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Welcome to Grenada Day

BY MICHAEL THOMAS

After a three-year setback, Grenada Day is back, and all cards are on the table musically, culturally, and culinarily. As a Grenadian, I know what to expect when the music, culture, and food of my native Island is being showcased to the world, and so it was with much anticipation that I attended this event.

I was pleasantly surprised with the growing crowd at Grenada Day. The weather started a bit gloomy but evened out quite nicely and as they say, the rest was history.

Come and let me take you there.

Almost everyone in attendance was wearing something that had the colors of the Grenadian flag, which are red, green, and yellow. As is accustomed, the day kicked off with the diplomats and dignitaries, including Miss Jean Augustine, being recognized for their hard work and presence too.

The carnival side of Grenada was extremely well represented. “Shortknee” which is one of the oldest forms of Mas on the island was showcased with all the original trappings including the powder.

If you had been to Grenada for Carnival, played Mas in a Shortknee band, and were not given the powder bath, then you were not there.

In the culinary department, Grenada has never disappointed and on Saturday it was no different, from Sorrel, and ginger beer to Tanya-porridge and the national dish which is called “Oil Down” were present and enjoyed by those who were interested.

Now let’s go back to the dress code which as I said earlier was in full effect, so much so that even non-Grenadians were wearing the flag-representing clothing.

One of the highlights of Grenada Day is the “Best Dressed Competition” and this year 91-year-old Miss Rita Samuel walked away with the prize. Speaking of prizes, I have never seen so many at one event. The child winner was Lon’dyn and Shadow was the child runner up, all receiving prizes.

We touched on the Mas culture, and the food, and now follow me as I take you to the entertainment part of Grenada Day 2023.

The Master of Ceremony was none other than Mr. Elimus Gilbert himself aka Inspector. Specky as he is fondly called was witty, he kept the crowd on their toes by cracking real Grenadian jokes while performing his hits too.

I spoke with Specky who is a regular to Grenada Day, and he told me, “I have performed at Grenada Day in Toronto around five times,”

Gilbert said it was always a pleasure performing at Grenada Day. He told me his idol as a child was the great Michael Jackson, now this explains a lot of his stage presence. “Because of my style I do not need to have a “hit” at the moment to get work,” he said.

Kenny Calliste aka “Kenny C” did a great job performance-wise. A very versatile artiste, he showed his audience that besides Calypso and Soca, he is a master of Reggae as well.

Like Specky, Calliste has also been on the stage at Grenada Day many times. “Performing on Grenada Day means a lot to me,” he told me, “Coming from Grenada it means I get to showcase my talent and Grenada as a whole.”

I also spoke to Mr. Christopher Antione aka Squeezie, one of the veterans of Calypso in the Spice Isle. Squeezie has stood the test of time and is still a giant in the business.

“To me, performing at Grenada Day is a way of letting the people know that I am well and alive and ready to let them feel the way they used to feel about me again,” Squeezie said.

I must say that Squeezie kept his word. Hats off to all the entertainers at Grenada Day.

Sometimes we see a great event, but never see the person or people behind the scenes.

Miss Maria Meyers and her crew are such people. I spoke to Maria who is the President of Grenada Day in Toronto. Here is what she had to say.

“Grenada Carriacou and Petite Martinique, not just Grenada, is a day filled with the promotion of culture and heritage. It is also used as a form of reconnecting with people that you have not seen for so long, and this year I did not realize the anticipation to be so large.” Meyers told me.

Meyers would like to thank all who participated, including volunteers and sponsors immensely.

If you are a Grenadian and need to see another Grenadian or someone that you have not seen in years, then visit Grenada Day. What more can I say? Case closed.

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Written By

In his new role as a reporter and Journalist, Michael can he be described in two words: brilliant, and relentless. Michael Thomas aka Redman was born in Grenada, and at an early age realized his love for music. He began his musical journey as a reggae performer with the street DJs and selectors. After he moved to Toronto in 1989, he started singing with the calypso tents, and in 2008, and 2009 he won the People’s Choice Award and the coveted title of Calypso Monarch. He has taken this same passion, and has begun to focus his attention on doing working within the community.

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