider themselves to be battlefield warriors of reggae music. DJ Patrick Roots’ radio show on Toronto’s CIUT 89.5 FM (Reggae Riddims) is one of the seminal live reggae broadcast shows in Canada. He rotates the freshest selections of reggae music combined with commentary from the community.

Pass the Torch: The Calypso and Soca Project
Sunday, Aug. 1, 1-1:30 p.m.
(Redpath Stage)
Pass the Torch is a group of talented young performers who train and perform in the calypso arts. These highly skilled students attend the only known ‘calypso school’, led by John “Jayson” Perez, (the first calypso artist to win a Juno Award) and Dick Lochan of the Organization for Calypso Performing Artistes.

Panmasters Steel Orchestra
Sunday, Aug. 1, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
(Redpath Stage)
When four homesick pannists met and formed the Panmasters Steel Orchestra Band in 1989, they never dreamt that eight years later the group would become one of the best steel bands in Canada. Numbering around 12 musicians during most of the year, the group grows to 50 when Caribana season approaches!

Silhouette Steel Orchestra
Sunday, Aug. 1, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
(Redpath Stage)
Led by Mark Mosca, a graduate of the Royal Conservatory of Music, the Silhouette Steel Orchestra is one of Canada’s premier steel pan ensembles. Mosca provided the creativity, innovation and musical vision that resulted in the Silhouettes taking first place in Toronto’s steel pan competition, Pan Alive.

The Melodians
Sunday, Aug. 1, 8–9 p.m.
(Sirius Stage)
The Melodians are one of Jamaica’s leading rock-steady groups. At Island Soul they perform some of their greatest hits including the anthems Rivers of Babylon and Come on Little Girl.

Frankie Paul
Sunday, Aug. 1, 9:30–11 p.m.
(Sirius Stage)
Multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Frankie Paul (often referred to as Jamaica’s Stevie Wonder) performs a selection of his own songs and global reggae anthems including Casanova, Worries in the Dance and I Know the Score.

Zion Train with Natty B and special guest DJ
Sunday, Aug. 1, 11 p.m. - 2 a.m.
(Brigantine Room)
Natty B’s hugely influential Zion Train show on CHRY 105.5 FM is a one-stop shop for reggae tunes and is on the pulse of the Rastafarian community. Join him as he rotates the freshest selections of reggae music.

Afropan
Monday, Aug. 2, 3-4 p.m.
(Sirius Stage)
Afropan “the people’s band” is Toronto’s oldest and most successful steel band. Afropan (under the leadership of Earl La Pierre Sr.) is a 26-time winner of Toronto’s Caribana calypso competition.

Pan Fantasy
Monday, Aug. 2, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
(Redpath Stage)
Formed in 1986 as a subset of the North York Inter-Community Youth Group, Pan Fantasy has grown from an intimate group of players to an impressive collective of vibrant musicians. The band has earned top distinctions both at home and internationally, placing first at the prestigious Pan Alive competition in Toronto and placing second and third at New York’s Panorama competition.

FOOD:

Best Caribbean Dumplings in Toronto Cook-Off
Sunday, Aug. 1, 5-6 p.m.
(Lakeside Terrace)
The public can vote for the best Caribbean dumplings in Toronto! Voting is open from June 15-July 15, and on Aug. 1 a cook-off will be held to determine the winner.

Melo’s Divine Delights
Sunday, Aug. 1, 3-4 p.m.
(Lakeside Terrace)
Chef Melody from Melo’s Devine Delights presents an innovative approach to the presentation of vegan/vegetarian gourmet cuisine. At Island Soul she demonstrates how to make ‘festival’ dumplings (a sweet breakfast dumpling) and callaloo (a common leaf vegetable) in a healthy way.

Twist Catering Services
Monday, Aug. 2, 5-6 p.m.
(Lakeside Terrace)
A passion for food and a long family tradition of West Indian cuisine influenced Chef La-toya Fagon to pursue a career as a chef. She merged Italian and West Indian cuisine and eventually started her own company, Twist Catering Services, which specializes in group dinner parties.

Room Service Restaurant
Monday, Aug. 2, 3-4 p.m.
(Lakeside Terrace)
Room Service Restaurant is on the cutting edge when it comes to upscale Caribbean fusion cuisine. At Island Soul, Chef Washington demonstrates how to make oxtail dumplings.

DANCE:

Caliente- Caribbean Latin Carnival
Friday, July 30, 7-8 p.m. &
Saturday Aug. 1, 9:15-9:45 p.m. &
Workshop, Monday Aug. 2, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
(Redpath Stage)
Caliente Caribbean Latin Carnival is a colourful dazzling Caribbean and Latin dance show. Performing are John Rodriguez and Johana Vasquez, third place winners of the ‘06 World Salsa Championships.

Socasize
Saturday, July 31, 3-4 p.m.
(Redpath Stage)
Socasize is a creative blend of high/low impact aerobics combined with African and Caribbean dance moves. The music used is calypso, soca, chutney, zouk, reggae, salsa, dancehall and on occasion, drums. The ultimate goal is a workout with an emphasis on carefully selected music and movements that synchronize the mind and body that results in burning calories.

Baby Boyz Dance Group
Saturday, July 31, 7-7:30 p.m.
(Redpath Stage)
Local b-boy dance group Baby Boyz performs a 30-minute hip hop routine that will leave audiences in awe over their athleticism and creativity. They have appeared in numerous hip hop and R&B videos including Sean Paul and Rihanna.

Caribbean Folk Performers
Saturday, July 31, 8:30-9 p.m.
(Redpath Stage)
The Caribbean Folk Performers are a Toronto-based Afro-Caribbean performing arts company. They are committed to preserving and promoting traditional African and Indigenous Caribbean culture through dance, music and drama.

Stars Amongst Stars
Sunday, Aug. 1, 7-7:45 p.m.
(Redpath Stage)
Stars Amongst Stars is a Toronto-based dance group. Formed in 2002 by choreographer and promoter Brandon Roache, its purpose is to provide an outlet for talented young dancers.

FILM:

Caribbean Tales
Workshops- Sunday, Aug. 1, 1-3 p.m. &
Monday, Aug. 2, 1-3 p.m.
(Brigantine Room)

FAMILY:

Storytelling with Asheba
Saturday, July 31, 1:30-2 p.m., 2:30-3 p.m., 4-4:30 p.m. & 5:30-6 p.m.
(Redpath Stage & HarbourKIDS Zone Tent)
Asheba is a musical story teller who specializes in the musical and folkloric oral traditions of Trinidad. Stories of hope and happiness are the focus of his songs which range from original lullabies to fast-tempo tunes.

Redpath Acts of Sweetness Tent
Saturday, July 31, 12-8 p.m.,
Sunday, Aug. 1, 12-8 p.m. &
Monday, Aug. 2, 12-6 p.m.
Kids can make a fun bracelet to take home and contribute to Harbourfront Centre’s Acts of Sweetness wall!

Conjo: Head Wrapping Exposé & Workshop
Sunday, Aug. 1, 4-6 p.m. &
Monday, Aug. 2, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
(Lakeside Terrace Tent)
Naza Hasebenebi (For the People) and Paulene Harvey (Big It Up) teach families how to create head-wraps by using different techniques and styles. Participants will also learn the history and significance of head wrapping and how to accessorize the head like royalty!

The Ultimate Steel Pan Experience
Sunday, Aug. 1, 1:30-2:30 p.m. & 3:30-4:30 p.m.
(HarbourKIDS Zone Tent)
Joy Lapps, founder and programme director of the Steel Pan Experience, teaches children how to play the steel drums, a unique and historically significant Caribbean instrument.

All About Miss Lou
Sunday, Aug. 1, 1-5 p.m.
(Miss Lou’s Room)
Kids can learn about the people, food and culture of Jamaica including stories about Miss Lou and the fabled Anancy (a Caribbean folklore hero).

Socasize Kids
Monday, Aug. 2, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
(Redpath Stage)
This fun workout is controlled with the beat of the music, slowing down or speeding up to match the fitness level of the class. This innovative dance/fitness program allows kids to embrace and participate in recreation such as games and yoga exercises to increase heart rates, strengthen muscles and increase flexibility.

Carnival Faces Move to the Music
Monday, Aug. 2, 1:30-5:30 p.m.
(HarbourKIDS Zone Tent & Ann Tindal Lawn)
Kids can get their faces painted (inspired by photographs from the Children’s Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago) and then move to the music in this kids’ salsa workshop, led by Caliente Drum and Danz.


ABOUT WORLD ROUTES SUMMER FESTIVALS
World Routes is Harbourfront Centre’s annual summer series of FREE festivals running every weekend from Canada Day through Labour Day. World Routes explores ideas in contemporary culture, bringing together rich, artistic traditions from around the globe. For summer 2010, Harbourfront Centre explores the idea of “globalocal” (global to local and local to global) with a festival line-up promising to entertain, stimulate and provoke.

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.