The streets of Montreal’s Chinatown was alive with the sound of drumming last Saturday (May 13), as the second annual Drum for Unity event took place at Sun Yat-Sen Park, as part of the inaugural edition of the Montreal Chinatown Multi-cultural Festival, which was held during Asian Heritage Month.
The festival was organized by the dynamic community leader Jimmy Chan, as a means of bringing people together from different cultures in an afternoon filled with drumming, dancing and singing, as well as supporting the many merchants that are part of the Chinatown way of life.
“This is something that I wanted to do all my life. And I promise there will be more festivals like this one in the future,” Mr. Chan told the crowd who gathered at this popular public square. The program started with the longtime Chinese tradition of the lion dance, which not only welcomes people, but brings them many blessings. There were also musical and dance performances from representatives of the Indian, French Caribbean, Chinese and Mauritius communities. One of the highlights was a mass five-minute drumming jam session to promote unity, diversity and inclusiveness.
There were a number of VIPs present from all three levels of government and several of Montreal’s cultural communities, including Jim Beis, Stephanie Valenzuela, Sonny Moroz and Marvin Rotrand.
Nalini Malani’s Crossing Borders at Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Nalini Malani, one of India’s most popular artist/activists, and pioneer of video art in her native country, now has a new solo exhibition that for the first time in Canada, showcases more than 50 years of her best works that have tackled many relevant issues such as social inequalities and violence, and as well giving a much-needed voice to those who are subjugated, marginalized and oppressed, especially women. Called Crossing Borders, it is now on display at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts until August 20. One of the features of the exhibition is the continual drawing of Malani’s wall mural City of Desires, which will be handled by two Montreal-based artists Irimia & Dickie. At the conclusion of the exhibition, the mural will be erased in a performance that will be done in a flash mob style and directed by Malani herself. For more information, go to www.mbam.qc.ca.
Pointe-a-Calliere Museum in Old Montreal – Egypt: Three Millenia on the Nile
Fans of archaeology and ancient civilizations will certainly will want to catch the latest exhibition at the Pointe-a-Calliere Museum in Old Montreal called Egypt: Three Millenia on the Nile, which is now at the museum until October 15.
The spirits of ancient Egypt will fill the halls of the museum, as 3000 years of Egyptian history comes alive in this immersive exhibition. With more than 320 objects on display – courtesy of the Museo Egizio in Turin, Italy, which boasts one of the largest collections in the world – visitors will discover what life in ancient Egypt was all about that goes beyond the world of the pharaohs. It focuses on the everyday life of its citizens, many of whom were rural-based people with good-natured customs and strong traditions. It will also focus on the unique relationship between the Egyptian people and animals in their daily lives, as well as how living with a sense of justice, harmony, order and balance were essential towards creating a life worth living and understanding the universe much better. For more information, or to purchase tickets, go to www.pacmusee.qc.ca.
Other articles from mtltimes.ca – totimes.ca – otttimes.ca
