| So many festivals to choose from, so little | | | | like Irish folk music and the polyphonic |
| time..... This weekend Toronto had so many | | | | harmonies were very pleasing to the ear. This |
| special events to offer, there simply wasn't | | | | innovative combination of music, unusual |
| enough time to attend them all. Here are just | | | | instruments, dance and physical performance |
| a few samples of some of the major events | | | | was highly extraordinary yet extremely |
| offered on the July 7 to 9 weekend: - | | | | aesthetic, and Lelavision attracted a |
| Afrofest, a celebration of African culture, | | | | sizeable crowd of fans who stayed behind |
| located at Queen's Park - The Bud Light | | | | after the performance to chat and find out |
| Beats, Breaks & Culture ,Toronto's Electronic | | | | more about this unique art form. Inspired |
| Music Festival at Harbourfront Centre - | | | | from this creative performance I got hungry |
| Italian food and lots of live music at the | | | | and rode a bit further south along Yonge |
| Corso Italia Toronto Fiesta - Toronto's best | | | | Street until I landed at the Scotiabank Jazz |
| known theatre festival: the Fringe of Toronto | | | | Café that featured a sitting area with |
| Theatre Festival - High-speed high-octane fun | | | | tables, followed by a variety of restaurant |
| at the Molson Grand Prix of Toronto at | | | | booths that were providing samples of their |
| Exhibition Place - The Canada Dry Festival of | | | | cuisine. I ordered a butter chicken with |
| Fireworks at Ontario Place - The Taste of | | | | basmati rice from the Bombay Bhel restaurant |
| Lawrence Festival on Lawrence Street East, | | | | and sat down to listen for a few minutes to |
| and - The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition | | | | the pleasant sounds of the Donna Barber Trio. |
| features more than 500 artists at Nathan | | | | I joined a retired gentleman at a table, who |
| Phillips Square. The number of choices is | | | | looked at my bike and started a pleasant |
| virtually endless and with limited time it's | | | | conversation about biking in the city. We |
| sometimes difficult to choose which event to | | | | both agreed that Toronto offers superb biking |
| attend. I had a few hours today and decided | | | | opportunities all throughout the city. After |
| to hop on my bike to check out the Celebrate | | | | almost 50 years of marriage his wife had |
| Toronto Street Festival, and if there was any | | | | passed away last year, but he has been |
| time left over I would also drop by at | | | | working on adjusting to his new life and |
| Afrofest. Equipped with my camera and a big | | | | likes to come out and enjoy Toronto's outdoor |
| backpack I cycled in through Toronto's ravine | | | | festivals and events. Just recently he had |
| and park system. On my way in I was able to | | | | attended a free outdoor performance of the |
| almost completely avoid regular roads and | | | | Toronto Symphony Orchestra at Harbourfront. |
| enjoy the serenity of some of Toronto's many | | | | After I had finished my lunch he said goodbye |
| nature areas. In Sunnybrook Park huge groups | | | | since he was going to catch a performance at |
| of people were unloading entire regular-sized | | | | the Big Band Stage. My next stop was at the |
| barbecues from their minivans for a day in | | | | "Comedy Stop", at a stage featuring the |
| the park. Through the tranquil tree-framed | | | | "Monkey Toast Players": Lisa Merchant (of |
| streets of Leaside I made my way west to | | | | "Train 48" fame), David Shore (an instructor |
| finally arrive on Yonge Street, just north of | | | | at the Second City Training Centre) and |
| Eglinton. It wasn't quite noon yet and the | | | | Carolyn Taylor (a Second City alumna). |
| big street party hadn't yet fully gotten off | | | | Together with several other performers they |
| the ground. A variety of rides were set up | | | | make up an award-winning group of standup |
| for kids and slowly but surely lineups | | | | comedians that performs regularly at the |
| started to form in front of each | | | | Drake Hotel. Today they were performing a |
| high-adrenaline attraction. Various | | | | variety of improvised sketches that involved |
| restaurants had set up booths featuring | | | | various elements of audience participation. |
| samples of their menu at reasonable prices | | | | For one sketch two audience members had to |
| and a big concert stage would showcase a | | | | come on stage and finish the comedians' |
| variety of talent throughout the day. I | | | | sentence on cue. For another sketch two |
| stopped at the Fit One booth which was going | | | | audience members got to move the comedians' |
| to hold a cheerleading competition at 12 | | | | limbs and bodies to provide the physical |
| noon. An emcee picked out three moms and | | | | backdrop to the conversation. Finally, |
| three dads from the crowd. The moms were | | | | audience members got to choose a location |
| going to rehearse the Fit One Cheer, while | | | | which would fit on the stage ("New York |
| the men were learning a brief sequence of | | | | City", I guess if you try hard enough NYC |
| dance steps that would be judged by the | | | | will fit on the stage after all) and they had |
| growing audience. The three men gave it their | | | | written down a variety of phrases that the |
| best and the winning contestant added a few | | | | comedians had to integrate into their |
| additional flashy dance steps to his | | | | performance which featured a scene involving |
| performance and definitely managed to charm | | | | a hot dog vendor in New York City. The show |
| the crowd. Then the ladies came on the stage | | | | was very much along the lines of "Whose Line |
| and they got to perform their cheer as a | | | | Is This Anyway?" and the crew's |
| group and then individually. Again, the | | | | improvisational talents were quite |
| winner would win a prize for their | | | | impressive. Now it was time to cycle further |
| performance. With the amateur portion of this | | | | south so I went past Bloor Street, where the |
| contest complete, two young men and a young | | | | sidewalks on the east and west side of Yonge |
| women came on to show off their acrobatic | | | | Street really started to fill up with regular |
| cheerleading act. The two guys kept twirling | | | | shoppers and weekend revelers. I went west on |
| the girl around, lifting her up so she would | | | | Wellesley until I hit my final destination: |
| stand upright on their hands. They had had | | | | Queen's Park, which was hosting "Afrofest", |
| several years of training for this | | | | Toronto's celebration of African culture and |
| performance. It was time for me to move on, | | | | music. The festival is in its 18th year and |
| and as I pushed my bike on the sidewalk, I | | | | is now officially North America's largest and |
| saw three generously proportioned "ladies" | | | | longest running African music festival. The |
| doing poses and hamming it up. At one point | | | | audience was very colourful and virtually |
| one of them fell over with her legs up in the | | | | every ethnic group in Toronto was represented |
| air, and an audience member was asked to join | | | | in the audience somewhere. A big stage was |
| in to help her up. I am not quite sure if | | | | designated for the feature performers and |
| they were indeed ladies, but the members of | | | | several other areas were set up for drummers |
| "Cie Colbok: "Niki" have been enchanting | | | | and other musicians. A multitude of booths |
| crowds at street festivals in France, | | | | was selling African clothing, arts and |
| Germany, Spain, Great Britain and many more | | | | crafts, and a big area was dedicated to |
| with their flirtatious clowning around. My | | | | children that featured dance performances and |
| ride on Yonge Street, usually one of | | | | a variety of arts activities for children. |
| Toronto's busiest streets, was extremely | | | | Young ones were receiving body paintings and |
| peaceful and tranquil since the majority of | | | | a huge food court served a variety of tasty |
| motorists had decided to avoid the Yonge | | | | African and Caribbean delicacies. I had a |
| Street corridor altogether due to the street | | | | chat with several women from Congo who were |
| closures of the Celebrate Toronto Street | | | | sitting together peeling and cutting |
| Festival. It's a strangely empowering feeling | | | | plantains. Right next door several young |
| cycling down one of Toronto's main | | | | girls who originally came from Zambia and |
| thoroughfares without having to worry about | | | | were selling their local delicacies at a |
| getting pushed off by sometimes inconsiderate | | | | stand. The crowd had spread out their |
| drivers. St. Clair was the next festival | | | | blankets on the lawn and the festival was |
| location and the Scotiabank Big Band Stage | | | | truly an event for the whole family. By about |
| was going to feature a variety of jazz, big | | | | 4 pm it was time for me to head home and I |
| band and even operetta music. I happened upon | | | | started cycling east on the Danforth. Traffic |
| the highly unusual and innovative performance | | | | was fairly light, I guess many people were |
| of "Lelavision", composed of Ela Lamblin and | | | | glued to their television screens to watch |
| Leah Mann - two musicians and performance | | | | the Soccer World Cup finals between France |
| artists from Seattle. When I arrived they | | | | and Italy. Sure enough, at about 4:30 pm I |
| were wearing drums on their heads, hips and | | | | started to hear horns honking, people |
| knees and were performing a playful drumming | | | | screaming with joy and crowds streaming out |
| act with one another. Shortly after they | | | | of some of the cafes and bars on the eastern |
| pulled out an instrument called the | | | | part of the Danforth: Italy had won the World |
| "Violcano", a cone-shaped metal drum equipped | | | | Cup!!!!! Hundreds of people were coming out |
| with strings, apparently a mixture between a | | | | into the street, cheering, chanting "Italy" |
| viola and a volcano. The two artists played | | | | and waving flags. Proof after all, that |
| the instrument with strings, plucked it and | | | | Toronto's vibrant multicultural mosaic is |
| even climbed in and out of it, adding an | | | | alive and well, and everyone is invited to |
| element of physical acrobatics to this | | | | party.... |
| unusual way of producing music. Finally, they | | | | |
| played the "Longwave", a horizontal harp with | | | | Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a web |
| strings that are not plucked but brushed with | | | | portal for unconventional travel & |
| gloved hands. Some of the music even sounded | | | | cross-cultural connections. |