Aparita

CBC Radio : Metro Morning : Big Stories, Little India

Big Stories, Little India presents a rare opportunity to hear first-hand narrative accounts about the Gerrard Street neighbourhood and to view contemporary art projects inspired by these stories. Initiated by SAVAC in partnership with [murmur], this project engages aspects of oral history alongside the process of art making. Artists Ambereen Siddiqui, Amin Rehman, Avantika Bawa, Brendan Fernandes, Rashmi Varma and Zaheed Mawani use a variety of approaches to visualize the stories of South Asian immigrants to the neighborhood. Launching on August 25th, Big Stories, Little India highlights the best-kept secrets of the Gerrard India Bazaar.

CBC Radio : Metro Morning : Festivals

Flamenco Festival

Lionel and Alexandra Felix are following their dream. They have quit their day jobs and put up $70,000 of their own money to mount what they hope will become the annual Toronto International Flamenco Festival. Running Aug. 10 to 15, their festival is the first of its kind in Canada, and only the third in North America after New York City and Albuquerque, N.M.Flamenco festivals are very specific in nature, be they in France, England, Germany, Italy, Japan or Spain. Concerts by top-notch and emerging flamenco artists anchor the evenings, but the days are devoted to intensive workshops. Says Lionel Felix: “Touring flamenco shows are teasers. They come to town for a single concert, but leave nothing in the local market. A flamenco festival showcases top artists not only as performers, but as teachers who provide professional development and personal enrichment.

Hot and Spicy Festival

Part of the Rhythms of the World series, this savoury festival, sponsored by the palate-cooling Mexican beer Sol, is one event that heats up the summer at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre. Located in the waterfront district of the city, at Queens Quay and York, this interlude pays tribute to the tangy sensations of the Indo-Caribbean and South Asian cuisines. Five-star celebrity chefs from some of the finest restaurants show off their fusion recipes and edible delights, while the other senses stir with island rhythms of the ‘hot and spicy’ nations. The free admission includes musical concerts featuring Canadian and international artists, an Iron Chef competition, films and other activities.

Taste of Danforth

Taste of the Danforth, which occurs in the middle of August, has become one of the largest outdoor events in Toronto.

The first Taste of the Danforth was in 1994. It was organized as an event to celebrate Greek Culture and their cuisine. At first, the celebration was small, but because of positive feedback, it has quickly evolved into a huge street party and carnival where all restaurants, cafés, bars and merchants feature items and dishes at unbeatable costs.

CBC Radio : Q Show : Cirque du Soleil - Kooza

As the Cirque du Soleil raises the curtain on its latest show, Kooza, Toronto audiences are set to take in a spectacle that returns the world-famous company back to its classic circus origins.

Kooza opens inside the Cirque’s blue-and-yellow Grand Chapiteau set up at Cherry Beach in Toronto’s portlands neighbourhood on Thursday, after having premiered in Montreal and Quebec City in the spring.

For the company’s 20th production, Kooza writer and director David Shiner wanted to give audiences a bit of a surprise by focusing the spotlight on some of the more traditional circus arts, including clowning and acrobatics.

The show will put about 50 circus artists from all over the world through their paces.

Composer Jean-François Côté has opted for a score featuring North American-style rock with some touches of Indian music. (According to Cirque officials, “kooza” is a Sanskrit word that roughly translates to ”box.”)

The new show is “fun and funny, light and open. The show doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it’s very much about ideas, too,” Shiner, a professional clown who has performed on Broadway, said in a statement.

“Kooza is about human connection and the world of duality, good and bad.”

Kooza is scheduled to run in Toronto until October 7.