Fefe Dobson - BOSS MAGAZINE

Transcription

SUMMER 2014
WWW.BOSSMAG.BIZ
M a g a z i n e
juno
Nominated
Fefe Dobson
+5 women’s beauty tips for men
BOSSMAGAZINE1401 $3.95
hot runway
trends from
the bahamas
spotlight on
honey jam
CalmCoolCollected
Outside your life is crazy busy.
Inside, it’s a serene oasis.
You’re close to what’s important.
And far from what isn’t.
That’s why you chose a Greenwin
building.
M a g a z i n e
Happy buildings. Happy renters.
More than a slogan, it describes
your life.
Editor-In-Chief
Tamika Johnson
Fashion/Beauty
Fashion/Beauty Editor & Stylist Awena Abala
Fashion/Beauty Editor & Stylist Jayshawn Jones
Fashion/Beauty Editor & Stylist Tamika Johnson
Lead Fashion/Beauty Photographer Cyril ‘C.J.’ Cromwell Simmonds
Arts/Entertainment Kern Carter
Lifestyle editor Justina Opoku-Ware
Copy Editor Kern Carter
Graphic DesignerS Laura Metcalfe and Alan Joson
Sales & Marketing DIRECTOR Amina Yassin Omar
public relations & communications Idil Hassan
Mentors
Laura Metcalfe, Morris Beckford, Amina Yassin Omar
Features
Fefe Dobson, FAT, Honey Jam, QQ, Kim Kelly, Michie Mee, Francesco
Yates, Craig Strickland, Afro Chic, The Real Voice, Andrew Foster,
Yahaya Baruwa, Lyon
Contributing Photographers
Kevin K, Jessica Nguyen, Kern Carter, Perion Media, Ebony Rhoden, Cyril
‘C.J.’ Cromwell Simmons
Contributing Writers
Domonique Morris, Nicole Seck, Andrew Williams, Awena Abala, Lloyd
Opoku-Ware, Priya Ramunajam, Sick Kids Hospital, Adam Ali, Fiana
Andrews, Diandra Greaves, Black Creek Financial Action Network,
Justina Opoku-Ware, Patric Plesa, Mohammed Ali, Ameera Mohammed,
Afifa Mahboob
greenwin.ca
boss Contributors
The Boss Team would like to say a special thank you to all our contributors. We have been
blessed to find such individuals with creativity and determination, that fit so well with the
direction of Boss Magazine.
karina waldron
Makeup Artist
Karina Waldron is a Ottawa based freelance makeup artist as well as the creator of CurlsNlipStick.
She is selftaught and currently attending Ottawa academy in order to perfect her craft and to
become professionally certified. Karina pays much attention to details and insures that each
look is customized according to the clients needs. Makeup artistry is a passion to Karina and
she feels blessed to be able to use her skills to enhance any woman’s beauty.
summer 2014
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FAT: Fashion Art
Contents
Toronto
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nikasha bailey
Hair Stylist
Fashion
Nikasha brings fun, style, and class to every creation making her the stylist of choice. Nikasha
is a youthful trend-setter, that is known for her unique hair styles and gorgeous EXTENSIONS.
She shuns the cookie cutter approach for customized styles with her artistic vision and
impeccable attention to detail that brings out the best in every individual. Nikasha entered
the hair scene dedicated to making her brand of beauty available to everybody.
16 Cyril James John cromwell simmonds
18 Photographer
TOportfolio.com
20 Cyril James (a.k.a C.J.) has been engaged in multimedia work since 2004 when he founded
Praxis Unlimited and began creating affordable websites, graphics and videos for community
organizations and local businesses. Continuing to make practical use of his skills, he founded
TOportfolio.com in 2007 with a focus on photography and video. C.J. continues to shoot
professionally while training young media spe- cialists through the revitalized www.praxisU.
com initiative.
Writer
@ADAMwontLOSE
Adam Ali is the founder and Brand-Lead of iWontLose.com. He’s a certified fitness professional
and a community worker. He provides world-wide fitness and motivational related services online.
Adam@iwontlose.com. Boss Magazine welcomes Adam as a contributing writer to our Lifestyle
section.
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On the Cover
Fefe Dobson, wearing
hat by Brimz; shirt,
model’s own; makeup
by Danielle Holdmond,
hair by Nikasha Bailey.
30 32 Summer Trend Alert: Boss brings you top trends for this season fresh off the runway
Who Wore it Better? Celebrities sport the latest designer outfits but who wore it better?
Cover Story: Fefe Dobson Boss catches up with Toronto’s favourite rocker.
The Mystic Effect: Fashion Show 2014 the third annual “The Mystic Effect” fashion show was a great success and Boss got the exclusive
Designer Profile: Tanushree Pande Boss catches up
with Indian born Toronto designer Tanushree to learn more about her amazing brand Poplyn
Designer Profile: Jewel Smith Bahamian designer Jewel shows Boss some hot carribean designs fresh from the island of Bahamas
Fashion Arts Toronto: FAT profiles some of the hottest Torontonian fashion designers with runway shows that will keep you at the edge of your seats
SUMMER 2014 BOSS MAGAZINE
adam ali
Editor’s Letter Be sure to Check out Editor in Chief Tamika Johnson latest thoughts about this season’s trends and upcoming Torontonian talents
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Honey Jam 2014
Beauty
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Boss Beauty Must Haves Boss Editors show you some summer must haves
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Women’s Beauty Tips Men Should Adopt Men’s grooming is very important take a look at some tips that men should adopt
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Is it a date?
Dating Complications
Lifestyle
82
Olympic Hopeful Boss takes a glimpse into the life of Toronto’s very own Philip Osei and his quest as an Olympic hopeful
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Arts & Entertainment
60 62 64 66 68 72 74 80
Artist Profile: Andrew Forester Get a glimple into the world of OCAD grad and bluegrass lover, Andrew Forester
Artist Profile: Calleen Schaub Explore the possibilities through the art of Etobicoke’s own Calleen Schaub
Boss Was There Our Boss Team was out representing at Toronto events this season
Struggles of a Dreamer Reflect on the known and the unknown with author Yahaya Baruwa
Honey Jam 2014 Boss Magazine shares photos of the talented musicians who took the stage at this year’s all femaleshowcase
AfroChic: A Fashion Forward Affair The fifth installment of Afro Chic kicks it old school with an 80s and 90s theme
Spotlight on Toronto’s Thriving Young Music Scene Our A&E section profiles some of our favourite local artists, including LYON, QQ, The Real Voyce, Kim Kelly, Francesco Yates and Craig Strickland
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Boss Scholars Gabby Oduro and Priscilla Ware are this issue’s BOSS Scholars
Millenial Chronicles In this issue,feature the editor-in-
chief and co-founder of Urbanology Magazine
Preventing Child Obesity Doctors from Sick Kids Hospital provide some tips on how to prevent obesity in children
Less Seeking of Motivation, More Habit Forming Not feeling motivated? Adam Ali provides some ways to help develop good fitness habits
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BOSS Superhero: Mr. Ato Seitu Meet the artist who is facilitating change in his neighborhood through his art work
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ASE I Am Because We Are The Jane and Finch Boys and Girls Club hosted their Black History Month Event and Boss was there to capture every minute of it!
Harlem Restaurant Feeling for some good ol’ soul food? With two locations in Toronto, Harlem restaurant has exactly what you’re looking for!
10 Tips for Improvement as You Live Paycheque to Paycheque Black Creek Financial Action Network has some tips to help ease financial stress
BOSS MAGAZINE
The Ambiguity and Complications of Dating Confused if your last outing was a “date” or not? Fiana Andrews breaks it all down in this issue’s relationship article
What’s On Your iPod Our Boss team took to the streets to ask what songs are in heavy rotation on your playlist this season
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BOSS MAGAZINE
So there you have it - issue 7 of Boss - stay
tuned for many more exciting issues to come.
Have a safe summer.
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army camouflage
cutout swimsuits
men’s floral print
Boyfriend Jeans
Ladies rockin’ a lot of suits
this season - might as well
make it a bright colour.
Can’t get enough of men
in floral print. It’s a hit this
summer.
Whether it’s a leather skirt,
pant or shirt this trend is a
must have for summer!
Throwing in some white
and metallics will have you
looking clean and flashy
#atthesamedamntime.
Don’t for get to get a dose of the Boss Lifestyle,
read up on how to stay fit, emotionally available
and healthy for the summer.
This summer’s hottest trend
#littlewhitedress.
white & gold
Although we have ventured out of our Canadian
comfort zone we still bring you hot steaming
talent straight from the streets of our own city
Toronto. Please check out out entertainment
section featuring talents like Michie Mee,
Forester, Kim Kelly & much more.
Never leave the season
without a pair of white linen
pants.
little white dress
Check out our latest Instagram finds of latest
fashion trends. Our Bahamas fashion editorials
has a head spinning, island feel. Take a look you
can find runway looks as well as poolside looks
straight from the beautiful Bahamas.
Army fatigue has made a
comeback this summer - pair it
with just about anything!
Want to look amazing
poolside? Don’t leave home
without a cut out swimsuit.
leather
On the cover Boss brings you Toronto’s own Fefe
Dobson rocking out the front cover. Read on to
find out more about her journey to success.
Every girl must be taken this
summer - can’t be summer
ready witout your boyfriend
jeans.
white linen pants
Summer is here and what
better way to heat up
the season than with
a new issue of Boss
Magazine?
Hot
summer trends from instagram
women in suits
Letter
Editor’s
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From left to right: Awena Abala, Amina Yassin Omar, Morris Beckford,
Tamika Johnson, Kern Carter, Justina Opoku-Ware, Laura Metcalfe , Idil
Hassan, Jayshawn Jones
Photographer: DNA Photography
Location: ArtReach Toronto
BOSS MAGAZINE
Bosses of our own domain
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Boss Fashion
14
“People will stare. Make it worth
their while.”
- Harry Winston
So don’t caught off gaurd this
winter, check out Boss’ candid look
at this season’s fashions.
BOSS MAGAZINE FASHION
“Style is a way to say who you
are without having to speak”
Take a look at this season’s Boss Fashion
that will leave you speechless.
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summer trend alerts
bomber jackets
John Galliano S/S 2014
Balmain S/S 2014
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Christian Sariano S/S 2014
Yigal Azrouel S/S 2014
Phillip Lim S/S 2014
It just wouldn’t be spring without floral prints to rep the blossuming of the
season. Be flirty with florals and keep the flower power alive!John
Mathew Williamson
S/S 2014
Elie Saab S/S 2014
Alberta Ferretti S/S 2014
sheer
Giambasttista Valli
S/S 2014
Light and airy; translucence and sheer; all words that should be added to you vocabulary
since your sure to be seeing everywhere!
BCBG Max Azria S/S 2014
metallics
Saint Laurent S/S 2014
Alexander Wang S/S 2014
Oscar De La Renta S/S 2014
Metallics always know how to amp it up! Stay sleek and edgy with
shiny textures and iridescence fabrics
Haider Ackerman S/S 2014
Lanvin S/S 2014
Tom Ford S/S 2014
floral
Pop onto the scene with the latest
bomber jacket trend. Whether slouch
or sophisticated, turn any outfit into a
effortless cool look.
runway recap
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Jennifers curves hug this Tom Ford dress just right, and she paired it with a simple white stiletto
to draw eyes right to the dress!
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rita ora Vs ciara
Ciara wins this look by a long shot with her seude thigh high boots, it complimented this detailed
emilio pucci dress perfectly!
angela simmons Vs
rihanna
This one was a difficult one, but we have to give it to Angela. The contrast between the white skater skirt
and giuseppe boots looked so pretty and showed it off nicely!
lala anthony Vs
They both equally wore it bad, Better luck next time!
lindsay lohan
Who Wore It Better ?
Jennifer Lopez Vs Jourdann Dunn
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toronto’s Fefe
own
Dobson
Do you remember the Torontonian
baby-faced crooning rocker who
resented commitment through songs
like Bye Bye Boyfriend and Don’t Let It
Go To Your Head circa 2003? Back then,
Miss Fefe Dobson portrayed the girl
who’d chew you up, spit you out, and
sing about it right after, all the while
maintaining her innocent demeanour.
Now the soon-to-be Mrs - who in 2012
got engaged to the love of her life
rapper Yelawolf - is embracing tunes of
love, and most importantly, building a
legacy. Fefe and her beau collaborated
on the remix of her song Legacy where
she goes on to say that they “enjoy
working together and sharing each
other’s talents and ideas.” Dobson and
Yelawolf do plan to collaborate more
in the future. In the music video for
the original recording of Legacy, Fefe
dresses up as Marilyn Munroe, Kurt
Cobain, Amy Winehouse, and Michael
Jackson; the artists who have most
contributed to her emotional state.
“Every time I engulf myself in their
music or their craft I change a little bit
more”.
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“Don’t ever do anything for the wrong reasons: for the
fame, money, or attention. Whatever you choose to
do, do it because you love it, from the bottom of your
heart love it. “
To be truly successful and have
a reason to rejoice, one has to
understand the pain and tears that
come with hard work. For Dobson, her
vision of associating a song with the
Olympics came to pass through the
wonderful notion of attraction, the law
of attraction that is. Celebrate, a single
off the Firebird LP, became the theme
song for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
“I didn’t know how it would happen. I
wrote it down in my journal and I guess
I attracted it” she says.
The words are influential as well
as encouraging and expresses that
nothing in life comes easy especially
on that road to success, whatever that
During Fefe’s four
year
hiatus,
the
musical
transformation
from Miss to Mrs.
began as Fefe’s
sound
and
image
matured and allowed her
to feel differently. The new LP
to be released is called Firebird.
The same titled single is featured
on the show Black Box which
is about a bipolar neurologist
who is determined to solve the
mysteries of the brain while hiding
her condition. Mrs. Fefe explains
that the firebird represents the
Pheonix. “No negative human or
energy can pull it down.” In essence it
is about rebirth, change, and strength.
The In Better Hands singer exclaims
“I have changed…I sing about and
write about what I know and what I’m
dealing with. I’m in love and I found the
man I want to spend my life with, have
children with and get old with, so I
want to express that.”
Apart from being all over the
Olympics and on television,
Fefe began her Eastern Canada
Firebird Tour which turned out
to be awesome.
“My fans have been so far really
receptive and excited about hearing
new material.” Unfortunately the
western dates were cancelled but the
goal is to one day make it up to her fans
out there. “I really wanted to connect
with everyone out there and play ‘em
some new stuff…get them involved.”
Fefe also headlined at the Feldman
Agency Showcase for CMW 2014 as
well as performed at World Pride 2014
right here in Toronto, Canada.
“I can’t believe I finally get to perform
for such an amazing event! I used to
attend a lot of the parties with my
girlfriends and we had a blast! A true
celebration”!
She goes on to say that Pride for her
meant freedom and that it is “a reminder
of how far we’ve come…equality. Love
should have no boundaries”.
While there is no exact release date for
Firebird, you
can be sure that Fefe
is hard at work making videos for
various songs on the album so that all
can see what she is trying to exude to
her audience.
“The album is basically done but I’m a
bit of a perfectionist and want to make
sure I’m not giving any fast food. I want
to give a hot gourmet meal!”
Her body of work portrays a “past,
present, and future” testimony that
will allow many to understand and
appreciate who she is now and aspiring
to be.
“The good life is true happiness. If
something is not making you happy
anymore, there needs to be change.
Don’t ever do anything for the wrong
reasons: for the fame, money, or
attention. Whatever you choose to
do, do it because you love it from the
bottom of your heart love it. You need
to eat, sleep, and breathe your passion.
Follow your heart and listen to your
instincts. Make it count.”
Like these celebrities and many others,
Miss Dobson faced uphill battles but
refused to let them affect her. Instead
of focusing on the negatives she says,
“staying positive is important to me
because honestly, being negative just
takes way too much energy.” One
thing that remains evident is that Fefe
has never given up on music or herself
and focused that positive energy to the
2010 release of “Joy.”
journey may mean to you.
21
Summer
Love
with
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Photography by: CJ Cromwell
Styled by: Marcia Reid
Co- Styled by: Fefe Dobson
Blouse & short, model’s own
Shoes by Mel by Dream, $85
available at Town Shoes
FeFe Dobson
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Silver & turquoise vintage
necklace, worn with red print
dress by Thomas Sabo
Dress by Diesel, $385
Necklace by Stella & Dot, Tansy
Fringe Collar, $149
Shoes by Mel - Mel by Dream,
available at Town Shoes
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Fashion Show 2014
The
Mystic
Now in its third installment, the annual “The Mystic
Effect” fashion show took place on May 4th, inside the
Virgin Mobile Mod Club. Put on by Stacy-Ann Buchanan of
Stacy-Ann Productions, and hosted by Toronto-based actor
Damion Brown, the show kicked off with a powerful quote
by internationally renowned author and vocal Nigerianborn Feminist Chimamanda Adichie, as well as to the tune
of Beyoncé’s effervescent “Partition.” Decidedly, this year’s
theme was centered on female empowerment.
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The performances were enthralling and boasted a line up
that included the melodic sounds of singer-pianist Madette;
a riveting and cathartic poetic expression delivered by
spoken word artist Victoria Grant; a dance number presented
by Rochelle Robinson to Nina Simone’s “Four Women”; an
authentic hip hop performance by Lola Bunz; along with
a lively dance piece by Diva Diverse—a trio adorned in
colourful carnival costumes. As a bonus, audience members
received a screening of film director Hannah Yohannes’
“Home Away” (2013): a short film about despair vis-á-vis
teenage pregnancy.
Stacy-Ann believes strongly that “everyone is born with a
By Nicole Seck
purpose” and decided on launching her production company
because of that belief. In 2011, while living in Vancouver and
trying with earnest to pursue a career in acting—though
failingly due to gigs being unattainable—Stacy-Ann began
to experience anxiety attacks, along with severe depression.
“Anxiety is when you’re living in the future,” the 32-year-old
states. Having been born and raised in Jamaica and relocated
to Canada at the age of 14, Stacy-Ann’s upbringing instilled
in her the belief that success is directly tied to one’s age.
Highly driven by the idea of success or achieving concrete
goals, on her thirtieth birthday (what she refers to as her
“personal new year”), Stacy-Ann had an epiphany and knew
that she no longer wanted to rely solely on acting as a viable
career path and was ready to venture out to start her own
production company.
For as far back as she can remember, Stacy-Ann always had
grand visions and had often been told by visionaries and
pastors alike that she was born to help people. For that
very reason, Stacy-Ann envisioned herself executing a show
that would meld the worlds of art, fashion, film, music, and
entertainment.
With the idea in mind of helping people, Stacy-Ann also
wanted to curate a fashion show that would provide
underdogs who are passionate about what they do an
opportunity to showcase their talents. One of the greatest
success stories that her show has spawned thus far is that of
Toronto’s own Chantelle Young, a vitiligo spokesmodel who
strutted her stuff at The Mystic Effect 2013 and has gone on
to be featured as a contestant on America’s Next Top Model
Cycle 21.
With The Mystic Effect, Stacy-Ann believes that she
has found “a prominent piece of her purpose” but also
wholeheartedly believes purpose to be something for which
one should constantly be in search. As for the future: Stacy-
post-secondary studies in an arts-related field. When asked
to offer up words of advice to women who have dreams
but, have not yet had their aspirations realized, Stacy-Ann
had these words of advice to offer: “Try to meditate; get to
know yourself. Don’t tell others your dreams, show them.”
Be on the lookout for The Mystic Effect 2015.
For as far back as she can remember, Stacy-Ann always had grand
visions and had often been told by visionaries and pastors alike that
she was born to help people. For that very reason, Stacy-Ann
envisioned herself executing a show that would meld the worlds of
art, fashion, film, music, and entertainment.
Ann aspires to have the mystical qualities of her show have
an effect upon audiences not only in Toronto but, in places
like Jamaica and Miami.
A portion of funds raised from this year’s show will go
toward the inaugural presentation of the Stacy-Ann
Buchanan bursary award (in collaboration with the Jamaica
Canadian Association) to a student who intends to pursue
Nikki is an educator and writer, whose musings cover a broadbase of topics including but, not limited to: education, cultural
criticism, art, fashion and politics. You can follow her on Twitter
@artculturemusic.
The show featured a few of Toronto’s up and coming
designers; namely: Alter Ego, Denise David Designs, Danielle
Webley, Noir Masae, Tainted Love, and Iman Designs.
Displayed on easels to the enjoyment of attendees was
handcrafted artwork on canvas by Camille Lauren of Art of
Ciel.
Effect
27
Designer Profile
Tanushree Pande
by: Awena Abala
Tanushree Pande, the designer and founder of Poplyn
was born and brought up in India, with its multi
cultural, colourful background and the effervescent
charm. It was easy to fall in love with fashion with
such a vast heritage all around her. She later moved
to South Africa where again, the bold and beautiful
cultural influences can be seen inspiring everyday
fashion.Finally when Tanushree settled in Toronto,
it was an easy pick to bring her love for fashion
into a reality with her label ‘Poplyn’. Poplyn is a
brand inspired by global street fashion and cultural
influences.
Every piece created has a story to tell
How did you get into fashion design?
I was extremely interested in fashion since school days and would
often cut and paste pictures of celebrities from news papers and
magazines to make a fashion scrap book. After school I went on to do
my graduation in Fashion design and started a formal education that
formed a great base for my career as a designer.
When did you realize you wanted to become a fashion designer?
I was a creative child growing up, always interested and craft projects
more than equations and soon I realised design, fashion and art were
going to be a major part of my life.
Who or what inspires you to do what you do?
The most important thing that keeps me going as a designer is that ‘I
love my job’. I love designing, sewing, drafting and the whole process.
Even on a tiring and exhausting day the joy that I get from seeing
someone happy, wearing my designs is such a rush and I consider
myself lucky to be able to do what I love and absolutely love what I
do.
What was the first article of clothing you ever designed?
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How would you explain the difference between fashion and style
for emerging artists?
Fashion and trends change with the blink of an eye but to be a
success in this industry find what you are good at, what defines you
as a designer and stick to it. That is going to be your style, which sets
you apart from others and gets noticed.
Poplyn is a brand for the young at
heart, that being said, we have dressed
people of all ages. We are an emerging
label with an edgy style and the vast
global pool of cultures and street
fashion as our inspiration. At Poplyn
our philosophy is simple- our client is a
free spirit who does not want to blend
into the crowd.
Describe the general process you
go through when you create a piece
or line?
Every collection starts with a story, a
theme which is then developed into
looks and then individual pieces are
finalized. Inspiration can come from
anywhere; a movie, a place, from my
travels and from the streets. The next
step involves sampling and lots of
pattern drafting and draping to refine
the look which often also plays a major
role in the final outcome as at this
stage there are a lot of new additions,
reductions and changes to the initial
sketches. What looks good on paper
might not come out so well on the
bodice or in between the process
sometimes something amazing takes
shape and changes the whole look
completely.
The last step is the final sewing and
getting the collection/ piece ready
with the right accessories and finishes.
Where can the average consumer
purchase your items?
Poplyn collection is available online at
our website www.thepoplynboutique.
com The online store is constantly
updated with the latest range.
Clients can also e-mail at info@
thepoplynboutique.com for a private
visit to our studio and a custom order.
In Toronto, our select merchandise
is available at 166 Spadina Avenue,
LaunchXToronto store. We also host
events and pop up shops across the
city and you can visit our website or
facebook page for info and updates
regarding upcoming events.
What does fashion mean to you?
Fashion
to
me
means
being
comfortable and confident enough
to wear what you like irrespective of
trends and social norms.
What advice would you give to
someone who is interested in
pursuing a fashion design career? Always stay original and true to your
art. Success always follows hard work
and perseverance.
What does ‘Boss’ mean to you?
The changing face of Fashion! I love
how Boss is one of the upcoming names
in Toronto Fashion and Art community
that supports and helps nurture
local talent, be it with exposure or
opportunities. The diverse local talent
and artists covered in Boss issues
reflect the vast cultural presence in the
city and conveys the pulse of Toronto’s
youth.
A men’s t-shirt at my first job as a designer fresh out of college in
India.
How would you define your label?
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In January of this year I
traveled to the island of
Nassau in The Bahamas to
find a balance between
my love of photography
and my need to step
outside the box (which in
this case was the ice box
of a sub-zero Toronto
winter).
music, costumes and dance
that you may ever see.
The combination of one
hundred drums beating as
one, and costumes which
are individual pieces of art
is intoxicating.
Growing up in The
Bahamas, I’m surrounded
by so much natural
beauty, perfect weather
and amazing beaches just
moments away from my
home. The year round
boating, festivals and
regattas have provided
opportunities for me to
design for friends and for
myself. The lounging pool
sides in places like Harbour
Island or Lyford Cay,
where you get to spend
your weekend in luxurious
swim and resort wear have
inspired my style along
the years and my love for
luxurious fashion.
During my spontaneous
venture, I was honoured
to work with a number
of outstanding fashion
and jewelry designers,
hairstylists,
make-up
artists,
professional
models, venues and
musicians. One of these
fantastic collaborators
and
designers
was
Jewel Smith of “Beach
By Jewel.” I asked Jewel
about her entry into the
industry and what drives
her fashion work in The
Bahamas.
How long have you
been creating fashion?
How does your love for
fashion express itself
through your pieces?
Professionally, 4 years
this summer. Otherwise,
I would say since I was a
child. I can remember
taking my designs to the
I approach fashion as an art
form to display my unique
voice. I incorporate fine
art and sculpture in my
30
Designer Profile
neighbourhood seamstress and having
her make dresses for special occasions.
What drew you into the fashion
industry?
Jewel Smith
by: C.J. Cromwell
You could say that I was born into the
‘Art World.’ As my father is a writer,
I was exposed to the amazing art
community here in The Bahamas from
an early age. Surrounded by many
impressionable local artist all my life,
and for years also being a part of the
performance arts scene as a ballet
dance, being artistic and creative has
always come naturally to me; It was
something that was instinctive I’d say.
How has Bahamian culture impacted
your fashion work?
There is so much to say about my
culture. From our music, to our food
and people it is truly something that
has to be experienced firsthand.
One of the highlights would be our
Junkanoo festival which happens
during the Christmas season and now
also in the summer months. It is the
most mesmerizing combination of
pieces, and I am always excited to use
unconventional materials.
Being from one of the most beautiful
places on earth and being exposed to
one of the most vibrant and distinctive
art cultures in the world is evident in
all my designs. I design classic pieces
that one could wear years from now.
All of this you will see in my upcoming
collection.
For more information, Jewel can
be reached at Jewel.Smith@
BeachByJewel.com
“Being from one of the most beautiful places on earth and
being exposed to one of the most vibrant and distinctive
art cultures in the world is evident in all my designs.”
31
This multi disciplinary week of fashion design, photography, fashion
films, installation art and performances was pretty epic to say the least,
and the talent showcased certainly lived up to FAT’s mandate “to push
forward and redefine the perception of the fashion phenomenon”.
This year’s theme of ‘infashion/unfashion’ played on the opposing views,
values and expressions of fashion and art, and each day designers/
artists presented shows on sub themes like minimal/extreme, cult/
culture and masculine/feminine to list a few. With so much to see
throughout the week, here are the highlights.
32
Fashion art toronto
Fashion Art Toronto,
better known as FAT was
back at it again this year
with an exception week
of shows showcasing
over 200 national and
international artists.
33
Summer’s
34
Monocromatic
Photographer:
Yan Markovich of Candiishop
warmest shades of grey
35
Green
with
envy
36
Suits up
Photographer: Marc Schultz
Mua: Paul Langill
Photographer:
Des Iderio
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38
Bahamas
Love Story
Photographer: C.J. Cromwell
Model: Celeste Marshall
Designer: David Rolle
Makeup: Lucy Lu Mua
A
39
40
Model: Ominique Burrows
Designer: Jewel Smith
Accessories: Pur Design Concepts
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Model: Analicia Thompson
Designer: Theodore Elyett
Makeup: Niska Add-Brown
Hair: Diago Rolle
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Model: Ominique Burrows
Makeup: Eye Candy Makeup Store
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swimwear
Swimwear Designer: Jewel Smith, Beach by Jewel
Jewelry Designer: Baha Gala
Hat Designer: Harl Taylor
Bahamas
47
Boss
beauty
48
Boss Beauty Must-Haves
Dermadoctor
This brazilian bombshell
skin perfecting lotion
with broad spectrum
SPF 30 goes on smooth
and quickly absorbs
leaving you with flawless
moist skin!
Dior Hypnotic Perfume
This hypnotizing scent is
one you must possess!
With its enticing floral and
vanilla scent, it makes such
a profoundly feminine
perfume and is the ideal
spray to add a touch of a
mystery in your life.
50
1. Do Yoga
Fella’s this isn’t just femenine workout. Yoga is really great way to stay physically and mentally fit, it keeps your body
strong as it involves all the muscles in yourbody to hold and balance yoga poses. The various yoga postures strengthen
your feet, legs, hands, abdominals, lower back, legs, and shoulders. Plus its a really great way to meet the ladies!
2. Take a Spa day
Life is already stressful as it is, this is a perfect way to unwind and treat yourself.
Getting a spa treatment can help with stress reduction and pain relief, including
soothing sore joints and muscles while making you feel better.
Maybelline Color
Sensational Vivids
Lipstick Electric
Orange
Looking for a the
perfect pop of colour?
Maybelline has just
what you need. With its
Electric Orange hue, it
will brighten and also
nourish your lips with its
honey nectar formula!
Dior Blue
Crayon Eyeliner
Make your eyes
pop with this easy
glide eyeliner
thats not going
to smudge
throughout
the day!
Urban Decays Naked 3
This is a pallette that gives a wider range to take you
from day to night! With its suttle nude hues, it will
make you look effortles!
3. Go for a Pedicure
Sephora Tools Of The
Trade Brush Set
The foundation to every
good face, you always
need a good set!
Moroccanoil
Looking for a hair oil
that doesn’t weigh your
hair down or make it
to greasy? Morrocanoil
helps strengthen,
moisturise and
rejuvenate your hair
into smooth, silky, and
healthy main. After one
purchase we guarantee
you’ll be coming back
for more!
Your on your feet all day, and you worked those hands hard. Many aches and
pains in your feet are a result from standing on calluses and uneven areas all day.
So take care by exfoliating the skin to remove dead skin, smoothing the surface
and stimulating regeneration. So why not make your feet look much better and
make them feel better too!
4. Wax It!
Unwanted hairs? Stop using a razor and wax it. It removes hair from the root, leaving
you hair free for weeks. Skin feels soft to the touch and it will eventually reduce hair
growth. Maybe slightly painful but you can handle it!
5. Take a Bubble Bath
When you cant make it to the spa this is the best alternative!
BOSS MAGAZINE BEAUTY
Smash Box photo finish
foundation primer
Every girl needs a perfect
canvas for a flawless
foundation application right!?
Smashbox has a silky blend
of vitamins, antioxidants, and
natural collagen to fill in fine
lines and pores which makes
your skin feeling silky smooth!
Fresh Rose Face Mask
Just like the brand keep
you face fresh with this
gel textured face mask.
Rid your skin of old man
winter and stay rosey
fresh!
Garnier Ambre
Solaire
Tired of laying out in
the sun to get a tan?
Well Garnier has the
short cut for you!
With its bronzing
formula, it applies to
the skin smoothly and
leaves no streaks to
give you the perfect
natural looking tan.
5 women’s beauty tips
men should adopt
51
52
need text & higher
res images
Photographers: Alex Lauzon
Makeup Artist: Karina Waldron
Styled by: Awena Abala
Beauty in Nature
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A+E
arts + entertainment
Andrew Forester: tin canyon
by: Domonique Morris
60
So, who exactly is this artist that I am speaking about? His
name is Andrew Foerster.
Andrew Foerster was born and raised in Toronto, Canada.
With his mother having a career in animation, Foerster’s
calling to be who he is was pretty much hereditary. Foerster
started drawing from a very young age as his interests were
in art and film. Because of his mother’s profession, he always
had his hands on the latest software; he was pretty much
set to take his skills to the next level. To master his genius
he went to Rosedale School of the Arts and then OCAD and
later proclaimed: “I intend to die with a pencil in my hand!”
I believe him.
While in his second year at OCAD Foerster began working
on an animated project called “Tin Canyon”. Inspired by
bluegrass music, Tin Canyon became a story about 5 robots
named Branch, Gruff, Fern, Albert, and Mickey. During his
third year, in a creative writing class, Foerster decided to
write the story line to his animation masterpiece. The idea
about creating and keeping up with 5 different personas
seemed tedious so he cut the cast down to three and
transformed the characters into three males named Jed,
Skuff, and Diggs.
Tin Canyon is an inspirational story about three blue grass
musicians that suffered from terrible stage fright. They lived
in a downtrodden shack that dangled beneath a rail road
track and had a landlord from hell demanding overdue rent.
To try and make ends meet, they entered a blue grass band
competition where the prize was $1000. To make a long
story short, they won and the evil landlord was never to be
seen again.
Foerster’s artistic panache resembles something that is out
of the ordinary and definitely out of the box; a bit greater
than Teletoon After Dark to me (but it wouldn’t hurt to
see his work on the network). He is a talented man with
interesting story lines and comedic undertone towards
potentially real life situations that I believe will go far. If you
have not taken in Andrew Foerster’s work, I suggest you
look him up on YouTube…you will not be disappointed!
BOSS MAGAZINE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Once upon a time, a couple months ago to be exact, a Boss
Magazine writer was asked to interview an illustrator and
animator for this season’s issue. She was so excited to speak
with him as his profession was something she found quite
interesting. She emailed him and they exchanged contact
information and set a date for when they were to speak.
Watching clip after clip on social media and various websites
just made her more excited to connect with the talented
artist. The day of interviewing came and the decision was
made to speak over Skype. As the interview commenced, she
noticed that his hairstyle screamed fun, his personality was
entertaining, and his story, inspirational – it was everything
that she believed described what she viewed on YouTube.
61
Callen Schaub
Spin
on things
Putting a new
by: Andrew Williams
It’s a Thursday night and I’m in Callen Schaub’s Toronto
studio. The 23-year-old Etobicoke native walks me through
some of his paintings. Schaub uses a unique way to create his
works of art. Traditional methods of the old paint brush and
palette just don’t cut it anymore. It might be said that some
of his paintings border on sculpture, as they incorporate 3D
curves. He feels that this allows the piece to intrude on the
audience’s space so they might engage with it on a different
level. Needless to say, these pieces must be experienced
face-to-face, as seeing a mere picture of it won’t stir the
same emotional reaction.
After attending the Etobicoke School of the Arts, Schaub
went on to graduate from the Ontario College of Art and
Design. One might say he’s a bit of an artistic maverick, as
he once crashed Nuit Blanche by setting up his own exhibit,
despite receiving no formal invitation. He took that same
attitude with him into college.
“Ok I’m in art school and I’m supposed to be creative and
pushing the boundaries but all these people are doing the
same thing, so I’m going to change that,” Schaub recalls.
He describes how he went down to the sculpture studios,
grabbed a lazy Susan used for making sculptures, placed his
canvas on it, gave it a spin, and threw down some paint.
This is how he broke into the spin technique, one of his
unique methods used to make interesting effects. The
spinning motion of the canvas creates a centrifugal force
that pulls the paint across the surface in an unpredictable
yet beautiful display of physics. Another method Schaub
implements, used in his piece called “Orbit,” involves him
hanging a paint can over the canvas. As the can swings back
and forth like a pendulum, paint seeps from the bottom
creating a trippy Spirograph effect. “Movement has always
been a big thing,” he says, explaining how movement is a
constant theme in his works.
Schaub doesn’t consider himself much of a story teller through
his art but rather says each piece represents a particular
moment in time and space. “It’s almost like a recording of an
event that occurred. It’s more about the performance. Maybe
the content is the process.” Now he’s focusing on what people
are saying to him while he’s creating a piece, making the
process more interactive. “The outcome is not just my own, it’s
a shared experience,” he explains.
In 2013 Schaub co-founded the Toronto-based Project
Gallery, which aims to promote emerging and established
artists throughout the community and abroad. He was
inspired to conceive of Project Gallery after being involved
with several small exhibitions in school and seeing the
potential in not just his own work but the work of his fellow
students. “Originally, launching it was a big risk,” he says.
“There were a lot of unknowns to explore.” He jokes how
initially he felt like a fish out of water, being an artsy guy
going into the scary world of business.
Being an emerging artist certainly doesn’t grant you an early
retirement, and Schaub is very upfront about this. “[Art]
definitely doesn’t support itself,” he explains, taking into
account all the costs of daily life including renting a studio
and gallery. “I might sell a piece for two grand and people
would think that’s a lot of money. But after you pay your rent
and buy a couple tubes of paint, that’s gone!” For Schaub,
the size of a piece and where the artist is in his or her career
are among the things that determine its value and price.
Regardless, he emphasises how art isn’t something they do
for the money, they do it for their passion for the creative
process and the result.
Project Gallery has hosted over 30 exhibitions thus far and
usually has one on a weekly basis. Schaub usually participates
in these group shows with his friends and OCAD alumni. “It’s
more about other people so I try to think of ideas that are
more interesting and engaging for them rather than just
try to promote my own ideas,” Schaub explains. “It’s like
throwing any other party.”
That may be true, but Cal is certainly the life-blood to keep
the party going.
62
He shows me one of his latest pieces called “Possibilities,”
which I could only describe as psychedelic flames reaching
for a colourful bolt of lightning, set against a white curved
canvas. If you look close enough, you might see the profile
of a face in the milieu.
63
Boss
was there
64
Pan am /para pan AM games
1 year countdown
The Pan Am Para Pan Am Games are coming to Toronto! Boss
was there to celebrate at the one year countdown celebrations at
Nathan Phillips Square, with an energetic jump up performance by
soca great Machel Montano.
booklaunch
Boss Magazine was proud to attend the book launch event for Kern
Carter, our A & E editor’s, debut novel “Thoughts of a Fractured Soul.”
Get your own copy of this captivating read at www.kerncarter.com.
AVNU
Boss attended the launch event for AVNU - a network of groups creating
access to workshops, mentorship, networking, resources and more for
youth aged 13-29. Check them out at: www.avnu.ca
65
Baruwa Struggles of a Dreamer
66
By Nicole Seck
Langston Hughes once posed the
question, “what happens to a dream
deferred?” Well, if you ask Yahaya
Baruwa, author of the book “Struggles
of a Dreamer” (2010), the very idea of an
unattainable dream is unfathomable.
Yahaya means “to be alive” in the Arabic
language. Not only is Yahaya alive, he’s
also thriving. At 21, he ventured out
on a quest to write a fictional tale with
an end goal of inspiring one million
people to pursue their dreams. A
natural-born entrepreneur in his own
right, Yahaya re-located to Toronto
with his immediate family from Kano
State, Nigeria in 2001.
Coming from a Nigerian family,
who staunchly support the notion
that receiving a formal education
is of utmost importance, Yahaya
pursued post-secondary studies in
psychology at York University; though
unenthusiastically. While trying to
navigate the worlds of pursuing his
dreams of someday becoming a selfpublished author and remaining
traditional, Yahaya began to experience
episodes of self-actualization when he
came to the realization that he was
a “yes man,” who never questioned
authority. In essence, Yahaya didn’t
appreciate very much who he was
becoming. In an effort to derail the
unstoppable train that was showing
up in his life from him not doing what
he truly wanted, Yahaya started the
process of writing his book, in spite of
his Father’s oft replayed words, “don’t
be distracted; focus on school.”
Having been inspired by highly-lauded
Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, along
with the writings of Paolo Coelho,
Yahaya began examining their writing
styles. He even admits to having read
Coelho’s “The Alchemist” 30 times and
names it one of his all-time favourite
books. Following years of reading and
studying writers’ craft, at 23-years-old,
Yahaya was ready to publish his book,
albeit not in the traditional sense. The
entrepreneur in him knew that he
didn’t want to have his book published
by a traditional publisher, out of fear
that he would have to give up all rights
to the book, as well as follow their
stringent policies. Of course, the selfproclaimed “rebel” decided to take
matters into his own hands by selfpublishing his debut novel.
throughout the novel is simple; to
achieve any desired goal/dream, you
have to have the courage to develop
faith, risk failure, ridicule, self-doubt,
caused by going against expectations
of loved ones or society at large.
Revealingly, the book is very much a
reflection of Yahaya’s own story of the
constant search between “the known”
(tradition) and “the unknown” (dream).
Throughout the course of the story
the reader is drawn into the stories of
the main characters Tunde, a beggar
who resides on the streets of New York
City and Toku’te, the son of a farmer in
a faraway place. By way of following
the lives of both characters, the reader
is brought to experience a range of
emotions while learning about the
distinct struggles they each face in hopes
of attaining their dreams. Ultimately, the
charming story helped paved the way
for Yahaya’s aims of leading by example
and imparting onto others the idea that
“regardless of what they want to do,
they should just do it.”
I believe dreamers struggle most with
developing an unshakeable self-belief
in the face of seemingly impossible
odds that which they are dreaming of
is possible, is worth pursuing and over
time, achievable.
For the purpose of exploring even
deeper, what comprises the mind of a
dreamer I asked Yahaya to respond to
the following questions:
What's the dominant theme that
can be found in the book and what
message were you trying to convey
to the reader (if any at all)?
The dominant theme in the novel is a
Dream vs. Tradition; thus "The Battle
between a Dream and Tradition."
In Struggles of a Dreamer, readers
encounter the main character who
struggles against upholding the wishes of
tradition (i.e. becoming a farmer, a wellworn path) and the pursuit of a recurring
dream (an unknown + high-risk path).
The message conveyed to the reader
With what do you believe most
dreamers struggle?
Based on your personal journey, what
do you believe dreams are made of?
Based on my personal journey, a dream
is made up of a truck-load of vivid
imagination, faith, self-belief, courage
and most importantly, tenacious
persistence in the face of defeat, which
more often than not is temporary.
What is one dream that is yet to be
fulfilled by you?
A dream that is yet to be fulfilled; I (along
with one of Ontario's leading design
and print companies) are building the
World's Largest Published Novel-8.5feet by 5.5 Feet--(using "Struggles
of a Dreamer" as a prototype) to set
a new Guinness World Record, as well
as to raise $1 million dollars for Eye
Cancer Research at "Princess Margaret
Hospital." For more information visit:
www.DaisyFund.org.
What's the wildest dream you've
ever had?
My wildest dream (of which I am in
constant pursuit) is quite simply this:
being the youngest, greatest and
most successful author living in the
21st Century.
For more information regarding
“Struggles of a Dreamer” visit: www.
strugglesofadreamer.com.
Yahaya
67
Honey Jam
68
Boss Magazine was impressed with the calibre of performers giving their all at Honey Jam 2014. The all female lineup
included Rosie Monday, Jordan Alexander, Amika Vie, Leila Dey, Adria Kain, DJ Melboogie, Victoria Azevedo and more.
Honey Jam is an all female multicultural, multi-genre, showcase of Canadian talent produced by PhemPhat Entertainment
Group, a non-profit organization which also provides educational and mentoring opportunities for artists as well as
supports and promotes women’s charities.. More info at: www.honeyjam.com
AfroChic
A Fashion Forward Affair
By Nicole Seck
70
With a planned ‘80s and ‘90s theme established
on Saturday, June 14th, 2014 the annual AfroChic
Cultural Arts exhibit kicked off without a hitch for
its fifth instalment atop Toronto’s ver y own Skybar
inside the Guvernment Entertainment Complex.
With over 400 loyal attendees rocking it on the
rooftop á la mode, the day’s festivities were marked
by powerful performances of the spoken word,
song and dance variety. Eclectic vendors were there
too, offering an array of inventive gems including
the Adrinka bowtie, which adorned the outfit of
hostess Amanda Parris. In addition to a plethora
of artwork (courtesy of Art of Ciel and Lefthanded
Art) that was displayed on canvas and hoisted onto
easels for viewing pleasure and not solely there for
entertainment purposes, sun kissed patrons were
ser ved a special treat: a runway show featuring
models who donned the creative designs of local
fashion designers including Asikere Afana, Hilar y
and Denise and N.I.S.E. Clothing (to name a few).
Inspired by the vision of providing a platform for use
by multi-talented Afro-Caribbean women and men, the
exhibit was conceived as a way to counterbalance the
demonization of Black culture. AfroChic Founder, Amoye
Henry states, “5 years ago it was just an idea...let’s unite
Black women and talk about our hair journeys, our skin
complexes and how we move in and out of spaces within
the context of our layered identities.”
Over the years, AfroChic has grown to become a staple
event as far as the urban social scene is concerned. A
must-go-to affair by far, AfroChic has witnessed both
up and coming and established artists, artisans, singers
and fashion designers alike, putting forth their artistic
masterpieces to be received by the feasting eyes of
overzealous art lovers.
To the chagrin of many, this year marked the final edition
of AfroChic as we’ve known it to be. It did, however,
end off with a bang—of course with the bouncing beats
of DJ Afroditee coursing through patrons’ veins. After
a day filled with photo ops, fashion and flair, guests
left in a feel-good mood with their Essence Magazine–
sponsored swag bags in tow.
Although we’re uncertain of what’s in store for the future
of AfroChic, one thing’s for certain: the future looks bright.
Thanks to team AfroChic for shedding your scintillating light
on us for 5 magnificent years!
Nikki is an educator and writer, whose musings cover broadbased topics including but, not limited to: art, culture,
music, love and hair. You can follow her on Twitter @
artculturemusic.
Another year, another AfroChic...
71
Lyon:
on the
bridge to
stardom
Port Perry Native Lauren Malyon brings a synth-pop sound of indie
music that grabs your soul and holds it in till the very last note.
72
Her initial bout
into the music
scene
ended
when her band split. “Everyone was
moving away, I didn’t know what to do,
I just felt really lost!”
Her band started venturing on different
life paths and moved out west which
left Lauren in a state of discomfort.
Feeling stuck in a situation where
creating music didn’t semm possible,
Lauren posted on her Facebook
account about the uncertainty of her
ever performing again. This caught the
eye of her close friend Justin who was
confused by the meaning of the post.
Justin encouraged Lauren to stick
with the music, helping to give her the
confidence to let her know she could
do it alone.
In the spring of 2012, Justin would
then connect Lauren to Jaspeth Maw,
who helped Lauren find her voice and
what is now her signature sound. It was
through this connection that the now
unforgettable “Indian Summer” single
was created and Lyon was born.
Described as “electronic music with a
human soul by the girl next door who
has a secret,” Indian Summer was an
instant hit and lead to another big
decision for Lyon.
“It was the beginning of a new chapter,”
Lyon says.
when the “Indian Summer” video was
shot and released.
“Shooting that video was the highlight
of my summer,” says Lyon 6excitedly!
She went on to say that Kelsey Larkin
was the director for the video which
was shot in two nights.
The roller coaster continues with the
release of the second single and video,
“Floating” which takes place in an Asian
karaoke bar. The lyrics and sound are
a continuation of what makes Lyon
unique as it reflects the optimistic, yet
unwavering pattern of cynicism within
a carefree lifestyle.
With Justin now acting as manager,
Lyon decided to sign with Black Box
Recordings. “It just felt right,” Lyon
said with confidence, “Ian (Black Box
founder) knew his favourite parts
[lyrics wise] of the EP” Lyon did meet
with other labels, but concluded she
was most comfortable with Black Box.
There comes a time in everyone’s
lives when they try to be what they’re
not and while some take longer than
others, they begin to identify with who
they really are. Lyon educates all her
fans and BOSS readers out there that,
“no one can be a better you than you!
It is better to focus inward and try to
develop what you are good at to the
best of your ability rather than falling
short trying to be everyone else.”
In July of 2013 the announcement was
made that she had signed with Black
Box and then the craziness, beginning
Taking it one day at a time, Lyon
plans to one day be able to tour
internationally.
Kareem ‘QQ’ Dawkins, a veteran in the music business game,
has dominated the dancehall scene at a very young age with
singles like ‘Poverty’, ‘Better Must Come’, and ‘Stookie’. Now
at the age of 20 his accolades include touring across the
Caribbean and the United States, plus he has shared the stage
with big name worldly performers like Rihanna, Chris Brown.
The growth of his music with more mature lyrics in recent
years has given QQ an advantage to understanding what
his fans want. With his latest EP titled “Kingston 20” filled
with hits like ‘Mosquito Net’, ‘One Drop’, and ‘Tip Pon Yuh
Toe’ to name a few, the international star can be seen on
YouTube and the #1 Music Video platform, VEVO, singing
about women who can parade the latest song-titled dance
moves seen at the dancehall parties and club scene.
Outside of music, QQ is expanding his business portfolio to
include a new and affordable shoe line that has been a long
time dream.
With a classical
music background
that
had
her
playing violin and
piano at the age
of four, this singer
songwriter
has
developed
into
one of Canada’s
most
unique
sounds
ready
to take on the
national stage.
Party
Starter
73
By Domonique Morris
Keepin’ it honest with
The Real Voyce
By Andrew Williams Toronto’s hip-hop scene is almost
like the world of Game of Thrones in
certain ways. The landscape isn’t nearly
as unified as it should be, with players
looking to take out other players. “It’s
a dog-eat-dog industry in Toronto,”
says Mario Murray, better known as
TheReaLVoyce. “And unless that stops
we’re f@#ed. Forever.”
74
Murray still carries this sense of
community with him, even into the
rap game. Before he started focusing
on his own career, he and other artists
began the group Guerrilla Media to
combat what he calls the standoffish
attitudes throughout Toronto’s hiphop landscape. “There’s a lot of circle
shit,” he says. “People don’t really help
each other. I wanted to come with the
same vibe I had from back home, which
was to build each other up.” Although
“The freedom to be creative is what
drew me into hip-hop,” he says. Coming
up, it was rappers like Canibus, his
biggest inspiration, who showed him
that you didn’t have to be a gangster
or talk about bling-bling to be heard. “I
hated people like Jay-Z, couldn’t stand
him; couldn’t stand Cash Money,” he
says. However, he says now things
are different as he understands the
different integrities of hip-hop.
Lyrically, Murray often forgoes the flair
and vanity that tends to accompany rap
in exchange for downright honesty or
the simple things that hit close to home.
His single “A Kiss from My Son” was
inspired by none other than a kiss from
his son. “I never thought I’d be in this
type of position where I’d actually feel
this kind of love,” he explains. “When
you become a [parent] you’ll know. That
amount of love just floored me.”
In the time between his first EP and
now, Murray’s main challenge has
evolved from scraping together
enough funds to building a strategy to
take his career to the next level. “I want
to do more with less time and minimize
mistakes,” he elaborates. Also, he’s not
counting on the attitudes in Toronto’s
hip-hop scene to change in order to be
successful. “I want to make a dollar, and
I want to make sure everyone around
me makes a dollar. My job is to make
sure that you’re working. You win I win.
No dog-eat- dog.”
He illustrates his point using the
Toronto Raptors as the perfect
metaphor for local rappers. The NBA
team struggled at first as it wasn’t a
strong group, but started to get much
better as they became a more cohesive
team. “Toronto as a city- unless we
have a team we can’t play ball,” he says
referring to the hip-hop industry. “We
have players but no team. How are we
ever going to win a championship?”
For now, Murray stresses the
importance to aim and fire. He
mentions that most artists spray and
pray; they put out as much music as
possible and pray that it would hit.
Instead, forget what’s trending and
simply make good music. That in itself
would give you a following. “At the end
of the day this whole thing is a journey,”
says Murray. “If all you’re thinking
about is the destination, you’re in the
wrong business.”
Imagine being at a modeling competition
and asked if you can sing. You sing on
the spot and are then signed to David
Reid of Styles International who begins
to work with you on your modeling AND
singing career. Sounds farfetched, right?
Fortunately for Kim Kelly this is her reality.
With help from Styles International, the
Jamaican born in Portmore, raised in
Brampton Ontario - singer, songwriter,
model, and actress - has gained
confidence to pursue her music career
all while keeping busy in the Toronto
nightlife scene hosting several events.
Known by her peers for singing more
than she spoke, Kim Kelly has been
featured on MTV, performed alongside
Dancehall artiste Konshens, and has
recently ventured to Jamaica on a media
tour and will be returning to film a video.
She has been featured in the Jamaica
Gleaner and Lifestyle Magazine.
Kim Kelly wrote and executive produced
her first single ‘It’s You’ which is featured
on YouTube. In 2013, she connected
herself with Jamaican production team
Pay Day Music who produced ‘Never Let
You Go’ and ‘Wait For you’. Currently,
there are several projects currently in
motion for Kelly. One that is in rotation is
the One Drop Reggae Love song ‘Fall in
Love’ co-produced by Jamaica’s DJ Goffe
Productions. All her songs are rather
impressive and catchy R&B Dancehall
tunes that are definitely dance floor
worthy.
This dog-eat-dog environment is
what Murray has been approaching
differently as a rapper. Moving to
Toronto at 17, he was born and raised
in Saint Lucia, where the island’s
tight knit communities had a strong
influence. “The way we made friends
at school was never about trying to be
with the in crowd,” Murray explains.
“It was about people who I had a good
vibe with. If we had a good vibe then
we hung out.”
Murray is no longer involved with the
group, he says Guerrilla Media came
out of a necessity, as homegrown
artists with real potential are often
ignored if they don’t allow themselves
to be taken advantage of by record
labels or the main stream.
Kim
Kelly
75
Craig Stickland
Francesco
Yates
By Domonique Morris
fusion music
Francesco Yates was born in
Scarborough, Ontario and began
writing songs at the age of 11. Now at
the age of 18, the silvery voiced cutie
plays the piano and guitar plus brings
his masterful fusion of modern pop,
“Right away I loved the feeling of
being onstage and the response I got
from the audience was so exciting and
liberating…I threw myself into it and
never looked back.”
whether that means writing about pain
or writing about love.” His approach is
unrefined yet cautious to ensure that
his emotions are not overanalyzed.
With inspiration from artists like Michael
By Domonique Morris
76
classic rock, and old-school soul into
an era-defying sound that is moving,
memorable, and impressively fresh.
At the age of 14, Francesco was signed
to Atlantic Records and travelled to Los
Angeles to begin building material for
his debut album with A-list producers
known to make musical magic with
some of his idols and performers
like Drake and Nelly Furtado. Before
signing, his first time performing was
at the local Love Music rock camp.
Deemed as Canada’s next superstar,
Francesco has an impressionable
musical swag that allows him to play
it cool but at the same time keep his
romanticism. With songs like Mr. Nice
Guy, Stolen and most recently Call, he
reveals a rare maturity for his age while
maintaining a graceful innocence in his
lyrical content.
“I tend to just write about the
experiences I’ve been through,
Jackson, Prince, Justin Timberlake
and Bruno Mars, Yates sound not only
emulates their creativeness, but is
similar to soul legends Stevie Wonder
and Sam Cooke.
“All that soul music from back in the
‘60s sends a high vibration; you feel
free as soon as you hear it…that’s
exactly the feeling I want people to
experience whenever they listen to the
music I’m making.”
Craig Stickland has
perfected a style of
eclectic harmony-led
vintage pop.
His most recent EP Art of Conviction
draws on the melodic sounds that
echo The Beatles, Oasis, Canada’s
Blue Rodeo, and the like. In 2007
Stickland alongside Erik Alcock formed
“We Are The Take” and created a fulllength album which included the song
Montreal Love Song. Unfortunately
the duo did not emerge into its full
Eclectic Harmony
potential and stopped making music in
2010.
Craig began making more music on
his own with a focus on perfecting
his sound. He learned the skill of song
writing from Erik to which he says, “he
[Erik] is an amazing songwriter and
taught me to be extremely self-critical
and never settle.”
His newer material is inspired by stories
that examined human behaviour
during his time as a Toronto bartender.
His story line is mainly about guys
impressing girls with wealth and
power, girls who are actually impressed
by such things, all while the higher up
wealthy and powerful moguls ignore
the little guys. To me, it’s an interesting
concept of singing about democracy –
a topic that if composed uniquely will
definitely reach a lot of people.
“I want to get my music out to as many
people as possible…I feel like a lot of
people will relate to my music, to these
feelings and emotions that I write
about…I want people to make their
own interpretations. That’s the great
thing about music.”
“Deemed as Canada’s next superstar, Francesco has an
impressionable musical swag that allows him to play it cool but
at the same time keep his romanticism.”
77
Ameera mohammed
let it go demi lovato
Happy Pharrell
burn ellie goulding
Song List
BOSS
what’s on
your ipod
By Afifa Mahboob
78
Happy Pharrell
Headlights Eminem
Guilty All The Same Linkin Park
Patric plesa
the dreamer the tallest man on earth
What Is and What Should Never Be led zepplin
Roadhouse Blues the doors
Lifestyle
Mohammed Ali
79
Philip Osei
Philip Osei is a 23-year-old member of
the Canadian National Track & Field
team. “Growing up I was very quiet,
timid, shy and afraid of everything
around me as a child. Everything was
so confusing, the world was so big
and I was just this little speck on it.”
As a youth living in a priority region
of the city of Toronto, Philip managed
to avoid becoming a statistic in his
neighbourhood. “It was safer indoors,
the area where my family lived
wasn’t the greatest for young, easily
influenced children growing up. Many
gang related crimes and just the urban
culture was frowned upon by in today’s
society. Fast money, drugs, guns and
even sexual exploitation was the norm
in the area.”
By Lloyd Opoku-Ware
80
Chasing his dreams of becoming
a professional athlete has already
allowed him to travel to beautiful
When asked what he plans to do in
the future, Philip replied, “The only
way I know how to give back to my
community is to continue to make
my loved ones proud and motivate
the youth to chase their dreams. If
all goes well, I want to start opening
youth programs especially in not so
popular areas like where I grew up. I
wasn’t always the fastest kid growing
up but I know I had the most heart and
because of that I trained to become
the fastest, showing that hard work
can beat talent.” Philip is currently
looking forward to competing in the
2015 Pan Am Games, which will be held
in Toronto.
Instagram osei_showabs90
Twitter osei_showabs
BOSS MAGAZINE LIFESTYLE
going for gold at the TO 2015 Pan Am Games
Philip always enjoyed running and
racing as a child and always had a
love for track and field, but it was
only in the 12th grade of high school
that he actually took it up seriously
and competed for his school, Michael
Power/St. Joseph. But after his Highschool coach Eddie Raposo saw the
potential he had in the 400 meters,
he convinced him to actually train
and compete in it. In his very first year
of training Philip was able to steal a
bronze medal at OFSAA, which only
added fuel to his fire.
countries such as Mexico, France,
Bahamas and even the Cayman islands.
“I’m the number 2 nationally ranked
400m sprinter and 2013 Canadian
national 400m champion, just to show
you where hard work, passion and love
of something can take you.” Philip’s
current focus is making the 2016
Olympics in Rio, Brazil. “I was just a
couple tenths of a second off of making
the 2012 Olympics which was heart
breaking, but I had to keep reminding
myself that everything happens for a
reason.”
81
Scholars
Boss
Hi, my name is Gabriella Oduro. All my friends call me Gabby.
I am 17 years old and I am a member of Ladies on the Rise
(LOR). One of my greatest talents is art and I love drawing as
my passion ever since I was 5 years old. My peers like to see
me smile and like to hear my laughter. I am a very loving and
a caring person.
What kind of obstacles did you encounter growing up in your
community?
82
How have you or how are you overcoming these obstacles?
I overcame these obstacles by believing in myself and not to
giving, all with the help of my parents. I learned that I can be
smart instead of using my disability as an excuse.
What do you have to say about the stigma surrounding your
community in regards to race and success (certain races are
categorized as unsuccessful from the very beginning)?
What I have to say about the stigma is from the black community.
I always hear negative stereotypes that were very degrading;
they are saying we are lazy or intimidating. I don’t see that,
because I know every black person, including myself, is not like
that. We are totally the opposite.
Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? 10 years
from now?
In 5 years I see myself as an Animator. And in 10 years from
now I see myself getting married and having a good family.
What advice would you give to youth growing up in
communities that are considered “at risk”?
The advice that I like to give to the younger youths is don’t ever
give up hope and work hard. You should try to live your life to
the fullest, because it will get better as you grow older. Take
your education seriously and also with good character. As for me
I had been through good and bad choices and made mistakes.
But now, I am in a good place with friends, family and teachers.
Priscilla Ware
Priscilla Ware is a resident of the Jane and Finch community.
She is in grade 7 and also an A student. Priscilla is active and
enjoys playing sports, especially basketball. She is a member
of the Jane and Finch Boys and Girls Club mentorship
program and dance group. BOSS caught up with Priscilla to
ask her a few questions.
What kind of obstacles did you encounter growing up in your
community?
An obstacle I went through growing up was people making
fun of my skin colour by saying I am “bleaching” and “2 toned”
which really hurt my feelings. These put downs only made me
stronger and believe in myself.
How have you or how are you overcoming these obstacles?
I am overcoming these obstacles by not listening to what
people have to say about me, and by also saying insults back,
which I shouldn’t do. Also by perseverance, and by listening to
people that are advocating me.
What do you have to say about the stigma surrounding your
community in regards to race and success (certain races are
categorized as unsuccessful from the very beginning)?
I think that people are judgmental and critical of Jane and Finch
because most people think it is a dangerous area. People should
not judge what they do not know.
Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? 10 years
from now?
I will be in high school and have a part time job.
What advice would you give to youth growing up in
communities that are considered “at risk”?
I would tell them to pursue their dreams and don’t listen to the
negative things people have to say.
The obstacles that I encountered were my learning disability,
Mild Autism.
Gabriella Oduro By justina Opoku-Ware
83
Millennial chronicles
had our pulse on not just the mainstream, but the burgeoning
mainstream as well, Urbanology was amongst the first to
recognize Drake’s rap talents, Boi-1Da’s production talents
and Melanie Fiona’s singing talents. But the impact of the
magazine, started by a group of passionate young people
hailing from Scarborough’s Malvern community, extends
beyond the pages of our magazine itself.
The impact rests in a dedication to inspiring, motivating
and sharing knowledge and lived experience with those
coming up after us. I’ve taken countless meetings with
young publishing upstarts, including the editor-in-chief of
the magazine you’re reading right now and consulted with
dozens of entrepreneurial spirits to share the treasures of a
deep vault of dos and don’ts gained from years of trial and
error learning.
As such, I feel that beyond building up the brand of
Urbanology Magazine, which has provided a space to
positively celebrate and discuss hip-hop and urban culture
from a Canadian perspective for almost a decade, the true
impact of my work rests in the principle of paying it forward.
It can be seen in formal capacities. There is the intensive
internship experience created at Urbanology, which
guarantees a real-life work experience (no coffee runs
here). And then there is the youth-led journalism program,
Say Word, I ran in Scarborough for the last five years, which
empowered hundreds of young people with media skills in
order to create magazines, podcasts and videos to share
important stories often void in traditional news media. And
it can be seen in informal capacities in being able to provide
unconditional support to other like-minded individuals who
are working on their next big break into independence.
By Priya Ramanujam
84
Independence. If one word comes to mind when thinking
of a millennial, it is independence. Independent arts, music,
fashion, business – it is the essence of our experience. This
is the blood that flows in my veins, and I know it’s the same
for many of my peers. It’s that urgent desire to do it myself,
try it on my own and to break free from the confines of
traditional institutions.
It’s with this energy that I co-founded Urbanology Magazine,
an independent urban arts and culture publication for
Generation Y in print and online, in December 2004. Having
Millennial. Generation Y. A demographic cohort that William
Strauss and Neil Howe once characterized as civic-minded,
with a strong sense of both local and the global community.
We are benefactors of the Internet and we have a privileged
access to information. A generation neither booming
with world war industrialization nor exiting from post-war
grievances; we are able, ambitious, and entitled.
We have the ability to view world politics, society, and
consumerism with boundless liberty, learning and growing
at a faster pace within this global village. Digital natives
that we are, our adaptability to change is far superior than
generations past. Our potential is limitless and our ambition
is uncapped. We are pretty brilliant.
We live in a society where in order to remain relevant,
adaptation to newer norms and multitasking are crucial.
There’s no longer just a photographer for she is now a
photographer, videographer, DJ and maker of cool vintage
boy blazer ponchos.
Our ability to express ourselves creatively is varied
because of these numerous resources that allow us to
connect. We share everything that we consume with all
of our online networks. We repurpose our works in a way
that makes a simple post of a Marie Antoinette tart from
Nadège Patisserie look like art. This art is a declaration of
socially-encouraged thus socially-applauded narcissism that
suggests that the creator is not only an active foodie of
modern times but also one that has taken time to indulge…
while documenting the entire process for all to see. If the
photograph doesn’t garner the desired response, this entire
declaration seems inadequate. This exhibitionistic effort has
no voyeurs to validate it.
These works and the consequential affirmations build our
virtual worth. The affirmations are authored by a larger hash
tag community of like-mindedness that understands SNH
stands for Sarcasm Noted Here. The same community that
says “I’m dying” when they are not in fact dying.
We succumb to the pressure of producing brilliant works
that are validated by this community. This artistry leads to
anguish because your virtual worth becomes increasingly
integrated into your personal worth.
Recent research indicates we are less interested in
“intrinsic” goals and more interested in “extrinsic” ones
– viewing “money, fame, and image” as being among the
more important life aspirations, whereas self-acceptance,
affiliation, and community are less important.
By Raji Aujla
The responsibility I feel as a millennial is to bring these two
communities together - the virtual and the real. As a curator,
I am able to curate a physical space and an online space. And
most interesting, I get to build a culture that allows our artists
to exhibit in both spaces and have conversations with both
communities. There is an opportunity to be multifaceted
and connect with larger audiences, and this opportunity
significantly increases when we engage with one another
and foster each others’ arts and ideas. If achieved, I hope,
this would be my contribution.
(Editor-in-Chief & Co Founder of Urbanology Magazine / UrbanologyMag.com)
When I was in my first year of Humber College’s Journalism
program, my interviewing skills professor assigned us to do
an in-depth interview with a working journalist. It wasn’t
just an exercise in practicing our skills; the purpose was to
gain insight from someone who was working in our desired
field. “Remember what it’s like to chase a journalist for their
time,” the professor told us, “because five years from now,
you might be getting calls from journalism students wanting
to interview you.” It is one of the messages from my college
years I never forgot. And every single call or e-mail that
comes my way from someone who wants to “pick my brain”,
I try my very best to reply to and make time for. The next
time you receive a similar request; I hope you will do the
same. It is the only way for the millennial generation to grow
to new heights, and ensure that our independent spirit is
passed on for generations to come.
Millennial WORTH
85
is the obesity
problem in children?
The number of children and youth in Canada
who are overweight or obese has tripled over
the last 25 years, with an alarming 26% of all
children falling into this category. There are
many reasons why the rates of child obesity
are increasing and not all of them are known.
Some of the reasons include unhealthy food
choices, less physical activity and family genes.
As well, the communities in which we live in
have influenced the problem. Our neighborhoods have changed over time to include far
more fast food chains, with fewer supermarkets. Additionally, our houses and schools are
spread further apart and it has become more
difficult to rely on walking to get around.
Why is being obese bad?
Children who are obese are at a higher risk
of having serious health problems. They
are more likely to develop high blood pressure or high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes,
trouble breathing in their sleep (sleep apnea), joint problems, non-alcoholic liver disease, kidney disease and trouble with their
menstrual cycles. Obese children can also
have emotional health issues such as low
self-esteem, moodiness and experience
bullying.
86
As a parent, what can you do to
promote physical activity?
Physical activity is any movement that increases your heart rate and breathing.
The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology created the Canadian Physical Activity
Guidelines. Here are some physical activity
recommendations based on these guidelines, for your child’s age group:
Preschoolers (1-2 years) and
toddlers (3-4 years): · Should have 3 hours of physical activity
every day.
· For this age group, examples of physical activity are climbing up stairs, playing outside,
crawling, walking, running and dancing.
(ie. Soymilk), and meat and alternatives
(i.e. tofu). Canada’s Food Guide provides
recommendations on the amount and
type of food your children should be eating
based on their age group.
Middle Childhood (5-11 years):
· Should have 1 hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity everyday. Vigorous
activity that causes children to sweat and
be out of breath should be done 3 times
a week. Activities that strengthen muscle
should also be done at least 3 times per
week.
· For this age group, physical activity
means bike riding, running, swimming,
playground activities and joining a community or school-based sports team.
We can also try to avoid unhealthy choices
for our children. Fast food may be an easy
dinner solution but it is often high in calories
and lacks the vitamins and nutrients that a
child needs to grow. Additionally, lots of juices
are made from real fruits but they all contain
a lot of sugar. For this reason, try and serve
your child no more than one glass of juice a
day, and consider adding water to dilute it.
Choosing a piece of fruit over juice is always
the right choice. Soda and other fizzy (carbonated) drinks are also high in sugar and should
be limited in a child’s diet.
· Parents can help: Take your child to the playground after school, play tag, walk, bike or
roller-blade to school or another activity.
Where can I find additional
resources or programming on
healthy active living for children?
Teenagers (12-17 years): · Should have 1 hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity everyday. Vigorous
activities should be done 3 times per week.
Activities that strengthen muscles should
also be done at least 3 times per week.
You are not alone in supporting your child
in becoming more physically active and
having healthier eating habits. There are
many people in the community who can
help you make a change in your child’s
life including teachers, doctors, nurses
and other health care professionals. You
can visit your local community centre to
find out more about programs available
for your child.
· For this age group, physical activity
means running, skating, bike riding, rollerblading and group sports.
· Parents can help: Get your neighbors to
play a sport after dinner (i.e. basketball or
hockey), go to a gym or fitness class after
school or on weekends, or enroll in a sporting activity (ie. Soccer, baseball, tennis). Try
and take a walk around the block as a family after dinner. This enables family time together and role modeling.
As a parent, how can you make
sure your child has healthy eating
behaviours?
There are many ways to help your child
develop healthy eating habits. Children
should not diet or restrict any specific
foods. You can try to cook meals that
include food from the four different food
groups outlined in Canada’s Food Guide.
These include fruits and vegetables,
grain products, milk and alternatives
There are many websites that provide free
information in many languages including About Kids Health at www.aboutkidshealth.ca and Toronto Public Health at
www.toronto.ca. The Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines are available at www.csep.
ca/guidelines and Canada’s Food Guide is
available through the Health Canada website at www.hc-sc.gc.ca.
Resident Authors: Dr. Melanie Ostreicher and Dr.
Rebecca Rockman. Pediatric Authors: Dr. Catherine Birken and Dr. Julia Orkin
Melanie and Rebecca are resident doctors, currently training to become pediatricians at the
University of Toronto and The Hospital for Sick
Children. Dr. Birken is a staff pediatrician at The
Hospital for Sick Children and Dr. Orkin is a pediatrician at St. Michael’s Hospital.
By Adam Ali
Motivation
Motivation isn’t that great and that’s coming
from me—The Motivation Athlete. No
one truly needs motivation to accomplish
anything. Even the most uninterested,
unmotivated, terribly apathetic people can
accomplish anything.
To transcend beyond motivation, all
you need is courage to learn new habits
and an action plan.
An action plan results in any given habit
being formed. This is far more powerful
than any sense of motivation a person
can have. Simply put, this happens
because
habit-forming
becomes
subconscious, an actual part of you;
whereas motivation always takes a
conscious effort. Once your habit is
formed, you don’t even need to think
about it for it to throw you into gear.
You become it.
There are really only a few steps to
creating a habit-formed action plan
that will be ever-flowing under your
surface skin, in the form of selfdiscipline and personal drive. No
matter how unmotivated you may feel,
nothing will be able to stop you.
First, you must take a stand for yourself.
Remember the bigger picture of what
you’re committed to and why. For
whatever the habit may be that you’re
trying to form, what is your “why.”
Recite this “why” to yourself daily in
the form of constant reminders, selfaffirmations, and even (as cheesy as it
may sound) say it aloud to yourself as
you’re readying for the day in front of
the bathroom mirror. It need not be
complicated, either. Say you want to
eat healthier, or exercise more. All you
need to do is say why to yourself daily:
“I want to eat healthier and exercise
more so that I may feel better and get
my stress under control.”
Why do I wake up early to go make
money? Because the money will help
More
Habit-Forming
put food on the table and help me
grow my savings account so that one
day I can get a house. Money isn’t the
motivation it’s what you can do with it.
Always assess what is your why!
it—is because you said you would. And
because of all the reasons why you
said you would. And because this is not
just what you want to do, but who you
want to be.
Defining your reason for forming your
action plan and reiterating it to yourself
repeatedly will engrain it in your
subconscious over only a short period
of time. This is higher in thought than
just simple motivation, for it becomes
a part of who you are. How can you
be lazy about something that is, in a
nutshell, your essence?
As time goes on, you’ll have trained
yourself to know not only why you do
things, but that when you say you’ll do
them that you will. And that the entire
process is just a part of who you are: your
subconscious, your essence. Motivation,
at this point, has become irrelevant.
Next, you must integrate a to-do list
into your regular routine. This habit,
much like reiterating to yourself
regularly the “why” or “whys” of what
you do, becomes a part of who you are
as it quickly becomes a part of your
subconscious habits.
I’ve uploaded my personal to-do list
online for you to download for FREE.
Thousands of people follow this to-do
list and I encourage you to use it for
habit-forming.
iwontlose.com/todo
Start with simple things, such as
“drink a glass of water upon waking
up.” Work up to the bigger things
as you learn to create a to-do list
that is attainable. Nothing is more
destructive to habit-forming than
a list of things to do that never get
done. As your to-dos are repeatedly
followed through on, grow and
expand, and adjust your list. Don’t
be afraid to change your list in
the beginning—the goal is to do
things to create habits toward your
ultimate goals.
If you feel you’re having trouble
forming your habit, continue to remind
yourself that the reason you’re doing
this—even when you don’t feel like
Fortunately, we can all play a role in
fighting childhood obesity. As a parent,
you can encourage physical activity and
healthy eating in the home. These two
things alone can have a huge positive impact on your child’s health.
· Parents can help: Encourage activity by
taking children outside everyday, playing
music to promote movement, walking
and biking to activities, and setting up
play-dates with other children.
fitness
Big
How
87
Ato
Seitu
community
superhero
His art poses questions, raises issues
and at times simply celebrates beauty.
A featured artist in Toronto’s 20062007 Genius Loves Company exhibit;
Seitu’s work has toured Canada, the US,
the Caribbean and Africa, captivating
audiences with a brand of graphic fine
art that speaks to humanity.
Born in Kingston Jamaica, Seitu
migrated to Canada in 1963, completing
a diploma course in graphic arts at
George Brown College and later a
Masters degree in social environmental
studies at York University. In the 1970’s,
the anti-apartheid freedom movement
in South Africa influenced Seitu’s work
and many of his pieces were used to
educate African society about freedom
and democracy.
In 1993, Seitu co-founded the SIX AH
WI, Artists’ Collective, an organization
set up to expose and have recognized
the contributions of African-Canadian
artists to the continuing development
of the visual arts landscape in Canada
and the world.
(the above is from From www.atoseitu.
com)
Prolific,
intense,
opinionated,
passionate, are words depicting the
many faces of Jamaican Canadian
artist Ato Seitu. Much of his work
draws the eye to the face with all that
it often reveals about the human soul.
Whether using fine lines painstakingly
inked in black on white or brilliant
colors that pop from his art board,
Sietu is an artist whose creative voice
is as distinct as every painting he has
produced over the past 30 years
89
“Our struggle is based on our culture, because culture is the
fruit of history and it is strength. But our culture is filled with
weakness in the face of nature. It is essential to know this.”
The culture Cabral speaks about is not the arts. It is about the
Culture of our Social Responsibility to one another; Culture
of Study, The Culture of Critical Awareness and Resistance,
Culture of Self Respect, Culture of Work, Culture of
Discipline, Culture of Honourable Conduct. Finally, Cultural
Knowledge is the Tool of Self-Liberation.
2) What are you most passionate about making happen in
your community?
Passing on my experience through life and adopting youth
that are really looking ahead. To date, I have adapted over
12 young people over the years. Mainly females for they
need a positive male adult in their lives so when they grown
to adults, they have some form of measuring sticks to judge
their male partners.
3) What or who inspired you to get involved in your
community?
Every since I was a child I became very interested in politics
within my family, my village, in the City of Montego, Jamaica
(I came to Canada in 1963 at the age of 12 years old). No
one individual inspired me to get involved in community.
However, I became interested in building the Black
Community, which is different from getting involve in a
community. What do I mean? When I came to Toronto the
Black community or communities that we all know today
started in the sixties in the following order.
1: Bathurst and College
2: Then to Bathurst and Bloor
3: Then to Bathurst-Vaughan Rd. and St. Claire after St.
Claire were no longer two zones
Boss Magazine sat down with Ato Seitu to ask him more
about his work as an artist in the community.
1) What is your superhero motto?
90
The quotes are:
“Always bear in mind that people are not fighting for ideas,
for the things in anyone’s head. They are fighting to win
material benefits, to live better and in peace, to see their
lives go forward, to guarantee the future of their children”
“We must teach the best of what we know to our youth for
they are our future flowers”.
5: During Black Power Movement and Riots in USA, Toronto,
Montreal and Nova Scotia both the Ontario Government
and City of Toronto decided that they cannot make the
same mistake on the issues of urbanization in the central
core in Toronto. They decided to start building government
housing along the high way 401 and began to move Black
people out of the center of Toronto and that is how we
come to be at Jane & Finch and from there to Brampton. I
would be willing to speak to a group of youths/young adults
in sharing my history and knowledge.
4) What have you been most proud to be a part of in your
community?
I have no attachment to any individual community. My
community at this stage of my life is community of people,
which is very large and not geographic.
5) Which superhero (real or fictional) inspires you the
most?
No one! I do not believe in the cult of the personality.
Teach 2 Learn is a fabulous program that was born in
the classrooms of Downsview. It helps Spanish-speaking
students find a better path to success.
The program started five years ago as an attempt to reduce
the very high dropout rate of Spanish-speaking students.
Parents got together to work on ways to help their own
children, but the problem was very big and it required a
great deal of work.
Since then, countless meetings, workshops, tutoring classes, field
trips and forums have helped hundreds of students and parents
find guidance and support to navigate the school system.
It has also helped students who have dropped out to get
back to school.
To see the plays the students have put together, the
classrooms full of students receiving math help or the
parents in workshops learning the ropes of the educational
system is to understand both the potential out there and
the problems that need fixing.
“When we started we thought maybe we could just point
students to other programs. Then we realized that the
program was much bigger,” said Pilar Gonzalez, one of the
program’s founders and coordinators. “Tutoring was not
enough. The parents needed help. The students needed
help. We started this voyage with an objective, but like a
work of art, you never know what your final destination is.”
The name was coined by one of the program’s first
volunteers, a retired teacher named Ana Schillac. She was
By Matias de Dovitiis training a new set of tutors when she told them, “In order to
teach you must learn.”
The principle behind it is that anybody can learn and we can
all be teachers. Students in the program not only receive
help, but they also learn by teaching others.
Once children and youth learned to become engaged
students the rest is much easier. Teach 2 Learn uses a
number of different tools to engage students, from tutoring
to artistic development. Most importantly, the programs
are free to all participants.
Teach 2 Learn is by all means a success story and it has been
my pleasure for the last five years to work along a great
dedicated team of volunteers and parents.
The program currently helps 33 students with tutoring
twice a week and 10 to 20 parents participate in weekly
workshops and the youth program has more than 20
participants each week.
Downsview is a community created by waves of immigrants
that have arrived here over time and have often struggled
to adapt to the system. This is just one of the many stories
that have weaved our community together.
The pathway to success is always different for each
and every one of us, but there is nothing like wasted
opportunity. In Teach 2 Learn at least, dozens of students
have a new pathway.
For more information go to www.teach2learn.ca
I do not believe in the cult of the personality. That being
said three of the best quotes I built my philosophy around
from youth to this day by Amilcar Cabral, the agronomist,
nationalist leader, and founder and secretary-general of
the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and
Cape Verde (Partido Africano da Independência da Guiné
e Cabo Verde; PAIGC). Cabral helped lead Guinea-Bissau to
independence. He was a leading African thinker of the 20th
century.
4: Then to Vaughan Rd and Eglinton Ave
Teach 2 Learn
helping spanish-speaking
students get back to school
91
RELATIONSHIPS
What constitutes a date?
why is it a big deal to call it a
date when it’s with someone
I am interested in? Ponder on
that.
It seems like the definition of a
date is where the ambiguity lies.
Within the same survey, 80%
agree that a date is “a planned
one-on-one hangout.”1 Those
results begs this question: If
planned hang outs are what
constitutes a date, then what
is the definition of a hang out?
This question is the reason why
there is confusion. We don’t
know when we are on a date or
when we are just hanging out.
I have come to realize that the
activities you do when you are
hanging out are the same as
when you are on a date. You
can go out for dinner to hang
out and you can go out for
dinner on a date. You can go
on “dates” with friends and
family and you can go on dates
with a love interest. As a result,
people are finding it hard to
differentiate between the two.
Why is dating so confusing?
The Ambiguity
and
Complications of
Is it a Date?
92
By Fiana Andrews
It begins with not knowing whether
or not someone is interested. Then it
goes into who should contact who first.
Then it goes into questioning what we
are and where the relationship is going.
Overall, it seems as though the rules
to dating is what makes it complicated.
There are no written laws and everyone
seems to play by their own guidelines,
which further complicates things.
But nowadays, not only is dating
complicated but it’s now confusing. No
longer are we able to tell if dates are
really dates. Dating is now ambiguous.
A recent survey illustrates this level of
ambiguity: 69% are at least somewhat
confused about whether an outing
with someone they’re interested in is a
date or not .
So to avoid calling it a date, we ask if
they want to hang out, meet up, or
chill. We wait for an event or party,
say we are going to be there and ask
if they want to meet you there. We go
to a restaurant within the vicinity of
where they live and say ‘we are at so
and so’ then ask if they want to come.
Some of us don’t even call to ask,
instead we text, to make it even more
ambiguous as to whether this meet
up is a date. I say we because I am just
as guilty of doing this with someone I
am interested in. Since 84% surveyed
prefer to be asked out on a date via
But guess what? In case you didn’t catch
what I said it before, we do the same
activities when we are hanging out like
when we are going out on dates. So
why make dating so complicated, in
addition to confusing?
Dating doesn’t have to
be confusing
Psychotherapist
Rachel
Sussman
defines a date as “a planned event
between two people”2.
If we look at the definition of a date,
dating is not exclusive to two people
who are interested in each other. I plan
events between myself and another
person all the time. Whether it be with
one of my friends, my family members
or even my coworkers. We schedule
a time to meet and we hang out oneon-one. I have scheduled this through
phone calls, texting and even emails. I
have no problem calling those events
dates and based on the survey, 80% of
you would agree that they are too. So
What are your thoughts on dating? Why
is it confusing? Does the way someone
ask make a difference on how you view
the outing as a date? What are the
reasons dating multiple people can be
complicated?
Please share your thoughts with me via
twitter or facebook at @approach2link
or email me at approach2link@
approach2link.com
1
Online survey of 2,647 singles in America,
ages 18-59, commissioned by dating websites
ChristianMingle.com and Jdate.com, http://www.
stateofdatingreport.
com/findings.htm
2
USA today Article “Is it a date? Or Hanging out?
Survey Reflects Confusion” by Sharon Jayson,
January 21, 2014 http://www.usatoday.com/
story/news/nation/2014/01/21/date-hangoutrelationships/4397601/
Dating
Dating can be complicated at times.
We are confused about whether
or not a date is a date because we
put too much thought into it. Most
people view a date as too much of a
commitment in time and emotional
connection. They just want to have fun
and worry that if they call it a date they
will be pressured into committing into
an exclusive relationship because they
believe a date is reserved for when
you want to show special interest to a
special person.
the phone, it is not surprising that we
would use texting to schedule a meet
up to avoid it having to look like a date.
Essentially,
dating
and
hanging out is the same
thing. So don’t over think it
or think of it as anything more
than that. In the beginning
stages of getting to know
your love interest, you are
not exclusive or committed
to them and there shouldn’t
be any pressure to do so. So
just relax and enjoy getting
to know the person. I will
even venture to say that you
should plan as many events
and one-on-one hang outs
with as many people as you
want until you are ready to
commit to one person. I say
this knowing that sometimes
dating multiple people can
become complicated as well
(the reason why is a whole
other article) but if dating
and hanging out are one in the same,
then it should be possible to enjoy
getting to know various people if we, of
course, keep physical boundaries and
keep honest and open communication
about your intentions.
93
ASE i am because we are
94
The Jane & Finch Boys & Girls Club
hosted their Black History Month
Event; ASE – I am because we are.
While ASE does not directly translate
into “I am because we are,” we were
determined to focus on the celebration
of the varying Black cultures across the
diaspora and so the very name of the
event had to reflect this.
Our goal was to steer away from
focusing on the issues that the Black
race has had to face in the past, such
as slavery and colonialism. Instead
we chose to look at how these issues
have been challenged, continue to be
challenged and deconstructed. The
event featured over 15 performers of
varying artistic backgrounds and ages.
These acts included drummers, singers,
dancers, reggae artists, rappers,
spoken word poets, a live band and
a steel pan orchestra. Along with
these performers, members of the
audience were also invited to visit the
information and merchandise booths,
featuring small business owners and
community partners. To top this off,
there was a display of Art pieces by
Freedom Fridayz. Not only was this
event a night of entertainment, it also
included a presentation on our growth
as a people prior to Colonialism. It
should go without saying that the
performers were of African descent.
While this event was hosted by the Jane
& Finch Boys & Girls Club, it was also
supported by Helping Neighborhoods
Implement Change (H.N.I.C). Our event
would not have been as successful as it
was (over 300 in attendance) if it were
not for the generosity of the performers,
community partners and business
owners who lent their services for free,
the organizers who worked tirelessly,
the Oakdale Golf and Country Club for
an amazing site, Toronto Community
Housing Corporation and the support of
our community.
This event was very dear to us because
it gave us the opportunity to expose
members of our community, especially
our youth, to diverse forms of artistic
expressions that they may otherwise
not get the opportunity to see all in
one place, for free!
Performers Heritage Drummers, The Relative Chords Live Band,
Antilles Dance Troupe, African Students Association @ York, Oakdale
Steel Pan Orchestra, Mr. Winston Larose, The Originals Dance Group,
Gospel Rapper Yomi
Event Planner Diandra Greaves
95
Hidden Gem FOOD·MUSIC·ART·COCKTAILS
HARLEM
By: justina opoku-ware
The cuisine at Harlem is a blend of Afro-American/AfroCaribbean inspired dishes with a modern twist. Our
signature dish is Southern Fried Chicken ‘n Waffles and we
are known for being one of the best Restaurants in all of
Toronto for our Fried Chicken.
We always have Live Music every Friday and Saturday from
7:30pm - 11pm at Harlem (67 Richmond St. East). We book
Jazz, Soul, Neo-Soul, R&B and Blues musicians. In terms
of ongoing events, we have a few offerings. Neil “Bee”
Brathwaite just started a bi-weekly Jazz Concert Series on
Mondays. We have a Monthly Spoken Word Night called “Up
From the Roots” hosted by Dwayne Morgan, a comedy night
hosted by Quinn C. Martin, and an open mic night called
“Word Sound Power” Hosted by DJ Black Lotus. Basically
there is always something happening at Harlem. We have
daily updated event listings on our website.
As well, we will be participating in local festivals such as
Summerlicious, and the Toronto Jazz festival.
“Now this restaurant is tiny, a true gem in
the wall. Very unique form of design with
great service. Our server was friendly and
went the extra [mile] to make us feel like
our business was appreciated. Their menus are
printed on what looks to be an old school
vinyl record. Love the concept.”
“Service and the atmosphere were the definite
winner, 100% no questions. As a carribean girl,
it was homely.“
96
“Excellent food. Great service. Highly
recommended. Oh. And get the chicken and
waffles...”
Harlem has two locations: Harlem East at 67 Richmond St.
E. and Harlem Underground at 745 Queen St. W.
Check out their website at www.harlemrestaurant.com or
follow them on twitter: @Harlem1920
10 TIPS FOR
Improvement
For many people today, living paycheque
to paycheque has become a reality.
Personal debt burdens a lot of families
and individuals, and saving money is hard.
Under those circumstances, blessings
appear to be few and far between. But
with effort, you can move forward with
less worry, and indeed you can enjoy
many blessings. In fact, you can find ways
to save money, take pleasure from life,
and sleep well. Changing your outlook
can change your life.
Your outlook plays a huge role in
any effort you make to improve your
circumstances. Material riches are nice
to have, but they are not essential for
happiness. Ask any moneyless child
As You Live Paycheque
to Paycheque
who dances in the monsoon rain in
East India – or any humble family that
picnics in the beautiful mountains
of Ecuador. Their lives are filled with
riches. Just remind yourself that money
and material riches do not define true
wealth. Real riches rest in who you
love and what you love to do. So enjoy
those around you. Surround yourself
with love and laughter. Be creative,
and follow paths with heart, for you
never know where they will lead.
Meanwhile, here are 10 tips that can
help you as you live paycheque to
paycheque. By taking the tips to heart,
you can look forward to better finances
and better days ahead.
1 Redefine wants and needs (make a list)
2 Create a written monthly budget and stick to it
3 Commit to living debt free
4 Start saving small amounts ($2 dollars a day adds up to $730 per year)
5 For new skills, visit your local library and ask about free courses they offer
6 Don’t give or throw stuff away that you can trade or sell (clothes, DVDs, equipment etc.)
7 Buy in bulk, do the coupon thing, shop discounts and discount stores
8 Buy ahead of needs: take advantage of end-of-season sales for big savings
9 Shop yard sales, and consider barter services with friends and/or neighbours
10Stop making impulse purchases
Set attainable goals and work to fulfill them.
Further to the list, after you honestly
examine your wants versus needs,
start setting a few attainable goals
each month. When those goals are
accomplished, try adding a few
more. Keep on with the process. Your
situation may not change overnight,
but if you’re determined, it’s sure
to change in time. To quote Albert
Einstein, “In the middle of difficulty
lies opportunity.”
Always remember that you’re not alone.
Lots of others are in your shoes. And if
you ever feel your financial situation
is just too much to handle, take hope.
Contact your financial institution to
sit with a financial planner, or contact
a not-for-profit credit counselling
agency to assist you.
Material for this article was written by members of the Black Creek Financial Action Network (BCFAN). We are a multi-partner network working towards
coordinating efforts among the many agencies providing financial information; mounting public events with a financial focus; advocating for the community
on finance matters; sharing the best and promising practices aimed at building the capacity of service providers; and researching and evaluating financial
programs and services. For a list of members and other information about BCFAN, please visit us at http://cec.info.yorku.ca/partnerships-collaborations/
black-creek-financial-action-network/
Readers of BOSS magazine are welcome to submit their financial questions to BCFAN. Please email your questions and inquiries to yorkcec@yorku.ca
“On par with some of the best soul food I’ve
had in Atlanta and better than anything
I’ve had in the real Harlem, lol. I got the
chicken and waffles, which were excellent.
The waffles were extremely fluffy and the
chicken was crunchy and tender”
FINANCIAL LITERACY
97
volunteer
?
in this issue
Looking to gain hands on
experience in the media arts
To learn more about volunteer positions with Boss
Magazine, please email us at: bossmag01@gmail.com
writers * graphic designers * stylists * photograpers
editors * hairstylists * makeup artists
Fashion: FAT article: All images
are courtesy of fashionarttoronto.
ca; Designer profile: All images are courtesy of
Johnathan Hooper, JMH Photography; Spring trend alerts:
All images courtesy of style.com; Men’s editorial: images
submitted my model: Steven Van Nguyen; Beauty Editorial:
Model: Chelsi Bonair, top: printed kaftan, H&M $12.95,
accessories: necklace: the Bay $20.99, bracelets stylists own;
Model: Chelsi Bonair, top: white knitted fringe tank top, H&M
$14.95,accessories: stylist own Model: Mantis Gangne, whit
crop top H&M $6.96, accessories: head wrap stylist own,
earrings and ring $20.99, $8.99$; Model: Mantis Gangne,
blue short kimono H&M $14.95, necklace Aldo $10.99
other accessories stylist own. Arts and Entertainment:
Tin Canyon writer: Domonique Morris; Putting a Spin On
Things writer: Andrew Williams; Struggles of a Dreamer
Writer: Nicole Seck, photographer: Ebony Rhoden; Michie
Mee writer: Affa Mahboob, photographer: CJ Cromwell;
A Fashion Forward Affair writer: Nicole Seck; On the Bridge
of Stardom writer: Domonique Morris; Party Starter writer:
Domonique Morris, photographer CJ; Keeping it Honest
writer: Andrew Williams; Kim Kelly writer: Domonique Morris;
Taking the Stage writer: Andrew Williams; Fusion Music writer:
Domonique Morris; Eclectic Harmony writer: Domonique
Morris; What’s on Your iPod writers: Patric Plesa, Mohammed Ali,
Ameera Mohammed. Lifestyle: Lifestyle cover Photographer:
Kevin K Philip Osei: Olympic Hopeful Writer: Lloyd Opoku-Ware,
Photographer: Submitted by Philip Osei; Boss Scholars Writer:
Justina Opoku-Ware, Photographer: Jessica Nguyen & Jane and
Finch Boys and Girls Club; The Millenial Chronicles Writer: Priya
Ramunajam, Photographer: Kern Carter; Child Obesity Writer:
Sick Kids Hospital, Photographer: Kevin K; Less Seeking of
Motivation, More Habit Forming Writer: Adam Ali, Photographer:
Submitted by Adam Ali; Boss Superhero: Ato Seitu Writer: Justina
Opoku-Ware, Photographer: Perion Media; The Ambiguity and
Complications of Dating Writer: Fiana Andrews, Photographer:
Submitted by Fiana Andrews; Community Event: ASE Writer:
Diandra Greaves, Photographer: Kevin K; Harlem Restaurant
Writer: Justina Opoku-Ware, Photographer: Submitted by Harlem
Restaurant; 10 Tips for Improvement as you live Paycheque
to Paycheque Writer: Black Creek Financial Action Network,
Photographer: Perion Media
99
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