In We Blood

Carnival veteran Nicholas, who has been participating in big mas since childhood, winning multiple titles and now leading his own section with Saldenah, discusses Toronto Carnival's challenges, controversies, and his hopes for the future.

He shares concerns over prizes for big mas competitions, which don't cover the cost of creation, despite inflation and rising ticket prices for the stadium, prize money hasn't increased. Nicholas also points out the feeling of being undervalued among those behind the scenes, and describes a "dog-eat-dog" atmosphere in the Toronto carnival community.

He also shares his aspirations to focus on keeping children actively involved in the culture by bringing carnival shoe decorating workshops and the first kiddies jouvert to Toronto.

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Jerawl, a passionate portrait photographer with a focus on capturing black stories, particularly those rooted in Grenadian life and culture, uses photography to document the island and its people in a raw and authentic way, to showcase the beauty of the island to the world. 

His recent project, "Dipped in Oil," pays homage to his life-changing experience of participating in Spicemas Jouvert, a deeply spiritual and renewing experience that led him to further explore, honor and document the island's cultural practices.

This episode is full of gems on the power of honouring, documenting, and preserving our cultural narratives.

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Khadejah Chrysostom, CEO of Freshmen clothing and Founder of Global Fund for Children, an international youth empowerment initiative, shares the reason for starting her non-profit work, particularly in the Caribbean. In this episode we explore Khadejah's compelling story of turning personal loss into a global force for positive change-- pain to power, and the capacity that each one of us has to make a positive impact on our community.

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Louis Saldenah, a Toronto Carnival veteran and band leader of Saldenah Carnival, which holds 21 Band of the Year titles and 13 second-place titles, reflects on 80 years of Saldenah.

From growing up in the mas camp under his father to passing down the tradition of mas to his children and their children, Louis shares insights into the costs of running a band, what's led to his success, and his vision for the future of mas.

He advocates for a return to pageantry, the removal of bikinis in favor of more elaborate costumes, and bringing back the essence of 'when mas was mas.'

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Jesse Ryan, grandson of calypsonian the Mighty Bomber, and the visionary behind the Kaiso Street Society, an organization dedicated to researching, documenting and reigniting an appreciation for authentic calypso discusses how calypso is a form of music for social change and protest. 

He emphasizes that calypso is deeply entwined into black history, and at one point was thought to eventually become bigger than rock and roll in the United States. 

This episode is full of insights. Check it out!

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Swipe, one of the two people behind Impulse Production, the duo that produced hits like Chopping the Line, Ah Doh Have, and more, talks about creating music for the culture– from the creative process to the business side of the game, and how combining elements from trap music and jab riddim gave them that unique sound that they call 'Jab-trap'.

He also shares his his vision for the future of the music industry, ushering it into a more positive, uplifting, and spiritual era with their new record label, Impulse Records.

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Ian Charles, of Jambalasee Grenada, an organization that's dedicated to documenting & preserving Grenada’s traditional Jab culture and its sounds, shares all about real jab jab from its origins to traditions and practices.

He clears up misunderstandings around Jab Jab, including those that attempt to demonize the jab, and shares why it's critical to have mass understanding of true Jab Jab culture to keep it alive.

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DJ BuzzB, the international soca DJ and CEO of Tsunami, the wet fete that's been making waves since 2021, shares how upcoming DJs can build their brand and buzz through social media, networking, and grit.

He reveals behind the scenes of running Tsunami, giving a glimpse into what it truly takes to manage an event of this scale – both the highs and lows – and shares his vision for the future of the festival.
 
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In this episode, Jael Joseph, an award-winning film-maker, media personality and entrepreneur, discusses all things Dominica-- the small island that's making big waves.

She shares lessons on Creole, bouyon music, the Kalinago people (the island's indigenous people), and her thoughts on why Caribbean culture actually isn't more vulgar now, than decades ago.

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In this episode, Carnival Bae, an international carnival model and ambassador shares her experiences with international carnivals from Miami, Jamaica, Trinidad, Cropover (Barbados), and Toronto Carnival.

She shares the cost of attending international carnivals, her thoughts on why a diverse representation of carnival models matters, how to get in as a carnival model, her surprisingly emotional experience at Trinidad Carnival, and more.

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