Nestled in a quiet strip plaza on Dixie Road in Mississauga, Ontario, the popular eatery, Sydney's Island Restaurant now serves up more than just Caribbean cuisine. With the recent launch of Live on Stage, a new bi-monthly showcase of local entertainers, the west side of the city is becoming a musical escape zone from the regular hustle of Toronto's downtown core.
On January 26th, the first event, "Roots. Rock. Reggae," delivered just that, blending an eclectic mix of musical styles. The talents of Juno-nominated Scottish Canadian roots-reggae artist, Jason Wilson, and soft rock band, In Altum, added a distinct flavour in an environment fully equipped for true stage performers.
Incorporated with the smooth reggae-soul vibe of Montreal-born, Singer, Songwriter, and Musician Tréson, backed by the highly accomplished band, Ibadan, one could easily reminisce back to the days when the old Bamboo on Queen Street West would fill that niche.
Tréson, born Trevor Alman, is a co-creator of the event. He has been generating international buzz since the release of his 2006 singles, 'Jen-Ee-Rocka' (Dubmatix Remix), 'Moments', and 'Dirt, Dust and Sand' all received global airplay. "Coming from the reggae aspect, my template is from Bob (Marley) days--real music dealing with social issues. I write music that can relate to more than one culture, so I want to promote quality music for all cultures.”
Teaming up with Toronto-based Spoken Word Artist Al St. Louis was something that just had to be done, because as Tréson notes, “he’s at the top of his game.” No stranger to producing live shows, St. Louis has been performing across the country at various events over the past eight years. His company, When Words Are Spoken, has provided a platform for himself and other artists to grow and establish themselves through live performances.
St. Louis, whose roots are from Grenada, hosted this event while strategically throwing in a few spoken word pieces throughout the show.
"We feel that there is a lot of great talent in the city. We want to exploit that and give exposure to the various talented individuals to help build Sydney's Island," notes St. Louis. "We're opening the stage to all forms of artistic expression, poetry and musicians."
Over the next year, Live on Stage will promote a different theme for each show with plans to incorporate latin soca, an international artist open mic as well as a continuous blend of various sounds. The shows will be recorded on video to be later edited and distributed for sale.
Tréson emphasizes, “Opportunities are here. Canada is relatively undiscovered. The modern artist has to be committed and independent at the same time."
The next Live on Stage showcase titled, "The Love of Music," takes place on Saturday, March 29 at 9:00pm. Artists performing will include: Noni, Christopher Charles, Toni Anderson, Tréson and Al St. Louis. Comedian Jay Martin will host the show.
Dinner is available and $15 Advance tickets will be on sale the first week of March by calling 416 629 4079 or pay $25 at the door.
For more information you can visit:
http://www.sydneysisland.com/; http://www.myspace.com/tresonmusic and http://www.whenwordsarespoken.com/.
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