at the mid year point

how we doing on the writing front?

haphazardly laying the foundation. far from "there yet" but not even remotely close to throwing in the towel.

encore

...and we're back!

Been a VERY long time since I posted but this will change.

I've gone through various personal, family and employment related changes, all of which have left me feeling empowered, reflective and creatively recharged...feel the fury in a few...

RBP

Christopher Charles

Here's an artist bio I did for singer/songwriter Christopher Charles:

The respective languages of life, love and music are at oft times interchangeable. Enter Christopher Charles. Not only is the young and talented musician fluent in all three languages, Charles has meticulously crafted a unique style which translates this trinity to the masses. Picture a young singer/songwriter/instrumentalist learned in the melodious teachings of James Taylor, Brian McKnight, Phil Collins and Lenny Kravitz. Indeed, the cosmos of Christopher Charles is one where acoustic soul, R&B and jazz collide to construct a powerful singular genre.

Toronto-born (to Guyanese parents) and raised in Hamilton, Ont., Charles is a gifted soul with a fiery talent, who plays both the piano and guitar and writes, composes, and produces all his own material. His upcoming demo release not only fills a musical void, it carves out its own new category. "I would like to be considered classic timeless music easy listening with a touch of soul," Charles starts.

Though initially taking some piano lessons in his formative years, Charles is essentially a self taught musician. Together with his soulful voice, structured melodies and adroit songwriting skills, Charles's music is as lush as it is introspective. "I don't like to write fluff any word that I write has to have meaning," Charles says. "A lot of times, it's personal experience that I draw from. Something just starts to come out. The rule of thumb is don't get in the way of the songthe words will come out when you let it."

The throughline of Charles' music is the message of hope, something that he was required to have an abundance of after suffering a serious and debilitating illness a few years back. His condition got so acute that he was forced to stop playing music for months. But it was a confluence of effects including support from doctors, friends and family which got him back on the path of well-being. And it is this experience which currently colours Charles' spiritual and optimistic outlook on life. "Anytime I write a song I always try to leave that hope and optimism because it is there. And sometimes, we just have to see it," Charles offers. "I feel that you can affect people in three ways: negatively, neutrally and positively. And I always want to affect them in a positive manner. There were times of hopelessness. But there's just that fight in you, because once you lose hope, you're lost. That's your driving force you don't want to lose that."

Charles has already created a regional buzz, performing in various venues throughout Southern Ontario. The only thing superior to listening to Christopher Charles' music is listening to it live. "You've got to open up and let it out," Charles says of performing on stage. "I feel that songwriters have a duty so you better give all of yourself. When the audience listens to me I want them to know that I'm being completely honest and open."

Throughout all the deliberation and decisive song selection, Charles has crafted a demo which distills his distinct musicianship down to its richest essence. It's all there the languages of life, love and music.

Just listen.

Canada's Got Soul?

"The struggles faced by a domestic R&B/soul scene remain an intricate mix of fear, prejudice and conservatism twinned with an inferiority complex when held up against American counterparts. R&B and soul artists in this country are afforded more limited opportunities — in terms of media exposure, touring opportunities, radio play and major label backing — when compared to Canadian rock. Despite a smattering of Canadian success stories both at home (Jacksoul, Ivana Santilli, Massari) and in the U.S. (Tamia, Deborah Cox, Glenn Lewis), the Canadian music industry still seems mystified what to do with them."

Check out the full Exclaim! Magazine article here

It took a lot of research and interviews but I'm happy with the end result. While I'm sorry that some artists didn't get included in the final piece, the feature effectively shows the hardships R&B/Soul artists face doing their thing in the Great White North.

Props especially go out to Jully Black. I've known her for years and always admired her drive and ambition when it comes to forging a music career in Canada. Respect due.

“Wipe That Smile” Remains Socially Relevant

“Wipe That Smile” Remains Socially Relevant
By Ryan B. Patrick
Pride Entertainment Writer
June 14, 2006

This week’s running of the stage play Wipe That Smile is proof-positive of, the more things change the more they stay the same.

Written by acclaimed Jamaican playwright, Kay Osbourne, and produced locally by Toronto-based Marcia Brown, Wipe That Smile remains as socially relevant today as when it was originally produced in the 1970’s, as experimental theatre with the Jamaica School of Drama and the Barn Theatre.

Emerging alongside reggae music at the time, the play, in Jamaica, formed part of an influential group of socially-critical nationalist plays such as “Smile Orange.” Specifically, Wipe That Smile takes a critical, and often lighthearted, look at social issues surrounding class struggle and racial oppression, which continues to impact the urban Black working class life and culture in Jamaica.

Even though the dramatic play was written in the 1970’s, the issues it touches upon are still relevant today, Brown tells Pride News Magazine.

Osbourne is no stranger to writing for the stage. As a playwright, her plays (“Country Duppy“, “Children Children” “Feminine Justice” “Single Entry“ and “Rosetta”, to name a few) have been featured across North America and the United Kingdom.

She is also an accomplished fine artist and her paintings have been exhibited at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry and at the University of Illinois’ Center for African American Arts.

Osbourne is also a major player in the corporate world. She recently relinquished an established career as a Black female executive in the United States to return to Jamaica, where she currently serves as the general manager for Television Jamaica (TVJ). Prior to joining TVJ, Osbourne served in executive leadership positions with Fortune 500 and emerging growth companies in the USA. Ebony Magazine recently named her among the leading Black Women in corporate America.

“No matter where you are in the world, you can either be a part of the solution to Jamaica’s problems or remain disengaged,” Osborne told the Jamaican Gleaner recently. “I have skills and competencies that could be used here and this is where I belong. So if the right opportunity comes along (as it did for me), you grab it and run. So, here I am with my heart and soul and skills.”

The play stars Brown, Naggo Morris, Elvis Hamilton, Nadeen Wilson and newcomer to the stage, Clive Braham, of radio station CHRY 105.5 FM. Wipe That Smile depicts the limited choices available to a family struggling to make ends meet in the contemporary Jamaican ghetto. Issues such as the underground economy and the role of drugs in an impoverished community are dramatically touched upon.

Jamaicans are usually unfairly stereotyped in the media as drug barons and violent criminals, Brown says.

The play tackles this perception head on, Brown says, and shows the root causes for any unlawful activity within these communities.

“Even though things may change, the issues remain on another level,” Brown says. “Suffering and struggle remains relative…years from now we’ll be talking about the same things we’re talking about today.”

With her company, Marcia Brown Productions (www.marciabrownproductions.com), Brown is well-known to theatre goers and has been dedicated to producing socially conscious and family-oriented shows. While she has managed to establish a steady following in Toronto, Brown readily admits that putting on shows can be a struggle.

“It’s not easy, but it’s my passion,” Brown says. But plays like this one have an important message and need to be told, she adds.

“It’s a family play and deals with the issues,” she says. “It has a message behind it. In the midst of all the laughter, there is high drama going on.”

Wipe That Smile premieres Saturday June 17 @ 8pm in the city of Ajax at the J. Clarke Richardson Collegiate Institute (1355 Harwood Ave. N.). This will be followed by performances on Father’s Day, Sunday June 18 @ 7pm at the Chinguacousy Secondary School (70 Williams Parkway) in the city of Brampton and Saturday June 24 @ 8pm & Sunday June 25 @ 7pm in the Burton Auditorium at York University (4700 Keele Street). For tickets and more information call: (416) 843-8787.

Isley Bros.: Baby Makin' Music review

"The title for The Isley Brothers latest album is right on the money. Baby Makin’ Music is truth in advertising."

The full review here.

Goapele/Floetry Concert Review

check out the Exclaim! Magazine concert review here.

Caribbean Jazz Show Mixes Old With New

David Rudder and Andy Narell

Caribbean Jazz Show Mixes Old With New
By Ryan B. Patrick
Entertainment Writer
Pride News Magazine
April 26, 2006

The Caribbean jazz concert, held earlier this month, at Toronto’s Mod Club, comprised an energetic exercise in musical fusion.

Featuring elements of jazz, spoken word, hip hop beat boxing and calypso, from both emerging artists (calypso-fusion group Kobo Town and local spoken word artists Anne-Marie Woods, Al St. Louis; along with beatboxers Subliminal and Eddy Da Original One), and established artists (steel pan wizard Andy Narell and the legendary calypsonian David Rudder), the concert was a sublime synthesis of tradition and innovation.

The concert, organized by the Toronto-based Nu Jazz Society, is the third in a series of concert events (the first two events featured Salome Bey and Roy Ayers, respectively).

The group is currently planning a Brazilian/Latin jazz event, in the coming months, says Nu Jazz Society executive director Graham Reid.

The group hopes to change people’s minds about jazz, by incorporating musical elements not widely known to be associated with the genre, according to Reid.The event was also a reunion of sorts, pairing Rudder (known as the “Man with the Message”) with Paris-based steel pan luminary Narell. Narell is the co-leader of the Caribbean Jazz Project and has pioneered the position of Afro-Caribbean steel pan in contemporary music.

The two have collaborated in the past, Rudder told Pride News Magazine before the event. “It’s like a reunion of old friends,” Rudder says. The Belmont, Trinidad native, who, today, calls Toronto home, is a dynamic entertainer and has been touted as one of the top Calypsonians of his generation.

Rudder performed his classic hits such as “The Hammer” and “Trini 2 De Bone”, in his inimitable style. Caribbean jazz is simply jazz from a West Indian context, Rudder says. “It uses the instruments from the Caribbean to create a different voice,” he adds.

And, when it comes to the current generation of calypso artists, things are looking up, Rudder says. There are a lot of emerging artists who are upholding the traditional elements of the music.

As for Rudder, he recently completed a Broadway-styled musical which premiered in Guyana. In addition to working on new music, Rudder says he hopes to bring the musical to Canada sometime next year.


Kobo Town

Relatively new to the Toronto music scene is the band Kobo Town. According to bandleader Drew Gonsalves, Kobo Town is named after the famous neighborhood in Port of Spain, Trinidad, where traditional calypso (kaiso) was born.

This 8-piece multicultural ensemble (Osvaldo Rodriguez, Roger Williams, Derek Thorne, Stich Wynston, Cesco Emmanuel, Ravi Jadoonanan, Linsey Wellman and Gonsalves) fuses Trinidadian roots music with elements of improv-based jazz and groove.

Born in Trinidad, the singer-songwriter says he used to primarily listen to dub music but started a love affair with traditional calypso music, after moving to Canada as a youth.

“When I came here, I became very nostalgic for home. I started reading a lot about West Indian politics and history,” says Gonsalves.

It was delving into the musical history of Trinidad, and about artists such as Roaring Lion, Mighty Spoiler, Lord Invader, Gonsalves says, that alerted him to the richness and depth of the culture.

“The band is very dedicated to calypso and Trinidadian music and the message in the songs,” he says. The music that is kaiso is commonly narrative in form, and carries a cleverly concealed political subtext. This is the tradition Kobo Town is upholding, Gonsalves says.

He founded and fronted the Ottawa-based reggae/calypso/funk fusion group Outcry, in 1992, and, after moving to Toronto, formed Kobo Town in 2004. The band is currently putting the finishing touches on their debut album, which should come out in the next few months.

The band performed a lengthy and well-received set of politically- and socially-charged songs. “I try not to be overly preachy, and I try to rely a lot on imagery,” Gonselves says of the issues the band touches upon. For example, the song “Abitina” deals with domestic violence, “Corbeaux Following” speaks on poverty and desperation in Trinidad, while “Blood and Fire” speaks about globalization.

“I am definitely pleased with the reaction so far,” Gonsalves says of the positive feedback and critical acclaim the band has been receiving so far.

“There is a lot of positive energy in the band, and I think that spills out into the shows.”

All about the Soul and R&B music...

Got a new freelance gig. Check me out at http://bluessoulmusic.suite101.com/.

I'll be writing music articles, reviews and doing the blog thing. Check it out.

Caribbean African Radio Network Wins Broadcasting Licence

Caribbean African Radio Network Wins Broadcasting Licence

By Ryan B. Patrick
Pride Entertainment Writer
April 12, 2006

TORONTO, Ontario -- There will soon be a new Black-oriented radio station broadcasting on Toronto airwaves.
It was announced this Monday that the Caribbean African Radio Network’s (CARN) commercial radio application to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has been approved.
The bid was spearheaded by CARN president Fitzroy Gordon – the popular Jamaican-born radio personality, television host and newspaper columnist. Gordon says the new CARN FM station will provide a dedicated community voice – via 24 hour daily programming – for the more than 500,000 Caribbean and African residents in the Toronto area.
The specialty commercial station would serve the community by covering local and international news and events, and also by providing a much needed social dialogue on issues of concern affecting the Black community, Gordon said.
This marks the second time CARN has applied for the licence – a similar bid was denied in 2002.
“It hasn’t sunk in it,” Gordon told Pride News Magazine hours after the news was announced.
“I’m going to give thanks and praise to the Maker for this wonderful day.”
Gordon, a well-known member and supporter of the African Canadian community, has been working to establish a Black-oriented radio station since 1998.
“I decided that I wanted to do something special, from a broadcasting point of view, for my community. I wanted to see a station that was designed to serve the Caribbean and African community, 24 hours a day, where we could have talk shows and forums that would edify our youngsters and hear their views,” he added.
But there are specific stipulations on the new broadcasting licence.
Gordon must now incorporate CARN as a corporation and submit, within three months, an amendment to the application that proposes a suitable FM frequency for the new station.
The CRTC (the body which regulates the Canadian broadcasting industry) turned down CARN’s original request to operate at FM frequency 98.7 MHz (with an average effective radiated power of 508 watts) on the grounds it was too close to an established signal, namely CBC Radio 99.1 FM.
The new license will be fully granted once CARN proposes an FM frequency that the CRTC deems acceptable and technically feasible.
“It will be up to the engineers, and Industry Canada (the technical arm of the CRTC) will be working on it…to finalize the best frequency to serve our community,” Gordon says.
Once these conditions are met to the CRTC’s satisfaction, Gordon says he expects the station to be up and running by fall of 2007.
The new station is to be owned 45 per cent by Douglas Kirk of Burlingham Communications Inc. (a White-owned company) and 55 per cent by Caribbean and African Radio Network Inc., which in turn, is to be held 70 per cent by Global Communications International Inc. and 30 per cent by Delford L. Blythe of Blythe Business and Consulting Inc.
Gordon noted that the soon-to-be-formed board will consist of prominent members of the Black community.
The recent CRTC ruling reveals that there was solid opposition to CARN’s radio station bid, most notably from the African Canadian Social Development Council (ACSDC) and, interestingly enough, Milestone Radio Inc., owner of urban music station FLOW 93.5.
The ACSDC had expressed concerns that the application did not “adequately serve the radio and ownership interests of the continental African Canadian community in Toronto.”
Milestone Radio objected on the grounds that CARN would negatively impact FLOW 93.5 and also claimed that FLOW, along with the Toronto campus/community radio outlets, are satisfactorily meeting the listening needs of the community.
Gordon countered that the new station would serve the larger Caribbean and African population of the Greater Toronto Area, regardless of geographic heritage.
And as for FLOW 93.5, Gordon says that CARN attends to a specific need that he feels FLOW is currently not addressing.
“We’re going to do for our community what FLOW said they would have done and did not do,” Gordon says, adding that FLOW markets itself as an “Urban and Hip Hop” station that caters to a specific youth audience.
“A lot of people were reluctant to provide support for CARN because they were angry that FLOW did not carry through on their [community] mandate,” Gordon says.
But overall, the community response was positive and its overwhelming support really helped win this licence, Gordon notes.
“We received thousands of support letters from the public sector, private sector and the churches.”
CARN FM will target a broader demographic and provide family-based programming, and intends to fill a niche by offering a range of ethno-cultural diversity programming – including international news, music and sports – not currently covered by FLOW, Gordon says.
Indeed, the CRTC commission itself concluded that the proposed CARN station would have very little commercial impact upon existing Toronto radio broadcasters.
Once launched, CARN FM will broadcast daily programs dedicated to Caribbean and African local and international news, talk, sports, music entertainment and religion.
A typical broadcasting day, Gordon says, will include Gospel music in the early morning, hourly local and international newscasts, live sports broadcasts, talk shows, and “World beat” Caribbean and African music.
Spoken word programming would comprise 10 per cent of all CARN programming and the station will also include a minimal amount of “mainstream” music including R&B and Hip hop from artists of Caribbean and African descent.
Sports news would focus on the coverage of cricket, soccer and track and field events.
Featured programming would also cover issues including health, lifestyle, investments, law, immigration, and women’s issues.
Another key component of the radio service would be programming that focuses on a range of topics of interest to youth.
CARN is mandated to operate within the “Specialty Format” meaning that at least 50 per cent of weekly programming be specifically focused on World Beat and Non-classic religious music.
This includes a range of musical styles including: reggae, rock steady, and ska, from Jamaica; calypso and soca from Trinidad and other Caribbean islands; highlife from Ghana; Shona from Zimbabwe, juju from Nigeria; pan jazz from Trinidad; afro beat from Nigeria; bend skin from Cameroon and Chutney from Guyana and Trinidad.
It is this specialty format requirement that will distinguish CARN from other commercial radio services in Toronto, and ensures that CARN will always stick to its community mandate, Gordon says.
CARN will represent a new radio station with a clear vision and a proactive mission for the local Caribbean and African population and all Canadians in general, Gordon suggests.
“I am guaranteeing my people that I will not sway from my promise. My word is my honour,” he adds.

Louis Mercier: Black On Film

Louis Mercier: Black On Film
By Ryan B. Patrick
Pride Entertainment Writer
Pride News Magazine
March 22, 2006

In film parlance, the term “mise-en-scène” refers to almost everything that a filmmaker puts into the composition of the film shot, including the movement of the camera and characters, lighting, set design and overall visual environment. Quite literally, it means “put in the scene”.
For Louis Mercier, “mise-en-scene” is everything the young African Canadian filmmaker does and more. The talented writer, actor and producer recently accomplished an extraordinary feat when, not one or two, but three of his short films (Delivering Santiago, Toussaint and Perfect Pitch) were screened stateside, at the recent Delray Beach Film Festival in Florida.
Mercier’s films have been screened in Montreal, Detroit and Toronto, but this is the first time he’s had three films screening at once.
“It’s exciting,” Mercier tells Pride News Magazine over the phone. It’s an honour, as an African Canadian, to have all three films represented at the festival, Mercier says.
He notes that, while he helped produced the shorts, the films were also a collaborative effort. Delivering Santiago and Toussaint were written/directed by Tory Falkenberg, while Perfect Pitch was written/directed by David Eng, and Mercier acts in all three.
By his own accounts, the Haitian-born Mercier has been exposed to the performing arts his entire life. He immigrated to Canada in 1979, and notes it was long hours glued to the television screen that got him hooked on writing and performing.
“Growing up, television was almost like a nanny,” says Mercier. He got his start acting in school plays at the age of nine, which led to auditioning for indie film and working at a community television station.
He initially went to university to become an electrical engineer, while pursuing acting on the side. But the acting bug ultimately took over, Mercier says, and he decided to focus all his attention on the craft.
After a couple of acting gigs, including a prominent role in the Radio-Canada network television series, “Temps Dur”, Mercier eventually created his own production company (Soulion Entertainment) and added writing, directing and producing to his credits, with the short films Toussaint, Aces Down, Eye & I and Delivering Santiago.
Mercier describes the films as character-driven. Toussaint features Mercier as a Haitian-Canadian student who harbors an secret love for a fellow Indo-Canadian student. He is faced with the dilemma of risking humiliation by revealing his true feelings or forever losing her.
“I like to create films that speak out to people,” he says. Of all his films, Toussaint hits close to home, as it’s based on a true event, Mercier says.
One of many events in a decade’s worth of professional film and video experience, in front of and behind the camera.
“I’m primarily an actor…that’s where my passion lies,” Mercier says. So, in an industry where there is a distinct lack of roles for African Canadian actors, Mercier decided to branch out into producing in order to create his own opportunities. “Early on, I found out that, in order for me to be in front of the camera, I had to start projects from behind the camera,” says Mercier.
In addition to acting and producing, Mercier is adding the hat of director to his portfolio, and he notes that Soulion Entertainment intends to produce feature films, television programming, documentaries and stage productions designed to educate and entertain, while giving a much-needed voice to people of colour.
It’s a dog-eat-dog film world in Canada right now, Mercier says, adding, “I’m trying to show the cats in the industry that I’m a force to be reckoned with, and to take charge of my career.”