The Canadian Indo-Caribbean Festival presents Chutney Fest 2019

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

On Saturday, July 27^th, 2019, the city of Brampton, Ontario will have the opportunity to experience Chutney Fest, Brampton’s largest festival celebrating the Indo-Caribbean culture and heritage. Since 2014, Chutney Fest has attracted up to 2,500 visitors each year from all parts of Ontario and Canada, and has even attracted visitors from the United States, and parts of the Caribbean. There is a reason for the popularity of Chutney music, and in order to understand how this genre of music has had such an impact on people of the Indo-Caribbean community, let us take a look at its illustrious history.

Chutney music is a form of music that is indigenous to the southern Caribbean, and is extremely popular in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, Fiji, Mauritius, and South Africa. It is a mixture of Bhojpuri music (music from India), with strong influences from traditional Calypso, Soca and Bollywood. Chutney music emerged prominently in the mid-20^th century and reached a peak of popularity during the 1980s. At first, it was very religious in nature and was typically sung by female singers, but as time progressed, males began to appear more and more, until finally they began to dominate the scene. Now, there are not many places you will go in the Indo-Caribbean community where you will not see the influence of Chutney music and the joy that it brings.

Chutney Fest is possible because of a group of dedicated community members who are focused on promoting the Indo-Caribbean heritage and culture with the city of Toronto and the world. The Canadian Indo-Caribbean Festival is an organization headed up by Stephen Nanan, along with a team including: Celine Nanan (Director), Kiran Dindial (Director), Kamela Singh (Officer), Geeta Nanan (Officer), Shiva Mahabir (Officer), Jason Ramkissoon (Officer) and Vijai Ramdath (Officer). They continue to contribute toward the development of programs and events promoting artists, hosting workshops, and showcasing the talent and wonderful culture of the Indo-Caribbean community. President Stephen Nanan is a huge supporter of working with the community and especially with the youth. His joy comes from the promotion and showcasing of the talent that is found in the Indo-Caribbean community, and this is why Chutney Fest has become one of his grandest projects.

So, what do we have to look forward to this year you ask? This year the festival takes place at the Brampton Fairgrounds, which is found at 12942 Heartlake Rd. It includes a stellar line up of reputable and up and coming Chutney Soca artists, performers and talent. The emcees for the night are Stephanie, Jamal, Dj Angel, Vashti, and Ben, who will be creating an inviting atmosphere for those who not so familiar with Chutney music, and for those who are ready to dance the night away.

For those who are unfamiliar with how to dance to Chutney, you can learn from the dance performances put on by: The Footstep Dancer, Divinity Dancers, Deewani Dance Crew, Trio Girls West Indian Fusion, Melissa Marie Hailey Mohan, Ind Dance, and Aleena Diana Boodrum. You can then practice your newly learned Chutney dance moves to musical performances by: New Image, GTA United, Toronto All Stars, Wildfire Pan, Panman Rudy, The Band Destiny, Neil Surujdeo, and DJ Mike. By that point in the night, you will have learned some dance moves; listened to the latest Chutney music, and now you get to take in Toronto’s Own Chutney Competition Contestants. This year the hopeful contestants are: Masta Mike, Mala, Randy, Jameer, Shiva, Shane, Kishen, and Palo. Finally, the icing on top of the cake will be the live headline performances by some of the most popular Chutney artists including: Reshma Remlal, Dubraj, Omardath Maharaj, Rajesh, and Nigel Cobin.

The Canadian Indo-Caribbean Festival team are thankful to their supporters, especially the City of Brampton who has been a key supporter of the event for several years. Some of the other sponsors you can look out for on July 27^th are: Centrum Sr Mortgage Services, Half Watt Temporary Power, Century 21 (Nigel Mohan), Airway CPAP, Corporate Rent-a-Car, Coverall Industrial Supplies, Masala TV, Accutec, Canada Ice, Carib Premium Lager, Kia of Brampton, and iPro Realty (Muneeb Ahmed Sued).

It will definitely be a night to remember; for more information you can check them out on Facebook at Toronto Chutney Fest 2019, or on their website at http://chutneyfest.com/