By Neil Armstrong
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| Photo courtesy of Pride Toronto Pride 2022 Spice |
Thousands will be in for a treat at Pride 2022 when two of the leading figures in dancehall and soca — the “Queen of Dancehall” Grace Hamilton aka Spice, Jamaican dancehall recording artist, singer and songwriter, and Patrice Roberts, Trinidadian soca star — hit the stage on the Pride Festival Weekend, June 24-26.
With a career spanning over 20 years, Spice will be the headliner to kick off the weekend on the TD main stage at Yonge-Dundas Square in the heart of Toronto on June 24, 9:00-11:00 p.m. and Patrice Roberts will be the headliner at Blockorama, the longest running and largest stage at Pride, on June 26 at 9:00 p.m., the closing day of the festival. This happens at the Bud Light Seltzer Wellesley Stage annually which is directly across from Wellesley subway station.
Spice is recognized to be one of the biggest dancehall artists in the world. Her mixtape “Captured” debuted at #1 in 2018 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart, and in 2021, released her debut studio album “10”. Earlier this year, Spice became the first female dancehall artist to be nominated for a Grammy in the best reggae album category.
Patrice Roberts was named the youngest female Road March winner for her collaboration with Machel Montano titled “Band Of The Year” in 2006.
The legendary DJ Blackcat will warm things up before Spice performs, and from 7:00-9:00 p.m. it promises to be an epic Ballroom Night. “Toronto KiKi Ballroom legends stand up & let it all out. Father Twysted Miyake Mugler welcomes the Toronto Chapter & the winners of the ballroom TV show LEGENDARY Season 2, The Iconic House Of Miyake - Mugler to the stage for a show-stopping performance. International, producer, founder, promoter & resident DJ for LEGENDARY MikeQ is here to “let it all out” on the turntables,’ notes the Pride 2022 program guide.
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| Photo courtesy of Pride Toronto Pride 2022 Patrice Roberts |
Organized by Pride Toronto, founded in 1981, events are stacked throughout June — Pride Month — and enthusiasts can check pridetoronto.com for a full listing of what is being offered.
For over 20 years, Blockorama has been a celebration of and for the Black LGBTQ+ community and allies, organized by the collective, Blackness Yes! It was born from the lack of representation for African, Black and Caribbean LGBTQ community members during Pride Toronto’s yearly festival and has been a space that celebrates Black love, joy, music, and community.
On June 25, 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., “Blockorama After Dark” will be held at the Wellesley Parking Lot for the first time. The annual Blockorama on June 26 — closing day of the festival — runs from 1:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at the Wellesley Stage.
This year, the Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention (Black CAP) — Canada’s largest Black-specific AIDS service organization — has been selected as Pride Toronto’s Charity of Choice and will be celebrating the first in-person Pride festival since the onset of COVID-19 under the theme, “Proudly Different, Beautifully Diverse.”
“We’re excited to be back on the road this year for an in-person Pride. And we invite all to be a part of all initiatives planned for this summer’s Toronto Pride,” says Black CAP. The 2022 Pride Parade will be held on June 26, starting at 2:00 p.m.
The agency has organized two fundraising events during Pride Month: “Leather ‘n’ Lace,” a Pride masquerade event, with Barbados’s Queen of Soca, Alison Hinds, Toronto-based singer/songwriter James Baley, and DJ Donovan on June 17 at Steam Whistle Brewery Biergärten and Taproom at 7:00 p.m., and “Chic – Le Freak” Pride Drag Brunch with Ongina, the Drag Queen extraordinaire from RuPaul Drag Race at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel on June 12 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Tickets are available on Eventbrite for both events.
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| Photo courtesy of Black CAP Alison Hinds |
Since 1989, the Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention (Black CAP) has worked to respond to the threat of HIV and AIDS in Toronto’s African, Caribbean and Black communities. Its work is guided by the motto, ‘Because All Black People’s Lives Are Important’, which serves as a reminder of its commitment to the human rights and dignity of all Black people who are vulnerable to HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
As Black people continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS — making up 20% of Ontario cases despite being merely 5% of the province’s population —their experiences are made worse by the stigma, racism, homophobia, and poverty that create inequitable access to essential supports and services. Black CAP works specifically to confront these barriers.
The agency offers a range of services and programs catered to the identities, experiences and needs of Toronto’s richly diverse Black population. From awareness campaigns and harm reduction programs to newcomer settlement services and peer support groups, its programming is a holistic and expansive response to the Black community’s needs.
Over the past 33 years, Black CAP has been able to extend the reach of its mission and mandate thanks to local, provincial, national, and international campaigns and initiatives; purposeful partnerships and collaborations with like-minded organizations; the meaningful involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS; and the tireless commitment of their staff and volunteers who recognize the urgent need for this work.
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| Photo courtesy of Black CAP James Baley |
From June 4 to 30, St. Lucia-born, Montreal-based interdisciplinary artist Adéx Lava will hold his first art installation and exhibit, “Murder Music: The Malice Afterthought,” in the North Hall at the Stackt Market, 28 Bathurst Street.
“In this installation and exhibition - I explore the intersections of violence, dancehall, memory, and same-sex love. The work is an archival account of the 2009 Stop Murder Music (Canada) campaign. Stop Murder Music (Canada) was a campaign that opposed Caribbean artists who produced music with lyrics that glorified the murder of homosexuals,” says the artist.
Adéx Lava is a writer, visual artist, cultural raggamuffin, installation artist, performance artist, photographer, events curator, and political
activist, notes Pride Toronto.
Drawing on his interest and training in the arts and law, he creates work that
focuses on “The Law of Artistry” — a fusion of exposing the visceral experiences of
injustice, our environments, and the intersections of law and beauty. He is the founder of the provocative art collective known as “the LAVA collective.” Adéx Lava lives, plays, and works on the islands of Montréal & Saint Lucia.
The launch of the exhibit will take place on June 4, 7:00pm – 9:00pm. Regular viewing hours for the exhibit are 11:00 am-11:00pm. Adéx Lava is inviting viewers to use the hashtag #murdermusic360 and #themaliceafterthought to share their thoughts, comments, and images.
On June 23 at 5:00 p.m. in the same venue, there will be a panel discussion to complement the exhibit with moderator Kimahli Powell, executive director of Rainbow Railroad; Gareth Henry, executive director of Black CAP; Montreal-based artist Adex; Lady Phyll, Pride 2022 International Grand Marshal and executive director of Kaleidoscope Trust in the UK; and a musician.
Meanwhile, just over a month after the Pride Toronto Festival another event will celebrate Black LGBTQI+ communities from around the world in the city.
Pride Toronto is collaborating with Global Black Pride and Blackness Yes! to produce the first in-person and hybrid event in Toronto.
Global Black Pride, the first global Pride event that brings together Black LGBTQI+ communities across all continents, will hold its first-ever physical programming in Toronto from July 28-31.
The event will celebrate Black culture and diversity, providing a space for activists and community-based organizations across the globe to engage and reflect.
Pride Toronto says this additional programming will help “build on the incredible work Blackness Yes! has been doing for the community for many years and brings additional attention and learnings to the experiences of the Black 2SLGBTQ+ community worldwide.”
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