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Showing posts from March, 2010

Just Be Canadian (& lose the American accent)!

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The other day I was listening to a local Toronto radio station, and a show participant was giving an update. It was an urban program so I wasn’t surprised when the individual began to speak…and out came a Brooklyn/Detroit/Southern U.S. accent. Now I know the U.S. border is only mere hours away from us here in Toronto, and even closer for those living in Windsor and Niagara…but really. What logical excuse is there for continuously speaking in American ‘twang’ when you were born, bred, raised, and surrounded by Canadians--or at the very least [insert your parent’s origin here]-- your entire life? Yes, there are many born-Canadians with very natural Jamaican accents. Or those who can use Filipino slang, or put on an Indian accent at a moment’s notice. This is understandable, as living in Toronto one might easily grow up in a predominantly Chinese, Somali, or [insert your ethnic group here] community and pick up elements of the culture as a result of who they grew up around. But who in Tor

Alicia Keys in Toronto

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I like Alicia Keys. My appreciation of the 29-year old-singer started back in 2001 when I first heard "Falling" during an end-of-the-night-slow-jam-set at Guvernment night club in Toronto. I fell in love with the song immediately, and became an instant fan. The first time I saw Alicia Keys live--April of 2004 in Detroit for the "Verizon Ladies First Tour" with Beyonce, Tamia, and Missy Elliot--I remember watching her on the empty stage with a perfect piano, and perfect acoustics to listen to her compositions. I'm pretty sure I was jealous. I wondered what it felt like to play a piano that beautiful, in a venue that huge, with a sound so big, and share her personal creations with so many people. The second time I saw Alicia Keys live was at Casino Rama (north of Toronto) in March of 2005. It was the "Diary Tour" and was supposed to feature John Legend, but he decided not to perform, leaving many fans disappointed. (See my review of the Diary Tour, publi

Madea, live in Chicago!

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God bless Tyler Perry. On Saturday, March 6, 2010, I had the pleasure of watching his play “Madea’s Big Happy Family” at the Arie Crown Theatre in Chicago. The second I heard Tyler Perry was going back on the road--after 5 years--I made sure to secure some tickets. Of course, living in Canada, we often do not have the luxury of seeing tours, performances and movies in the same timely and convenient manner that our American neighbours do. So I did what I normally do in search of uplifting entertainment, motivation, and most importantly, inspiration…I got myself a plane ticket and made plans with my friend in the Windy City for a weekend on the town. I admit, the first hour or so, “Madea’s Big Happy Family” could have easily been “Diary of a Mad Black Woman,” “I Can Do Bad All By Myself,” or any other number of Perry’s great stage shows-turned-motion-pictures. And while I’ve laughed, sang, and cheered with the best of them watching his previous stories, this particular one at first seeme