Classic Man

Patrick Parson – Utilizing the language of dance to unite

Published

6 months ago

October 23, 2023

BU SIMONE J. SMITH

It has been about 40 years since the powers that be at the Royal Ballet suggested that having a Black swan in a corps de ballet of White dancers would be a distraction. It has been 16 years since Carlos Acosta became the first Black Romeo there, going on to redefine every prince in the classical canon. Yes, things have improved: in 2020 the Royal Ballet had three mixed-race principals, and many more dancers of colour pushing up through its ranks.

Let’s be real; ballet has a lily-White reputation, and there are many factors that contribute to ballet’s lack of diversity: economic inequality—ballet training is notoriously expensive; a lack of role models for aspiring dancers to emulate; a failure on the part of schools and companies to provide support for young dancers of colour, and there is another factor to be accepted: many believe a thread of racism still runs through the ballet world.

“Harmony in Diversity Creates a New Positive Energy.”

This is the mantra of our powerful, and prolific Classic Man Patrick Parson, the founder of Ballet Creole. Ballet Creole exists to create, preserve, and present dance works that testify to the rich heritage of African and Caribbean cultures as they interface with European traditions. Ballet Creole continues to preserve and perpetuate traditional and contemporary African culture, increasing awareness of the rich African culture that exists in Canada. The dance company has helped to promote multicultural understanding through education and quality entertainment, which is then shared to national and international audiences.

In a 2014 article, Patrick breaks down this specific art form: “When you really look at creole in the Caribbean, it’s the philosophy of languages coming together: French, English, Spanish, native Indian. My work is a creolization of forms: the different languages of dance that come together to unite.”

Critics have hailed his work time and time again, noting its “supreme athleticism” and “strong” and “sophisticated” choreography. I went to see his latest production “Soulful Messiah – 20^th Anniversary on December 17^th, and 18^th, at York University, and I was blown away by the performance. It was actually the first ballet that I have ever gone to, and I shared this with Patrick when we chatted last week. During our time, he generously shared: his life, his work, and his passion for dance.

“I was born and raised in Trinidad. People knew my family, but in the village, everyone knew everyone. People loved and respected my grandmother. She was a special person. She lived to be 104 and was such a gentle lady. She was beautifully social and mindful. She would not kill an ant, or even a spider.

People used to tell me how polite and well-dressed I was. This was my parent’s doing. Life was: church, school, and being a kid: playing in the street until 8:00 pm, and watching Tarzan, Lost in Space.”

His introduction to the creative space was due to his two grandmothers. They were both singers. His father’s mother was in a parang group (French, African Music brought over by Venezuelans), and his dad was also in the group.

“They would go from house to house, and from village to village. They moved around a lot. I was always an onlooker. I was quiet in my younger years, but when my mother started to get into dancing (entertainment for tourists) she would dance at nightclubs, and I would come along. She did bottle dancing, calypso, as well as bamboo dance. To me, she is the unofficial limbo queen of Trinidad. She was amazing; she would limbo under fire, just incredible.”

He went to an all-boys school, and while there, he got involved in cultural competitions.

“I created an all-boys group to enter the competition. I was 12 years old when I was invited to Beryl McBernie’s home. She was the official pioneer of cultural dance in Trinidad and Tobago. I know that I was influenced by all of that.

When I was in high school, I put a group of musicians together. When looking back at it, my love for dance was a natural progression.

I began teaching dancing and drumming; even at that time, I didn’t see it as a career for me, but in my late teens, I started to do more of it. I started dancing for the Astor Johnson Repertory Dance Theatre, and that is when I realized that dance was significant in my life. We performed in: Mexico, Atlanta, Tennessee. This all started in 1984.

I saw dance outside of Trinidad; when we went out, we would see different shows. This opened my eyes to the world of dance. Other people wanted to be doctors and lawyers, but I wanted to dance.”

In 1978, 1979, he began to look at where he wanted to take his dance career. One of his friends told him about the School of Toronto Dance Theatre.

“I came to audition, and they gave me a scholarship. Everything seemed to fall into place. I took the opportunity to come and study dance in 1988. My grandmother told me that when I came to Canada, I would be very successful. My plan was not to stay: I was only supposed to come for three years, but life had other plans for me.

In my graduating year from the Toronto Dance Theatre, I created Ballet Creole, after a visit to Folklore Rama in Winnipeg. That was the beginning, beginning of Ballet Creole. White people dominated dance in Canada at the time, and when I came to Canada multiculturalism was a buzzword.

Thankfully there were organizations that supported my dream, Harbourfront being one of them. There were a lot of cultural festivals happening at that time. We were put in the Harbourfront Summer Program, and this helped to launch us. I remember coming out on stage and seeing a large crowd. These are the moments that pushed me forward and kept me focused.”

There is one sore spot that Patrick identified during our talk; there is not a lot of support for the arts, and you need community support and philanthropist support.

“When I started out Ballet Creole, I asked a newspaper to do a report, and the person said, ‘Groups like this die out quickly. Years later, we are still here. We were the first African-Caribbean dance company with a: full time staff, building, administrative staff, a board, and an artistic staff. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre is a Black dance company in New York, and people refer to us as the Canadian version of Alvin Ailey.

What you saw with Soulful Messiah was the rebuilding of Ballet Creole. I have this passion that will not go away. My journey is not done yet. I am a professor at York teaching dance. I want all cultures to understand our culture; it is one great way of spreading peace around the world.”

Classic Man

Coopz – Manifesting the life of his dreams one photo at a time

Published

5 months ago

November 30, 2023

Selina McCallum

BY SELINA MCCALLUM

In the fall of 2022, extremely talented photographer, Bradley Fenton, also known as Coopz, told his brother Brandon that before the end of the year he was going to go on tour with an artist to take photos. The opportunity wasn’t being offered yet, but he was speaking it into existence.

Coopz is a Toronto-based photographer who grew up in Mississauga. He’s shot at music festivals in the states and in Toronto for a few years. Some of the trailblazing international artists he has photos of are: Coi Leray, Burna Boy, A Boogie with a Hoodie, and Shenseea. He has also taken photos of local trailblazers including DJ Rosegold, WondaGurl, Pressa, and Savannah Re. One of the first photos on his Instagram is of the infamous producer, DJ Khaled, which he took in Miami in 2017.

Coopz recalls when he was asked to go on tour in America with Toronto superstars, Leila Dey and Jessie Reyez for the month of November.

“I got invited to shoot the celebrity basketball game that happened in Toronto in October last year. I was doing all the headshots for all the local celebrities that were invited. I saw Leila Dey’s manager. He came up to me, and said he wanted to talk to me after. I was wondering what was going on. And he’s like, yeah, Leila is about to go on tour, and we want you to come with us and be our photographer and videographer.”

The Mississauga photographer couldn’t believe it.

“Same day I called my brother. I’m like, yo! You’ll never believe what just happened. I just got asked to go on tour. So, I was really excited. I was wandering around. It was unbelievable.”

The Mississauga native has been taking photos since he was in grade nine. He also has a sharp business and creative mind.

“I went to a Catholic school; we had civvies day, days where you get to dress up in your actual clothes. I brought a point and shoot camera to school, and I started taking photos with everyone. They loved them and wanted to post on their Facebook — back then there was no Instagram.

For Christmas that year, my parents bought me my first DSLR camera, and ever since then I’ve been shooting with that Canon T3. I started taking photos every single day for people and started charging them $10. So, I was doing that in grade nine: shooting, making money, and already making a name for myself back in high school.”

Once Coopz was older, he started to do a lot of club photography, which is what helped him master how to use a flash. However, he didn’t want to be seen as just the club photographer.

“I wanted to get out of being a club photographer, because I felt like that hindered me a lot. When people see you as a photographer, in my opinion, I feel like they only want to book you for club stuff. I obviously wanted to branch out and do more things: personal photography and flying, traveling to different cities to shoot people.”

To overcome this, he decided to rebrand himself.

“I started going and shooting more celebrities in LA and Miami, and being like their personal photographer and eventually I started making a name for myself. I started doing hosting’s, so people will come out and party with me. It wouldn’t be me taking photos in the club, it would be me networking and bringing people with me to the club and doing different events. I just built up my own brand and my own name, where it just holds a different type of weight.”

Coopz name definitely holds a different type of weight as he has travelled across America with the incredibly talented and beautiful R&B singer Leila Dey from Toronto, who was opening up for headliner and superstar from Toronto, Jessie Reyez. It is never a dull moment while on tour as the photographer is always working.

“You don’t have to worry about anything else. You have to worry about making sure Leila looks good. With the photos, get her constant photos, constant videos. You just know what your job is. It’s just constant non-stop. It’s just capturing the moments at the right time.”

Coopz also mentioned that being on tour with Jessie’s team felt like being on the road with one big family.

This year, the talented photographer has jumped into real estate and is being mentored by his brother.

“I just got my first property. That is what I’m going to be doing with my brother. He is going to be helping me buy and sell properties. I’m the youngest of four brothers, and all my brothers are heavily business minded people. I always have someone to look up to and ask questions to keep me learning.”

When he’s not learning something new, he’s manifesting the next huge tour he’ll go on. Some of the artists he’d love to go on tour with are Jack Harlow, Kehlani, Lil Baby, Chris Brown, GloRilla, 50 Cent or Ice Spice.

“I love the touring experience, so I’m itching to go back again,” said Coopz.

Coopz also wanted to thank a good friend of his who has helped him for a long time.

“Shout out to DJ Rosegold because she has been helping me for a while, and always bringing me out and connecting me with people too.”

Classic Man

Michael “Mobbin101” McCrary He is a Man of Business because it is Necessary

Published

5 months ago

November 30, 2023

Simone Smith

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“I know you were always going to be gangsta, but it doesn’t mean you can’t be a smart gangsta.”

This is what he was told at a young age. He had already experienced life in a way that many young African American men from East Palo Alto California had experienced. Known as the murder capital of the world, East Palo Alto California is home to one of the fastest, most irresistible sounds in Hip Hop. Even though he has faced challenges that some of us could not imagine, he has remained diligent, and has even taken it there by making his music known here in Canada.

Entrepreneur and Major Recording Artist Michael “Mobbin101” McCrary has become a shining star in the world of Hip-Hop. His work illuminates a vintage Hip-Hop sound that most new artists never master. He has an innate ability to intrinsically connect to a person’s: desires, passion, and fear and then magically translate these feelings into words that everyone can relate to.

Heavily inspired by: Nipsey Hussle, GCarter1300, Shill Macc, Bunk Ladden, and Shady Nate, you know when he comes up in the spot, he is not to be played with. What some people don’t know is that what makes Mobbin an unconventional Hip-Hop artist is the fact that he is also a professional football player. His hard work and diversified portfolio have made his name one of the hottest in his region.

2021 was “The Year of The Mob!” He released: “Mobbin’ 2.0,” “Diamonds On My Neck,” “Wrist” ft. BounceBack Meek and Nelly Starr, “2PM In Tulum” all turned out to be summer bangers.

He illustrates a grit and finesse that you will only find in the streets, and there was something about his voice and distinctive tone that spoke to me when I listened to his music. His multi-diverse catalogue narrates the intricacies and complexities of hustling, drug dealing, survival, street politics, and of course entrepreneurship. What makes our Classic Man this week epic, is his ability to tell a story, and what a story it is.

Of course, I had to reach out to Mobbin and have him share his storytelling with me.

“Mobbin101; what is that an acronym for,” I inquired?

“Man of Business because it is Necessary,” Mobbin tells me with a smile. “And 101 is the highway we reside off. I want men out there to Mob! Be Men of Business.”

“There is a lot about you online, but I haven’t had a chance to hear your story.”

“Well, I was born in Pensacola Florida. I am Haitian/Italian and Irish! I was raised in the California Bay Area! I was only born in Florida because my mom happened to be there on vacation.

My early life was not easy: when the crack era hit, it was real. Now that was a pandemic. Unfortunately, my mother was a drug addict, and my dad sold drugs. Like any addiction it was a disease, so my grandmother (on my dad’s side) raised me. Till this day I refer to my grandmother as my mom. My mom is still alive, and I love her, but she was not able to care for me. My dad and I come off as siblings, because the same woman raised us, plus I was always with my dad.”

Mobbin told me that his grades were always up to par; doing nothing was not an option in his grandmother’s house. In school he was recognized as an athlete; basketball was his first love, and then football became his love.

“I played football my whole life. I have relatives in the NFL, and the sport has always been very instrumental in my life. If it weren’t for football, I wouldn’t have graduated high school. I didn’t go on to college football right away.

I went to a few high schools and a few junior colleges. I graduated from Ceaser Chavez High School and graduated from West Valley College. I transferred to Withworth University in Spokane. It was a division three college, and also a Christian University. I will tell you this, going there was a complete culture shock for me. It was rural, and I am a city man, but I stuck it out.

I played pro-ball in Budapest, Mexico, and in South Carolina. I had to take a brief respite due to the pandemic, and during that time I started to pay more attention to music. Just like football, music is in the family.

I am a driven individual, and once I say something I am going to do it. People will hold your words and non-action against you. The original plan was to drop five songs and be done with it. Now I am on 25 songs.”

Mobbin 2.0 was a remix to a song written about his friends. Most people know him by his first single, “2 Pm in Tulum.”

“Tulum is the premier destination in the world. I had just landed there, and I was messing around with the beat, and then I finalized the song.”

Mobbin is a young man with a very bright future. I wanted to know what he had planned for 2023.

“I am going back to football, and I am a realest; if I can get one more professional deal, I will be content. The good thing is that going back to football will help with the music. It opens me up to an untapped market, and that way, both of my talents will be recognized.”

I have to say, I am proud of this young man. He has shown that he is more than capable of rising above his struggles and maintaining a positive outlook. He could have given up a long time ago, but he was able to cultivate resilience and perseverance, and this has made him the dynamic force that he has become.

Go ahead young man; you have our support!

Classic Man

Reverend Dr.Gene Archer – Elevating community through spiritual and holistic education

Published

6 months ago

October 23, 2023

Paul Junor

BY PAUL JUNOR

As a spiritual leader at the Pilgrim Church of the First Born (PCOFB) for over forty years, Reverend Dr. Gene Archer has committed his life to pastoring his local congregation. He was born on September 14^th, 1952, in Jamaica, and after completing his primary and secondary education; he attended the Jamaica Theological Seminary in Kingston. He became a born-again Christian in July 1970 and after his immigration to Canada in the late 1970’s started PCOFB in Toronto in September 1977. The church will be celebrating its 47^th anniversary in 2023 in what will be a historic occasion.

Rev. Archer is a Bible teacher and was an instructor at the Mount Olivet Bible Institute and Seminary (MOBIS). His church is a member of COFB Jamaica founded by Dr. Bent. The church celebrated its 87^th anniversary in 2022. He is an ex officio member of the executive board of the Church of First Born Jamaica.

Reverend Archer continued his education in Canada, where he attended York University, Tyndale University and did doctoral work at Fuller Theological Seminary. He has spoken at: conferences, seminars, crusades, church anniversaries, church dedications, and varied church related events. He has a passion for teaching biblical trinitarian theology with a focus on Christology.

Rev. Archer’s hobbies include: reading, running, and learning about cellular health. He is interested in educating the community on the benefits of nutritional health. Although not a trained medical doctor, he is an avid reader and student of all aspects of: healthy eating, nutrition, and exercise.

Rev. Archer shares his wisdom on the Place for Wellness broadcast, which can be seen on Golive TV Channel. Golive TV advertises itself as the only multicultural IPTV that brings the community together. Over 2.7 million people have the ability to watch Golive TV, anytime, anywhere. It can be downloaded on the Google App store or you can get it on Google Play.

Rev. Archer discussed several topics which can be seen on Golive TV Channel at https://www.youtube.com on the following dates: August 4^th, September 22^nd, October 21^st, November 4^th, November 18^th, and December 2^nd. In a broadcast for PCOFB titled “Health Update” on May 17^th, 2020, he mentioned that, “Your health is not an expense, it’s an investment.” The broadcasts have two functions: dealing with the spiritual and the physical side of the whole person.

In the broadcast titled, “Spiritual Safety,” on August 4^th, Rev. Archer mentioned that God has given us the mucosal immune system, as the first line of defence in the body. It is an innate and adaptive (acquired) immune system. He talks about: social, relational and spiritual safety. He states, “What we crave is to be safe in relationships.” It is a place where we have a sense of belonging. It is said that the deep cry of every human heart is a cry for intimate belonging, where we feel safe to be as is.

In the broadcast on September 22^nd, titled, “The Body is Sacred,” he states, “True health is not about looking good only on the outside, but treating our bodies with the respect and care that they deserve, so they can function optimally for God’s honour and glory. What we eat, how much we sleep and the quality of it, how we think, how often we exercise all have effects on our body’s overall functionality.”

In the broadcast on November 4^th, he emphasized that, “The Place of Wholeness deals with the whole person, spirit, soul, and body.” His holistic approach has empowered his followers to take a look at how they treat the temple that God has given to them.

Over the years, Rev. Archer has promoted PureTrim’s natural health products. For him they are the safest, most effective and best on the market today. The health and wellness company offers wellness shakes, multivitamins and meal replacement bars based on principles of the Mediterranean diet. The 100% Plant-based, Vegan, Gluten-Free, and Dairy-Free products attract clients worldwide.

Dr. Archer hosts free weekly 30-minute health seminars on Zoom dealing with diverse health and related nutrition topics such as: diabetes, hypertension, weight loss, cardiovascular problem, immune health, and cancer.

On Thursday, November 30^th, 2022, he did a presentation on using the Synergy Defence to deal with the Immune System. He states, “70% of our immune system is in our gut. Gut health influences: brain health, liver health, hormone health, cardiovascular health, kidney health, and of course, immune system health.”

On Thursday, December 8^th, 2022, he presented on dealing with liver detox and health. He states, “Liver disease is on the rise at an alarming rate. Did you know there are over 100 liver diseases caused by a variety of factors? These factors include: viruses, toxins, genetics, alcohol, and unknown causes. Non-alcoholic fatty disease is the most common liver disease in Canada, affecting over seven million people. Liver cancer is now the fastest rising and deadliest forms of cancer in Canada.”

On Thursday, January 19^th, 2023, he did a presentation dealing with Cardio-9. He states, “The number one cause of death in North America is cardiovascular disease. It can be avoided, stopped, and reversed. Endothelial Dysfunction mainly causes it. The lining of the arteries is damaged because of a drastic fall off in nitric oxide production along with bad diet and eating habits.”