|
|
Worldfest Comes to Toronto
Inaugural Festival Celebrates City's Multiculturalism
By Benedetta Lamanna
Originally Published: 2007-08-26
From tasty treats to mesmerizing music, Worldfest 2007 was a cornucopia of Toronto’s many cultures.
The first annual festival took place this past Aug. 17 to 19 as part of the Canadian National Exhibition’s opening weekend and aimed to showcase the city’s unparalleled diversity.
Each culture that was featured was represented by a pavilion-style geographical zone that had no borders, emphasizing the desire to capture the essence of each culture’s unique traditions in an inclusive atmosphere that was open to all.
"Our thinking was to highlight Toronto’s communities all under one roof," states Fred Lamberti, chairman of Worldfest 2007. "We had phenomenal foods. The event was jam-packed with entertainment. The public response was quite good; we had a few thousand people come out. It really was a cross-reference of the communities found in Toronto," continues Lamberti, who added that the event provided cultures that aren’t always showcased the opportunity to share their customs with the larger community.
Pavilions celebrated the customs of such countries as Chile, Egypt, Jamaica, the Philippines, Cyprus, the Republic of Congo and Hawaii. Each pavilion featured traditional foods, shopping bazaars as well as performers, including musicians, folkloric dancers, singers and acrobats, which helped to create a genuine portal into each of these communities.
"We're a new country and so we wanted people to learn about our culture," said Jean-Michel Itoua, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Congo. "We had clothes on display and information about our country's resources, such as minerals. People were interested about Congo; many don't know a lot about Africa. They were curious to know about our culture."
Highlights of the event included a 30-member choir from Jamaica, a Chinese marching band, and Cuban jazz fusion performers.
"We really wanted this event to be authentic," explains Lamberti. "We wanted to have different cultures sharing their particular customs. And this was authenticated by the presence of different consulates." Various consulates were on hand to provide information regarding their respective countries, such as their customs and history.
Worldfest also featured carnival entertainment and rides and included The World’s Largest Fruit Bowl on Aug. 18, an initiative that featured produce from Ontario’s Green Belt.
"The vibes were very positive," reflects Lamberti, who is looking forward to Worldfest 2008. "It was a terrific start to a long-term relationship with Worldfest and its participants, who are all eager to come back again next year. It was a tremendous success, and we hope that next year will be bigger and better."
|
|
|
