He(art) and Soul Pre-Caribana Cocktail Party

While clubs, fetes and parties all over the Greater Toronto Area were beginning to reach capacity with the thousands of people celebrating this year’s Caribana festival, North Soul Entertainment and PEACH (Promoting Education And Community Health) collaborated to host a different type of event, one for the heart and soul.
As opposed to hitting up nightlife and crowded events during Caribana time, a mature crowd made it out to Foundery on the eve of the grand parade to take in some art, music, food and drinks at the He(art) & Soul Pre-Caribana Cocktail Party, for a good cause. Part of the event’s proceeds went to PEACH to help fund its “School Away From School” program, which provides educational aid to youth in the Jane-Finch community through various initiatives.

A captivating gallery of photographs by portrait painter and all-around artist Ilene Sova, hangs on the walls of the venue that includes historical documents such as a slave registry with one of her family member’s signature, photos dating back generations and art pieces which are meaningful and mesmerizing. DJ LaZe spins the tracks as guests mingle and enjoy a jerk or stew chicken meal, while testing drinks off the cocktail menu, including Bahama Mamas and Cuba Libre.

Mikhe’al Ben-Moodie, a tutor/mentor of the “School Away From School” PEACH program says that an event like He(art) & Soul is important to bridge the gap between communities to work together for an important purpose, especially around a time like Caribana, an event the mainstream media seems to give such negative exposure to, often associating it with a potential link to violence. As different as art and social work are, he explains, combined, they can impact a greater amount of people.
“[The motive of the night is] to get people from one community, like people who are in the art scene, and people who work in a priority neighbourhood and say, ‘Hey, [we’re] both trying to address needs, this would be a unique marriage, a beautiful partnership for this,’ and we should get to know one another, so we’re not just working individually, that we’re working collectively,” says Ben-Moodie.

Byron Armstrong, promoter for North Soul Entertainment, is also unhappy with the negative stereotypes of Caribana and the fear that the media instills into the public about violence at the festival, so hosting an event which contrasts this negativity is indeed giving back to the Caribbean community, as well as the communities that PEACH provides resources for, he explains.
“I’m just a guy who said that I would like to give back to my community,” says Armstrong. “And if I can support this organization and the people behind it, then that’s great.”