Our Main Building and galleries will not be open to the public for Nuit Blanche. Access to “Hopes and Fears Assembly” will be on the northwest side of the Main Building.

August 7, 2023

Calypso Stars

Concert

Ontario

Close out Island Soul with a returning favourite fête of premiere calypso artists that will be sure to send us off in style!

Calypso Stars

Connector, Photo courtesy of the artist

Overview

Calypso Stars is the premiere stage for original and innovative Canadian calypso and Soca. Don’t miss out on the annual celebration of this peculiar genre in a three-hour concert that also forms a community collaboration between Harbourfront Centre and the Organization of Calypso Performing Artistes (OCPA) and a staple for Island Soul. We will be pleased to have you at our Concert Stage for an afternoon filled with drumming, storytelling, singing and energized audience engagement by Canada’s finest calypso artists. Perfect for the whole family to enjoy, it’s the place to be to begin sending off another fabulous Island Soul weekend. 

About King Cosmos

King Cosmos, aka Henry Gomez, is an award-winning calypsonian and educator who wears many hats in the performing arts. He has won a Canadian Urban Music Award and a Canadian Reggae Music Award and is a Canadian Calypso Monarch. He is also a Sunshine Award nominee. He was born and grew up in Princes Town, Trinidad & Tobago, but he has made Toronto his home for many years. As an actor, he has worked in radio, television, film and theatre; and has hosted shows on CFRB 1010 and CIUT 89.5 FM. His MC credits include stints for the Kaiso Forum Calypso Tent, Harbourfront Centre and the world-renowned Afrofest. King Cosmos has composed and recorded popular songs like “Jammin,” “Christie,” “Culture Shock,” “Ole Man Willie,” “Payback Time” and “Daisy.” He has performed internationally as a calypsonian, sharing stages with legends of calypso and Soca. His cover version of “How Great Thou Art Is” is played regularly by Canadian pannists, and academics in Canada and the United States have referenced his compositions. He is a founding member, first Chair/Secretary of OCPA (formerly Calypso Association of Canada) and past Chair of the Caribana Arts Group. He worked with the Toronto District School Board as an educator and was nominated for a Teacher of the Year Award. He has toured the South Philippines with Dance Caribe and received standing ovations from thousands of enthusiastic fans for his infectious music. He was also a member of the Dance Caribe contingent representing Canada at Carifesta XIV in Trinidad and Tobago. He has recently earned a master’s degree – his second – in Interdisciplinary Studies at York University. 

About Macomere Fifi

Macomere Fifi is Canada’s most successful calypso singer. Fifi joined the calypso fraternity in 1998 and charted a course unparalleled by any calypso artist in Canadian history, winning awards and competitions. She was featured at the Ontario Pavilion in the 2010 Olympic Games, with special appearances USA, U.K., Atlanta and Georgia. She starred in the Caribana Festival’s delegation to Hong Hong (2005) and Chicago (2008). In 2007 she was a subject of a documentary series titled Heartbeat.  

In 2007 she was featured in CBC-Radio 2’s special concert in Glenn Gould Studio. In 2012 Fifi starred in the Dora-nominated Obeah Opera. In 2014 she became the six-time winner of the Canadian Calypso Monarch and 11-times Peoples’ Choice Winner. 

About Susan G

Susan Grogan (Susan G) is the lead vocalist and band leader of Neu Jenerashun, one of Canada’s top Caribbean dance music bands. In 2007 she held the titles of Calypso Monarch of Miami, USA and Calypso Monarch of Ottawa, Canada. Grogan is best known for her smash hits “Gimme Pan,” “Forbidden Wine” and “Mr. Music Man.” With her band Neu Jenerashun, she has backed several top calypso and Soca singers. She has made international appearances in the Cayman Islands, Colombia and cities across the United States and Canada. She performs at most local Canadian events. She has recorded and performed with many international artists throughout the Caribbean and produced various shows with Neu Jenerashun. 

About Princess Trinidad

Princess Trinidad is a songwriter, composer, producer and disc jockey on Samesohitgoh Radio, an online radio station she owns. She writes, composes and performs various genres of music like calypso, Soca, reggae and more. Her greatest pleasure during her time in the music industry comes from the awards she has received, as they show tangible appreciation for her craft. Princess Trinidad has performed in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and all over Canada with many international artists, gaining her own recognition as an international artist. She recently returned to Toronto after performing in Trinidad and Tobago at Kaiso Showcase Tent Carnival in February 2023. 

About Bajan Brown Sugar

Newbie on the scene Bajan-born Colleen T, aka Bajan Brown Sugar, has been singing calypso since 2014. Started with an interest in writing calypso, and it quickly evolved into performing such songs as “I Calling You Out” and, most recently, the sexy and suggestive “Gimme De O” and “Quickie.” Brown Sugar was a featured singer with Tropical Rhythms Calypso Tent in Toronto for four years. During the recent pandemic, she produced and performed in the Torch Bearers Virtual Calypso Tent series from 2021 to 2022. She also performed in virtual shows with Sesame Flyers out of New York in 2021 and a virtual show with Calypso Alberta in 2020. Colleen has strong community roots and is currently secretary of the Organization of Calypso Performing Artistes (OCPA). 

About Joel ‘Connector’ Davis

As a multi-genre artist running the gamut of soca, chutney, calypso and other variations, Joel Davis (Connector) has entertained mainly adult audiences with his warm personality, energetic style and eye-catching costumes for nearly three decades. 

Dates & Times

August 7
3pm – 6pm

Venue

Concert Stage

235 Queens Quay W.
Toronto, ON, M5J 2G8

Keywords Free EventMusicPerformance