Posts in category Life & Style

Egbert Gaye With the much-anticipated release of her latest single, Hotel Key, from her debut EP, Best Life, Montrealer Ana Stasia continues her upward trajectory on the R&B/Pop music scene. The excitement around her continues to build because of the commotion her previous single, Shade, created being shortlisted in several of the major categories in the 61st Annual Grammy Awards ballot. The single is competing for Best R&B Performance, Best R&B Song and Record of the Year, while the EP, Best Life, is competing for Best R&B Album. The multi-talented singer/songwriter who honed her musical skills at The University of …

BTW’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award 2019 goes to a cultural livewire Egbert Gaye The quotes on her website say it all. “It has taken Fabienne Colas five years to do here (in Quebec) what it would sometimes take most Haitians 30 years to accomplish.” — Dany Laferrière Those sentiments were compounded by bestselling author and entrepreneur, Stedman Graham who stated that: “Fabienne (Colas) is blessed with so many TALENTS and helpful to so many people. The world needs that energy and determination.” Today, 15 years since she planted her stake in Quebec, Fabienne, the young and enterprising go-getter …

Novel Thomas In Montreal’s Black community the name Nancy Mackenzie has been spoken of for generations. Those who have met and come to know her speak positively and proudly of the person; others have never met her, but readily admit to hearing of her Black and extra-community initiatives. It comes as no surprise then, that after her many years of grassroots work Nancy Mackenzie’s name is among the list of recipients at Black Theatre Workshop’s 2019 Vision Celebration Gala. She will be honoured with the Dr. Clarence Bayne Community Service Award. Always soft-spoken and humble, Ms. Mackenzie admits to being …

Musician, teacher and expert pannist Egbert Gaye It’s not by chance that Fatima Wilson stands as the leading woman of steelpan music in Quebec. Thirty-one years ago, she came into the world, surrounded by the sound of the instrument, and as the child of iconic ‘pan-man’ Salah Wilson, she and her five siblings were immersed in it for all their lives. Today, with her father now based in Toronto, not only is Fatima one of the leading proponents of the steelband in the city, she is also a highly capable musical arranger, teacher, and of late an in-demand soloist. She …

Sometimes accidents happen in the ring but they take the bad with the good Egbert Gaye Boxers in Montreal are united in their support for Adonis Stevenson, who up to press time remained in an induced coma after being knocked out by Ukraine’s Oleksandr Gvozdyk in their light-heavyweight title fight at the Videotron Arena in Quebec City, on Saturday, December 1. The 41-year-old Montreal-based fighter who snatched the title from Chad Dawson in 2013 was well ahead on the score cards of two of the judges and tied on the third when the Ukrainian boxer over-powered him with several unanswered …

Margot Blackman & Egbert Gaye Congratulations and much love and respect are in order for Mrs. Una Adams who celebrated her 105th birthday on October 15. Mrs. Adams was born in Barbados on October 15, 1913, and came to Canada in 1948 to join her husband Mr. Fred Adams who served in the Canadian military during WWII. They settled in the Rosemont district where they raised their sons Dr. Robert Adams and Neil Adams. Speaking to the CONTACT by phone, Mrs. Adams was gracious and engaging. A lifelong member of the Salvation Army, which she joined growing up in St. …

Margot Blackman Congratulations to Eula Williams of Cote-de-Neiges who was recently honored by the directors and staff of Maison Shalom when she retired after 23 years of faithful duty. Maison Shalom is a  home for the intellectually and physically challenged children and adults, and Eula’s performance working with them has been outstanding. In their recent newsletter, Benjamin and Vanda Treiser, co-presidents of Maison Shalom, wrote the following about Eula: The staff and residents will miss her enthusiastic demeanor, warm smile, and loving care. In appreciation of her many years of devotion to the lives of our residents, a party took …

Independent Pop/R&B singer-songwriter and actress, Anastasia “Ana Stasia” Dextrene, released her debut album, “Best Life – EP”, this past August. And she has already turned heads with a collection described by radio stations and listeners alike as “fierce”, “incredible” and “top of the class in Canadian music.” Ana Stasia released her first original single, “One Heart”, in the summer of 2016, and in the Spring of 2017, the multi-talented artist obtained a music artist development deal with Grammy Award-winning producers Alex Houton and Brian Vibberts. She was also featured on the release of Grammy- nominated and award-winning songwriter and producers …

Jabari Arthur recognized at Akron University By Ruthven V. Licorish What defines greatness is when you hold all the records and what you mean to your fans, the guy who holds the most records or the guy who you recognize as the leader of the pack. Those factors are what help to place you in the ranks as the greatest receiver of all time. You have to give it to Jabari Arthur, who was inducted into the Akron University Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 6. Beginning as a 7-year-old, Jabari made his first foray into football as a …

Vincentian-born novelist releases another masterpiece “Fate’s Instrument” Egbert Gaye Montreal novelist H. Nigel Thomas gives what he considers to be a simple reason for writing: “I feel a compulsion to explore the complex mystery that is the human animal.” A compulsion made even more urgent after thoroughly consuming two novels by renowned Trinidad and Tobago author, Earl Lovelace, “The Dragon Can’t Dance”, and “Wine of Astonishment,” along with the political masterpiece “Salt Eaters” from the late Toni Cade Bambara, a provocative African-American, author/film-maker. “I was really taken by their storytelling style and it made me aware that I could write, …