After a whirlwind tour of UK and India to promote her  recently released third studio album ‘Parallels’, which saw
her being featured in several leading Indian and UK media and radio including All India Radio and BBC, noted IndoCanadian singer, composer and World Music producer Vandana Vishwas is back in Canada for her 2017 summer-fall season that has her featuring in some interesting platforms. As the coordinator of south Asian music programming at the 4 Worlds festival organized by LCCA-CANORAA, Toronto, Vandana Vishwas is presenting three of the leading south Asian bands – Autorickshaw, LAL & Rakkatak, apart from performing herself. The indoor leg of the festival took place on 2nd & 3rd June 2017 at Rodeo Brazilian Steakhouse,

Toronto while the outdoor leg will take place at Barry Zukerman Amphitheatre in Earl Bales Park, Toronto, from 24th June to 15th July 2017, featuring various Latin, African, South Asian and First Nations artists. Artistic Director of the festival is Alejandro Freeland, Production Manager is Michelle Truzzi Trusbsch, Coordinator of African artists is Jacques Yamdije, Coordinator of First Nations artists is Mahika Averi and the festival is being organized by Latin
Canadian Cultural Association & CANORAA. Vandana will appear next on stage on 8th July 2017.

http://www.lccatoronto.com/english/history.html

Following this, Vandana is being featured at the Culture Bridge Festival in New Market, ON by Culture Bridge
Initiative on 7th July 2017. The 3 day long festival will take place at Riverwalk Commons and Magna Centre in
Newmarket. https://www.culturebridge.ca/ Apart from these and various other community events, Continue reading “Vandana Vishwas To Perform At The LCCA-CANORAA 4-Worlds Festival”

This year, we celebrate Canada 150 with Markham’s largest and most vibrant Canada Day celebration yet! Each year, this signature event draws over 25,000 attendees from Markham, the Greater Toronto Area and across Southern Ontario.

From the Citizenship Ceremony, to the sold out Seniors Luncheon, People’s Parade and celebrations at Milne Dam, this is an event you won’t want to miss.

Today, Mayor Frank Scarpitti and the City of Markham’s Canada Day Co-Chairs, Councillor Alex Chiu and Councillor Amanda Collucci, announced the winner of Star Search Markham and the outstanding entertainment that you can expect at Markham’s Milne Dam celebrations on July 1.

This Canadian children’s music duo is a three-time JUNO nominated and three-time INDIES Children’s Group of the Year award winner. Splash’N Boots started out as a class project at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario. Since then, the group has released nine albums, three DVDs and has traveled across the world performing. Nick Adams (Splash) and Taes Leavitt (Boots) from Treehouse TV will have families singing and dancing the afternoon away.

Continue reading “Markham Brings Exciting Entertainment Lineup to Canada Day Celebrations”

Hylke Speerstra has never been shortlisted for the Nobel Prize or the Man Booker. He writes in a minority language understood by about half a million people and read by only a fraction of that small number. But that does not mean his books don’t deserve your interest or attention. Hylke Speerstra is ‘world famous’ in Friesland (a province of the Netherlands) after all. He writes with conviction and emotion about the proud people of that tiny patch of northwestern Europe where they speak their own beautifully expressive language and hang on to their historic traditions.

Like all marginalized rural regions of Europe, Friesland has seen its fair share of migrants leave in search of a better life elsewhere. In 2005 Speerstra’s collection of oral history emigrant memoirs was published in English translation as Cruel Paradise. Now, twelve years later, Mokeham Publishing is proud to announce the release of The Comfort Bird, Speerstra’s second book to be translated from Frisian into English – by Prof. Henry Baron of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The Comfort Bird follows the experiences of three generations of two families of farm laborers from a small town in Friesland. One family moves across the ocean and passes through Ellis Island in 1911 to seek their fortune on the American Prairies. Despite depression and dust bowl, with the perseverance typical of the migrant farmer they build a life for themselves in the USA. The way back to Europe for one of the family members goes through Utah Beach on D-Day as an enlisted soldier in the American Army.

The second family is too much rooted in the heavy soil of the old country to emigrate. They keep their head above water by performing seasonal work in Germany. Rebellious and always searching for social justice, they make decisions which will put them on the wrong side of history.  In a strange twist of fate World War II brings the families together again, on opposing sides of the conflict.

The Comfort Bird is based in fact and Speerstra, who lists John Steinbeck and Truman Capote as great examples, traveled extensively in the USA, Germany and the Netherlands to research original sources and interview descendants. Continue reading “Frisian author Hylke Speerstra visits Canada to launch new book”

RED CARPET ARRIVAL & UNIQUE STABLE VISIT IN ADVANCE OF FIRST
PERFORMANCE JUNE 21; 

* Special appearance by Odysseo fan Michael “Pinball” Clemons*

It was a perfect day to meet n greet the superstars of the upcoming ‘Odysseo’, the epic adventure show which kicks off at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga on June 21^st.

The beauties circled in perfect precision, with their well-groomed silky manes bouncing to the gallop at the media event this afternoon. These horses of different breeds from different parts of the world were presented in relatively free circumstances. It was a wonderful feeling to have come upon them in their natural setting, in a relaxed atmosphere. Everyone looks happy- the horses, the trainers, the acrobats- all ready and excited to perform.

Odysseo features 65 horses of 12 different breeds from around the world including the Appaloosa, Arabian, Canadian Horse, Holsteiner, Lusitano, Paint Horse and several others. They hail from different nationalities –Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, the United States and Canada. The average age of the horses is 9.

At the heart and soul of every Odysseo performance is the age-old bond between human and horse. The company fosters an environment where patience, trust and deep-seated respect for the four-legged stars come first. One of the trainers says “they need to feel happy and enthusiastic”; she believes that she has a bunch of excited kids and there’s a perfect understanding, bonding and a relationship of love. It was amazing to see the way they communicate with each other. Adorable is an understatement. Continue reading “Up N Close with the 4 legged stars of Odysseo”

Event Showcases Markham’s Environmental Research and Innovation

MARKHAM, ON – June 13, 2017 – Today, Mayor Frank Scarpitti joined businesses and thought leaders from across Markham at the Mayor’s Annual Business Address and Luncheon at the Hilton Suites. In his address, the Mayor highlighted an impressive list of sustainability firsts and initiatives underway to support the city’s vision for a greenMarkham.

“In Markham, we are addressing the challenges of sustainability in our planning, in our development, and in our social programs to create a healthier community for future generations,” said Mayor Frank Scarpitti. “I am proud that Markham began its sustainable journey many years ago and our achievements to date in greening Markham position us well as a leader in addressing climate change.”

The Mayor’s Annual Business Address and Luncheon is the year’s most anticipated business luncheon, attracting more than 500 of Markham’s top business, political and community leaders.

Mayor Scarpitti’s address drew attention to the City of Markham’s innovative sustainability programs, including Trees for Tomorrow, Rouge National Urban Park partnership, the 22 kilometers of scenic pathways, the City’s monarch-friendly proclamation, the 81 per cent waste diversion rate, and the new textile recycling program. Energy conservation and reducing carbon emissions were also highlighted as part of greenMarkham, as Mayor Scarpitti spoke to the City of Markham’s solar portfolio, LED street lighting and LEED building standard.

Additionally, the Mayor’s business address featured a focus on local environmental research and innovation, including POND Technologies, General Motors’ Canadian Technology Centre Markham Campus, TD Insurance’s investment in Markham, ventureLab at IBM, AVIVA Canada headquarters, Honda Canada and the new campus for York University.

“It is always our pleasure to present the Annual Mayor’s Business Address and Luncheon”, says Richard Cunningham, President and CEO of the Markham Board of Trade.

Continue reading “Mayor’s Annual Business Address Highlights greenMarkham”