Music, dance on display at multicultural festival
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.00 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.00 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/01/2020 (2179 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Musical talents from around the world were on full display on Friday evening — the second day of the Westman Multicultural Festival.
At the Ukrainian pavilion, the band Ukie Fusion started off the night with their blend of traditional Ukrainian music.
Zenon Horobec, 14, who plays the violin along with Dan Kozak on the accordion and Rylan Murray on the guitar, described the music as “fast, hard-driving polka music.” Horobec stomps his foot to keep the rhythm, almost wearing out the soles of his shoes.
Horobec, who is from the Vita area, said he plays the traditional music to keep the genre alive with younger generations.
“I revive music from the pioneers, or the masters,” he said. “I’m proud of who I am. I’m the only kid in the school who can do this.”
“Not many 14-year-olds do this,” said Gail Horobec, Zenon’s mom. “So it’s not really the norm. There’s a lot of older generation that are doing the tunes, but you don’t see many young people doing it.”
Zenon said the fact that he is keeping the music alive keeps him going and continuing to practice.
Ukrainian pavilion chairman Ray Kozak said it’s events like the festival that help keep the culture and music of people’s heritage alive in Westman.
“As time goes on I think the younger generation is changing from what it was. We’re still proud to be Ukrainians, but thing are changing — times are changing and we want to keep the traditions. It’s all about traditions, that’s what we’ve got to keep going,” he said.
“That’s why you’ll see little four year olds dancing, all the way up to 60 year olds.”
The Ukrainian pavilion is open at 1133 Stickney Ave. from 1 p.m. on Saturday until 1 a.m. on Sunday.
The mood was similarly festive at the Jamaican pavilion, at Prairie Oasis. Lenya Wilks and the Wailers filled the room with reggae music.
A brand new dance group, called the Sunshine Kids, had their first performance at the pavilion on Friday. Tashiba Johnson-Henlon, who helped organize the group, said all the kids in the dance group were born in Jamaica.
Reggae dance is not as well known as reggae music, but Johnson-Henlon said it can be as simple as rocking to the beat of the music.
“It’s a great form of expression for the Jamaican community,” she said. “We dance when we’re happy, we dance when we’re sad and it’s a great way for us to showcase our culture. I remember when I was a child my mom put on the beat music and we start to dance — it’s just a way to express yourself.”
This marks the second year the Jamaican pavilion has been part of the festival. Emelio Brown, president of Westman Jamaican Community Inc., said the increased visibility of Brandon’s Jamaican community has meant more Jamaican foods on the shelves of local grocery stores since last year. At Walmart and Sobeys, Brown said he now sees bottles of jerk sauce and ackee, the Jamaican national fruit.
“It’s a multicultural city and we feel at home here, we love where we live, that’s the one thing that we want to put out there: we want to be part of this community,” he said.
“It’s not a one-way street for us, we want to integrate and make this as comfortable as possible. … People get homesick the most as a result of not having access to the right food — that’s a big change I’m seeing so far.”
The Jamaican pavilion is open from 2 p.m. until midnight today.
The Westman Multicultural festival also features pavilions from El Salvador, England, India, Mauritius, the Métic, Mexico, Philippines and Scotland.
» dmay@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @DrewMay_
SATURDAY SCHEDULE
El Salvadoran Pavilion— North End Community Centre
1 p.m. – 11 p.m.
English Pavilion— Grand Salon at the Victoria Inn
1 p.m. – 1 a.m.
India Pavilion— Dome Building
3 p.m. – 12 a.m.
Metis Pavilion — Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium
1 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Mauritian Pavilion — Central United Church
1 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Jamaican Pavilion — Prairie Oasis
2 p.m. – 12 a.m.
Mexican Pavilion — Brandon Shrine Club
1 p.m. – 1 a.m.
Philippine Pavilion — Clarion Hotel & Suites
1 p.m. – 12 p.m.
Scottish Pavilion — Imperial Ballroom at the Victoria Inn
1 p.m. – 12 a.m.
Ukrainian Pavilion — Ukrainian National Hall
1 p.m. – 1 a.m.